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Amazon.com
Raucous neo-bop instrumental frenzy from a band that