Whales & Dolphins: Best of [Import]

whales & dolphins: best of [import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
18 tracks in all. Features all the classics like 'My House', 'Oblivion', 'Alice, What's The Matter', 'Tequila' and more. 2001.

Whales & Dolphins,Terrorvision,EMI,Heavy Metal,Post-Punk,Rock,Rock/Pop

Whales & Dolphins: Best of [Import]

Average customer rating:

good
It takes a few spins to really take it in, but it's all good
Just Claypool--no one else's sound
Funk Bass Slappin' Masterpiece
"One Better" makes this album better

Of Whales and Woe
Les Claypool
Manufacturer: Prawn Song
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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South of the Pumphouse
Les Claypool - 5 Gallons of Diesel
Purple Onion
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ASIN: B000F9T6J2
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Tracks:

Back Off Turkey
One Better
Lust Stings
Of Whales And Woe
Vernon The Company Man
Phantom Patriot
Iowan Gal
Nothin' Ventured
Rumble Of The Diesel
Robot Chickent
Filipino Ray
Off-White Guilt

Amazon.com

Primus bassman/mainstay Les Claypool uses the occasion of his fifth strictly solo outing to strip his musical instincts almost to the bone; guitars are almost non-existent, with Skerik's sax and the sitar/theremin work of Gabby La La providing the punctuation. Pushing his aggressive, wickedly fluid bass work even farther into the spotlight will no doubt please Claypool's most ardent fans, but the gambit also yields an album whose hypnotic rhythms and spare but potent seasonings are often intriguing. The dozen tracks may be driven by Claypool's feverish, often willfully obtuse creative muse--imagine a smackdown between Zappa and Bootsy with Zorn as referee--yet often constrained by a sense of shrewd pop economics that are rare in similar, instrumental virtuoso-driven excursions. "Vernon the Company Man" and "Phantom Patriot" are texturally compelling, if limited by a lyrical approach that's but re-heated Frank Z. "One Better" and "Rumble of the Diesel" offer sizzling funk workouts, while "Iowan Gal" and "Robot Chicken" evoke whacked-out metallic hoedowns for cyborgs of all ages. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

good.......2007-05-17

i like this,but it seemed too short(album and song length/s),and didn't have the character most les' work does.iowa gal and the first single are my favs!

It takes a few spins to really take it in, but it's all good.......2007-02-15

The Good
"One Better" spins a funky bass line under the tale of two friends trying to outdo one another. The second verse delves into the U.S. and Russia trying to out due one another is space exploration. You know those senior citizens that talk and talk about the good old days and how great things were and how great they were back then? That's the story behind "Of Whales and Woe." You can hear the agony in Claypool's vocals. "Vernon the Company Man" is thick on the bass (like you expected something else) and light on the guitar. There's a surprise ending to this devoted employee's life.

"Phantom Patriot" has a superhero theme quality--a cheesy superhero that is. The groove is sweet and the songs will bring a smile to your face. "Iowan Girl" has a country twang to it. You can actually picture a long-bearded hillbilly on his front porch rocking chair tapping his foot along to the beat. "Rumble of the Diesel" suggests a powerful truck, but in keeping with his albums nautical theme, Les is really speaking of the lives of fishermen.

The Bad
There are a few songs that are really nothing special. "Back off Turkey" is one that comes to mind that is bad even for the wacky Les Claypool.

The Verdict
There's no denying that Les Claypool is a little twisted and bizarre. Sometimes his music is funky and fun, other times it's just plain strange. Of Whales and Woe is a balance of both. It takes a few spins to really take it in, but it's all good.

Just Claypool--no one else's sound.......2006-12-31

It is ALWAYS refreshing to listen to a solo outing that doesn't sound like an attempt at the artist BEING the band all by himself. Ric Ocasek, for example, started his post-Cars solo career by trying to sound like The Cars (without the rest of the The Cars, of course), a thorough flipping of the bird to former bandmates.

Les Claypool doesn't sound like he is trying to do the sound of a former band without the rest of the members getting in his way in this one, _Of Whales and Woe_...but then again, what band could Les ever try to sound like? Primus? Sausage? Oysterhead? Actually, one might think, considering the range of bands Claypool has played with, that it might be impossible NOT to sound like one of his previous projects.

But the truth is that Claypool is an odd enough artist to be able to go out on his own and still sound as unique as always. We should all feel fortunate that Metallica turned him down when looking for a replacement for Cliff--no doubt, not only would Metallica have been changed forever (for the better?), but Claypool might not have developed into the punk-Zappa, Waits-drinking-buddy funkmaster we know and love. The only true connections to Primus-type work on this disc is the sea theme which pervaded Primus, but here Claypool lets the sea theme invade the music as well as the lyrics, fostering unusual collaborations of bass against anything but guitar.

It's hard not to bob along to Claypool's avant-funk in songs like "One Better," and the faux-epic storytelling of "Vernon the Company Man" is somewhat Tom Waits in nature, but how nice it is to see other Claypools join the effort in the first track.

Dance, jig, or just stare at the wall, _Of Whales and Woe_ is worth a few loud listens in your kitchen while fixing yourself a few cocktails. Grog preferred.

Funk Bass Slappin' Masterpiece.......2006-10-16

I am a fan of aggressive funk/punk bass slapping. Until recently I have regarded Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers as the best in the business. However, now I can say confidently that in my mind, Les Claypool has supplanted Flea as the best. He has shown glimpses of it in albums past, most notably Tommy the Cat, Shake Hands with Beef, Awakenings, etc. but this album has the best collection of that style of playing I have found anywhere, regardless of artist. When I listen to this album I have to wire my jaw shut so I won't catch any flies.

"One Better" makes this album better.......2006-09-16

Les Claypool is brilliant. I love all of his music. That said, this CD is a little inconsistent at times. There are better albums of his to get a hold of, whether it's his solo work or his days with Primus. But "One Better" is a masterpiece. If you can't download this song by itself online, then it's worth it to buy this CD. Claypool is the most important musician to alternative music since Frank Zappa, and his music probably won't be fully appreciated for decades. Much like Frank Zappa.

Average customer rating:

"WHALES AND NIGHTINGALES": JUDY COLLINS' MUSICAL PANORAMA
Collins' highest achievement
How Could This Ever Have Happened?
This is my favorite album
Judy Collins sing "Amazing Grace" (and with whales)

Whales & Nightingales
Judy Collins
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Wildflowers
Who Knows Where the Time Goes
In My Life
Judith
Living

ASIN: B000002I2K
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Song For David
Sons Of
The Patriot Game
Prothalamium
Oh, Had I A Golden Thread
Gene's Song
Farewell To Tarwathie
Time Passes Slowly
Marieke
Nightingale I
Nightingale II
Simple Gifts
Amazing Grace

Customer Reviews:

"WHALES AND NIGHTINGALES": JUDY COLLINS' MUSICAL PANORAMA.......2007-01-25

Although somewhat musically related to "Wildflowers" in it's orchestral stylings, Judy Collins' "Whales And Nightingales" has a slighter folk-rock tinge to it and is a more scenic, if you will, view of the world - encapsulating political, social, spiritual, ecological, and romantic concerns into its captivating musical panorama.

"Whales And Nightingales" opens with her compeer Joan Baez's "Song For David", her then-husband who was arrested and jailed for resisting the draft into Vietnam while she waited with their new-born son for his release. It is a powerful song; its power belied by its beauty, as it actually sounds apolitical. It is followed by Jacque Brel's "Sons Of", a solo-piano accompanied lullaby, of sorts, reminding us of the diversity of human life and how all, created equal, can come to so many different paths in life. On this album, Judy has also included Brel's wonderful "Marieke", sung in French and Flemish.

Dylan's "Time Passes Slowly" is one of my favorite tracks here and is a lush, folk-rocking love song; Judy's voice soars on this number, once again showing how well she interprets Dylan. She also does a spectacular job of Pete Seeger's "Oh, Had I A Golden Thread".

Collins, herself, composed for this album: her contributions being "Nightingale I", a romantic song in which she is the nightingale hunted but not struck by the arrow aimed at her by her potential suitor. She accompanies herself on piano, once again showing her classically trained musicianship, which fully blossums on the following "Nightingale II", an ambitious, completely orchestrated classical sounding instrumental piece.

"Whales And Nightingales" also includes traditional songs, supremely arranged and adapted by Collins: "Prothalamium", a song of rejuvination; "Farewell To Tarwathie", a centuries-old Scottish whaling song performed over a backdrop of the songs humpback whales sing to each other, reminding us of the beauty of the natural world and, conversely, how it is NOT to be squandered and depleted; and the closing spiritual cuts "Simple Gifts", about the simple recognition of the essence of being and the gratitude for life; and her colossal hit, "Amazing Grace".

Judy Collins' "Whales And Nightingales" covers a broad spectrum of the issues of life and living. When time is spent with it, lights shine, revealing its messages of hope and faith and peace and love.

Collins' highest achievement.......2006-12-20

Decades of indifferent pop craft and a pandering sentimentality have led many to forget that, during the Sixties, Judy Collins was a major player. This 1970 album was eagerly anticipated across American campuses and easily met everyone's high expectations. If Collins could be compared to Paul Simon (another intelligent and tasteful perfectionist), Whales & Nightingales straddles a halfway mark between the eccentrities of Bookends and the sensuality of Bridge Over Troubled Water. Big statements ("Amazing Grace" and "Golden Thread" ) are tempered by quick-witted vignettes ("Sons Of" and "Prothalamium") and, displaying her keen ear for musicianship, delivers the quintessential version of Joan Baez's intensely personal "Song For David." "Farewell To Tarwathie," the 'whale duet,' is the centerpiece and stands as the 'first New Age' recording. Better yet are the two versions of the brooding "Nightingale" - a convincing argument for Collins' ability as a composer. A song cycle in the grand manner of 1970, the album is probably Collins' final masterpiece.

How Could This Ever Have Happened?.......2006-12-11

It's amazing to think that this varied, sublime work could have been produced, even in a time of music as consciously experimental as back then. Just consider the range of material:

- Amazing Grace: delightful, uninstrumented performance which foregrounds Collins' vocal range and depth. Deservedly classic.
- Farewell to Tarwathie: a whaler tune (!), with no instruments at all, framed by whale songs, performed in a stately, reflective manner. And the whales get the last word, too!
- Song for David: more what you might expect from Collins, from the rest of her work of this period. Very hummable, and upbeat.
- The Patriot Game: Mournful song of Irish political despair.
- Time Passes Slowly: Dylan, but with a delicacy of rustic emotion. One of favorite Dylan tunes, in fact, not least because someone else is singing it.
- Two-Part Nightingale: the first is lyrics-driven; the longer and pure instrumental bliss. Who had this idea?

And others; you get the idea. For sure, in other albums of her from this period you see similar variety, but this is, to my mind, the apex of this gloriously eclectic approach. Some genius of a producer (and perhaps Collins herself) must have combed through an unimaginable amount of material/suggestions to arrive at this stunningly varied, yet supremely evocative collection of songs. Who would ever have thought of a whaling song? How many pop divas would have selected an instrumental? It's a lasting index of Judy Collins' confidence and creativity.

I like many of her other releases, but find myself coming back to this again and again.

This is my favorite album.......2004-09-14

When Whales and Nightingales first came out I was thirteen years old. I fell in love with it then, and continue to love it now. This says a lot for its staying power, since I am a very different person now than I was then, and my musical tastes have changed drastically! Judy Collins' voice is haunting and lovely, and each song is perfect in its own way. Farewell To Tarwaithe, Simple Gifts, and Amazing Grace are my favorites, but there's not a bad song in the bunch. This is a great sing-along album for wanna-be sopranos, or you can listen and marvel at the crystal clarity of her voice. I wish she was doing albums like this now!

Judy Collins sing "Amazing Grace" (and with whales).......2003-04-03

When you listen to "Whales & Nightingales" the big question is which song do you find more haunting, her crystal clear version of "Amazing Grace" or "Farewell to Tarwathie," which is sung over the accompaniment of Humpback Whales. This 1971 album made it all the way to #17 on the pop charts, which makes it her second most successful album after her 1968 "Wildflowers" album. The glorious soprano voice is always there and the quality of a Judy Collins album always comes down to the songs. This time around we have Bob Dylan's "Time Passes Slowly" and songs by Jacques Brel ("Marieke") and Pete Seeger ("Oh Had I a Golden Thread"), as well a nice little original composition ("Sons of"). Consequently, while you can get the two "hits" from this album on her hits collection, there are several other songs well worth having in your music library, making "Whales & Nightingales" a Judy Collins album well worth having.

Average customer rating:

Perfect To Fall Asleep To
3-Dimensional Pure Nature Sounds

Sounds of Nature Sampler
Suzanne Doucet , and Chuck Plaisance
Manufacturer: Only New Age Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Environmental | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

Nature | New Age | Styles | Music

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Echoes of Nature: The Natural Sounds of the Wilderness
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ASIN: B0009XFIX2
Release Date: 2005-07-12

Tracks:

Ocean Waves
Southern Swamp
Rainstorms
Desert Oasis
Forest Morning
Mountain Ranch
The River
Pine Forest
Thunderstorm
At the Lake
Summer Nights
Song of the (Humpback) Whale
The Rainforest
Bubbling Creek
Rolling Thunder
A Night in the Canyon
Before the Storm
Walk at the Beach
Waterfall
Wetlands

Album Description

The sounds for this series were recorded in 3D by Chuck Plaisance. His recording system is designed to simulate human hearing, using a binaural head microphone to capture depth, height, width, as well as directional movement. No special equipment is needed to get 3D sound from traditional stereo speakers. In fact, these albums will make your system - speakers or headphones - sound like it never has before. You are the experience.

All pieces contain compositions of pure Nature Sounds produced, arranged, edited and mastered by Chuck Plaisance and Suzanne Doucet. (aka Virtual Audio Environment).

Customer Reviews:

Perfect To Fall Asleep To.......2006-07-20

I bought this CD because I didn't really know which type of sound I'd relax most too be it ocean, rain, forest, etc. Well I love all the sounds on this sampler, and I play it every night. My hubby says that 20 mins into the CD there's a rooster crowing, but I wouldn't know because by that time I'm already fast asleep. Great stuff!

3-Dimensional Pure Nature Sounds.......2005-11-21

This excellent compilation of 20 different Nature Sound albums was out of print, but is now finally available again through ONLY NEW AGE MUSIC(repackaged and remastered). This album creates a journey through different Nature scenes all recorded by Chuck Plaisance, with a special microphone that simulates human hearing. The sounds were then edited and composed, arranged and mixed like an orchestrated piece but still remain pure Sounds of Nature. Like Bernie Krause Doucet and Plaisance take essential Nature Sounds and recreate an ambience that takes you even deeper into the essence of Nature.

Rapture of the Deep - Humpback Whale Singing

Average customer rating:

A great CD ,and Great Sound
Humpback Whale Songs
Whale Song
great cd

Rapture of the Deep - Humpback Whale Singing
Paul Knapp Jr.
Manufacturer: Compass Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sounds of the Earth: Humpback Whales
Echoes of Nature: Killer Whales
Reiki: Whale Song
Song of the Dolphins
Dolphin Dreams

ASIN: B00005QXSB
Release Date: 2001-03-05

Tracks:

Caribbean Humpback Whale
Four Days Later
Mostly One
One Humpback Whale
Calm Afternoon
One "2000 Whale"
Five Days Later
Breaching (Jumping) Whales

Album Description

72 minutes on 8 tracks/ very good song diversity.

This CD provides a unique opportunity to hear the authentic sounds of humpback whales. There is no background music, only whales. Includes the special, nearly 25 minutes, "One Humpback Whale", an excellent recording of a close whale, just a few hundred yards away, originally recorded on digital audio tape, giving the whale great presence and clarity.

Recorded near the Virgin Islands from a 13 foot inflatable boat, using a professional hydrophone.

Customer Reviews:

A great CD ,and Great Sound.......2007-01-28

The track " One humpback Whale " is the best I've ever heard.
Nothing but Whales, No added music.
Beautiful

Humpback Whale Songs .......2007-01-28

One of the best examples of Humpback Whale recordings to date. I have heard them all.
Paul Knapp has captured these songs for all the world to hear. Pure Humpback Singing.
I highly recommend this CD to everyone. Truly a treasure for any audio collection. Young and old.
A+

Whale Song.......2007-01-23

Good for meditating or working in the basement. Also use it for going to sleep. Personally, don't appreciate it when driving, but HEY! Save the Whales. Collect the whole set!

great cd.......2007-01-04

I had been looking for whale songs for a while, and finally this cd filled my expectations. It is only natural whale voices, nothing more. Some of them give me a peculiar funny feeling, like if the whale were singing a joke, or laughing. Not for everyday, but I enjoy it once in a while.

Hovhaness: Mysterious Mountain/And God Created Great Whales

Average customer rating:

Alan Hovhaness and some very big friends
M.M. version mediocre; St. Gregory performance Excellent.
Entering the Realm of Alan Hovhaness
A Stimulating Hovhaness Sampler
Hovhaness Is An American Original

Hovhaness: Mysterious Mountain/And God Created Great Whales

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 22 ("City of Light"); Cello Concerto
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Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 60; Guitar Concerto; Khrimian Hairig
Hovhaness: Symphony Nos. 22 "City of Light Symphony" & 50 "Mount St. Helens Symphony"

ASIN: B0000006ZD
Release Date: 1994-04-12

Tracks:

Mysterious Mountain-Symphony No.2: I. Andante con moto
Mysterious Mountain-Symphony No.2: II. Double Fugue
Mysterious Mountain-Symphony No.2: III. Andante espressivo
Prayer of St. Gregory
Prelude & Quadruple Fugue
And God Created Great Whales
Alleluia & Fugue
Celestial Fantasy

Customer Reviews:

Alan Hovhaness and some very big friends.......2007-02-04

This is a brilliant work combining the compositional artistry of Alan Hovhaness with the music from the orchestra of the sea, the great whales themselves. To be listened to over and over again as there are always some new nuances that won't have been heard on previous visits.

M.M. version mediocre; St. Gregory performance Excellent........2006-07-21

Of the two pieces I care most about on this recording, my ears received them very differently.

On a positive note, the performance of St. Gregory's Prayer is transcendentally beautiful... liquid joy... outstanding.

I'm less enthusiastic about the Seattle Symphony's reproduction of the Mysterious Mountain here. Perhaps I am biased in favor of Fritz Reiner's Chicago interpretation, having heard that many times first. Regardless, I think a lot of listeners would have to agree with me that this Seattle production truly rushes through the suite, barely sampling the incredible potential of the composition. They simply move through it much too fast. So much of the power of Mysterious Mountain is intimately linked to its cadence, and to rush a piece like this is to drain it of most of its glory. The rendition excels technically, but the spirit comes out flat.

St. Gregory's Prayer is worth the purchase of this disc, but for a better Mountain, get the Chicago recording.

As for Great Whales, there's something good in hearing a symphony with the Pacific Ocean at its doorstep waxing Cetacean. Unfortunately this poetic justice does not suffice to make this piece worth frequent listening. It does succeed as a curiosity and a nice jog of the ear if you've fallen into a rut.

Entering the Realm of Alan Hovhaness.......2006-06-16

Like other reviewers here, I flipped on the radio one night & caught the tail-end of "Mysterious Mountain" and was thunderstruck by the beauty pouring out of my speakers. I strained to catch the name of the composition and the composer: Alan Hovhaness...Mysterious Mountain. That night was a revelation to me and the beginning of my explorations into the musical realm of Mr. Hovhaness. Several CD's later, I still return to this one. All of the selections here are wonderful with the possible exception of the composition, "And God Created The Great Whales"... I have never been able to latch onto that one, but that is just me. Otherwise, this CD is absolutely superb; the music is richly textured and satisfying. Highly recommended.

A Stimulating Hovhaness Sampler.......2006-05-04

Boy, it's amazing how different sets of ears hear things differently! I was just musing on the purity of sound that the Seattle strings are able to produce on this disc, nimble and without the heaviness that some more famous string bodies under certain conductors (say, Philadelphia under Ormandy or Sawallisch) would proffer. And I was further thinking that Delos' clean, clear recording was a big help, especially in the "Prayer to Saint Anthony," where the lonely sound of solo trumpet is etched against the accompanying strings. Then I read the comments by others on this page and am amazed to read that some think the sound on this disc "tinny...muddy." Obviously, I don't agree.

As to the performances, Schwarz seems to me a master Hovhaness interpreter, as other performances from Seattle and elsewhere have proved. I, too, recall the classic recording of "Mysterious Mountain" with Reiner, and I think Schwarz yields nothing to Reiner in terms of depth of feeling or any other musical criteria. Schwarz's is a lovely performance, with all the required mystery and majesty of this seminal piece intact.

In other hands than Hovhaness's, "God Created Great Whales" could have emerged as a one-trick pony of a piece. I happen to think that Rautavaara's "Cantus Arcticus," mentioned by at least one other reviewer, comes far closer to this downfall. I find that Rautavaara's music is no more or less interesting than, nor does it shed special light on, the recorded bird sounds in his piece. As you can guess, I'm not a great admirer of the Finnish composer. But Hovhaness manages to mirror the sounds of the whales, in both the strings and brass (hard feat!) in such a way that we come to appreciate the remarkable communicativeness of these great beasts of the sea. At least I do. Plus, the technique that Hovhaness employs--a rare foray into aleatory music--is in the service of the work's program: the emergence of the earth from primordial chaos.

Of the other pieces on this disc, I find "Prelude and Quadruple Fugue" the most memorable. A dry, pedantic name perhaps, but not a dry piece: the fugue manages to be both very traditional and very modern, which is true of Hovhaness's best music. As I say, Schwarz, Seattle, and Delos all do Hovhaness full justice on this CD.

Hovhaness Is An American Original.......2006-03-27

Alan Hovhaness is probably one of the most underrated, unappreciated composers this country has ever produced. How unappreciated? I've been a passionate lover of classical music for fifteen years, took a few courses in my undergrad years on music theory and the history of music in the West, have been a season ticket holder in more than one city's philharmonic/orchestras, and it was not until about five years ago that I heard of Hovhaness--and even then it was only because I so happen to listen to his Symphony No. 2 (`Mysterious Mountain') on a local public radio station during classical music hour.

The first time I heard `Mysterious Mountain,' I almost mistook it for Dvorak or Smetana. Hovhaness might have lived in the 20th century, but his compositional approach and philosophy was very much in the mold of the 19th century romantics. It is grandiose in style, haunting and yet beautifully majestic in sound, and it never ceases to amaze me every time I listen to it.

The remaining pieces of music, particularly the Prayer of St. Gregory and Alleluia and Fugue, betray Hovhaness's earlier work as a composer of music (and organist) for the Armenian Church. It surprises me still that more of his music is not played, although he is best known for Mysterious Mountain (a symphony that was composed and premiered in 1955). This CD itself is an excellent addition to any classical music collection and a must for anyone wanting to discover more about American composers.

Average customer rating:

Pretty good
Enjoyable, but not as beautiful as Humpbacks
Awesome!

Echoes of Nature: Killer Whales
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Environmental | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

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

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Rapture of the Deep - Humpback Whale Singing
Echoes of Nature: Humpback Whales
Sounds of the Earth: Humpback Whales
The Sounds of the Earth: Dolphins
Song of the Dolphins

ASIN: B000001V8Z
Release Date: 1995-03-28

Tracks:

Deep Canyon Echoes
Central Coast
Johnstone Strait

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good.......2007-01-26

The sounds are great, although there is some interferance with the sound a little bit just from the water, but overall its great to listen to and do homework or work on things.

Enjoyable, but not as beautiful as Humpbacks.......2007-01-11

If you're someone who likes listening to different albums by the same band to note and enjoy their change through the years, then pick up this album with one featuring Humpback whales. The contrast and similarities are rich and enjoyable.

Awesome!.......2003-12-23

I think that if someone like me loves killer whales, They will LOVE this. BUY IT!

Average customer rating:

Alan Hovhaness
Just a bit worse than the first volume
Stunning and diverse--a whole world of beautiful music

Hovhaness Collection, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Music of Alan Hovhaness
Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 60; Guitar Concerto; Khrimian Hairig
Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 22 ("City of Light"); Cello Concerto
Hovhaness Treasures
Hovhaness: Symphonies Nos. 4, 20 & 53; The Prayer of St. Gregory

ASIN: B00000JSAT
Release Date: 1999-08-03

Customer Reviews:

Alan Hovhaness.......2004-05-31

Alan Hovhaness is quite a "comfort zone" composer. This particular collection is very pleasent and well ballanced. I recommend it, especially since the sound is particularly good on it.

Just a bit worse than the first volume.......2003-01-07

Alan Hovhaness's music tends to not be very memorable, however it IS highly emotional and I can never say it's inherently bad. This compilation contains his most popular piece, Symphony #2 "Mysterious Mountian", as well as many other pieces, most of which is the only recording.

Beyond Mysterious Mountain, which gets a pretty good performance here, the highlight is easily Sympohny #50 "Mount St. Helens". This work portrays the eruption in 1980 that Hovhanes actually was close enough to to experiance its backlash. The first two movements are typical laid back Hovhanness, very pretty. The third movement, however, just ROARS with exceitment, and just does not stop. Wonderful.

Amoung the other selections, 'And God Created Great Whales' is a very interesting piece that includes tape music of whales, and is somewhat aleatoric in nature (chance music). Prelude and Quadruple Fugue is very nice example of an orchestral fugue, while Alleluia and Fugue goes more toward the choral direction and is very pretty.
As this is at twofer pricing, it's a very good buy, unless you already have some of the CDs these recordings were taken from. However, make sure to also get the other volume.

Stunning and diverse--a whole world of beautiful music.......2001-03-04

I actually purchased this album for the Hovhaness piece "Mysterious Mountain," which I played with a student orchestra in 1994. This piece is breathtaking and is not afraid to use slightly odd and unexpected harmonies to convey the sense of a very large and beautiful mountain--from the point of view of someone who is flying over and around it at great speed. It's really a great piece and I wish it were longer. But the fact that there are so many other good pieces on this record makes it a good classical music buy any way you look at it.

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Journey Of The Whales
David Arkenstone
Manufacturer: Green Hill Productions
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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Windscapes
Tropical Morning
Ocean Dreams
Gentle Rain
Healing Waters

ASIN: B000G5R00W
Release Date: 2006-04-15

Tracks:

Prelude
The Deep Blue
Breath Of The Ocean
The Long Journey
Sparkes In The Sea
Majestic Giants
Waltz Of The Whales
Floating

Product Description

A peaceful listening experience combining the inspiring beauty of the natural world with tranquil sounds of melody, harmony and rhythm. Some of Earth's most mystical musicians are beautifully recorded in the cathedral of the sea.

Average customer rating:

Very relaxing

Sounds of the Earth: Humpback Whales
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Oreade Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Environmental | New Age | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Indie Music | Stores | Music

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Rapture of the Deep - Humpback Whale Singing
Echoes of Nature: Killer Whales
Reiki: Whale Song
Sounds of the Earth: Wolves
Song of the Dolphins

ASIN: B00000IJIW
Release Date: 1999-04-06

Tracks:

Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales

Customer Reviews:

Very relaxing.......2001-04-28

Having recently been scuba diving with Humpback whales, this CD was absolutely incredible. Once you have heard whale song in person, you will be hooked and this CD does it! Having a variety helps too. The whale song near the surface was very reminiscent of our diving. Track two with the ghostly echoes from deep within underwater canyons is amazing. I highly recommend this collection.

Average customer rating:

Paul Winter's most imaginative work.
Journey into Mystery
Very Relaxing CD

Whales Alive
Paul Winter , Paul Halley , and Leonard Nimoy
Manufacturer: Living Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Fusion & World Fusion | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | New Age | Styles | Music

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Common Ground
Paul Winter: Greatest Hits (Special Edition) [Enhanced CD]
Prayer for the Wild Things
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Icarus

ASIN: B0000000UC
Release Date: 1991-06-28

Tracks:

Whales Weep Not! (Overture)
Dawnwatch
George And Gracie
Turning
Concerto For Whale And Organ
Humphrey's Blues
Queequeg And I/The Water Is Wide
Ocean Dream
The Voyage Home (Finale)

Customer Reviews:

Paul Winter's most imaginative work........2003-08-30

Paul Winter is that rarity among musicians, one who can successfully reinvent himself repeatedly, not so much as a concession to changing tastes among listeners as it is his fascination with how - and by whom (and for that matter, by what) - music is made. With a 40-year body of work thus far, the only "constant" over these four decades has been the sound of his saxophone (and even there, his "hard bop" alto of his early post-college years is quite different from his soprano sax work over most of his career).

A little over two decades ago, Winter founded his own record label (Living Music) so that he could pursue his musical interests without concern for whether the label itself would influence his artistic direction. Excepting a number of guest appearances on the albums of musical friends, all of his releases since 1980 have been on the Living Music label, and all of them reflect and showcase his artistic interests.

Preeminent among these releases (now numbering nearly 40 titles) is a small, but central, series of "environmental" albums that evoke his thoughts on the relationships between music and the earth and nature. Among these, if "Callings" (1980) was his groundbreaking first album, "Canyon" (1985) his most evocative, "Earth: Voices of a Planet" (1990) his widest-ranging (in geographic terms), "Prayer for the Wild Things" (1994) his crowning artistic achievement, and "Canyon Lullaby" (1997) his most personal, I think it accurate to say that this album, "Whales Alive" (1987), is his most imaginative.

The album is the collaborative effort of four people (three in addition to Winter), each uniquely qualified for the contributions he makes. Dr. Roger Payne, famous for his whale tapings ("Songs of the Humpback Whale"), first interested Winter in "the musics of cetaceans." Payne also inspired Leonard Nimoy, who provides the dramatic readings here (perfectly so, I hasten to add), in his screenplay and direction for "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (which in turn provided inspiration to Winter for the wonderfully moving and affirmative final track on the album). And Paul Halley, long-time Winter collaborator, provides the perfect instrumental underpinnings seated at his organ console bench at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

The album juxtaposes readings by Nimoy of the prose and poetry of Herman Melville, D. H. Lawrence, Gary Snyder, Payne and others with whale songs and the instrumental work of Winter and Halley and their session musicians. The integration of these three seemingly distinct entities is a marvel that few can pull off at all, and none as well as Winter. The majestic opening track ("Whales Weep Not") immediately lets us know that this is no ordinary "spoken word" album. And it gets better, with the utterly imaginative "Concerto for Whale and Organ," the bluesy "Humphrey's Blues" and the exciting "Queequeg and I" (with Ted Moore providing thrilling percussion support to Winter's sax).

There are instances when words cannot suffice, but we try anyway. In saying that "The Voyage Home" is a revelation in its simple, noble majesty and uplifting spirituality, I know that I fail utterly in attempting to capture its essence. The prologue to this final track, narrated by Nimoy to words written by Payne, linger as an aural memory much as the music itself does; the final six words of Dr. Payne's, prior to the start of the music, truly say it all. Winter has a way of providing "album closers" that are unforgettable, and "The Voyage Home" is among his very finest of all.

I like to think of this series of "environmental music" albums as "canonical Winter": those of his works which are absolutely timeless in terms of their appeal. And, among these, "Whales Alive" is at the same time both the most imaginative and the most stirring of all.

Bob Zeidler

Journey into Mystery.......2002-02-12

This must be one of the most unusual recordings ever. Paul Winter's evocative sax dances with the whalesong, weaving the kind of musical patterns you can drift away and dream to. The backing is sympathetic and low key, and the atmosphere is enhanced by Leonard Nimoy's readings. (Forget Spock ... this man has a voice made for poetry!) Buy this CD, listen to it ....and let your imagination ride the wild sea.

Very Relaxing CD.......2001-08-11

Very relaxing music accompanied by recorded whale songs. Leonard Nimoy also reads poetry. Yes that's Nimoy as in Mr. Spock. His readings take nothing away from the beauty of this compilation. I searched over a year for this CD after hearing it featured on a local new age program....If you like New Age, you'll love this.

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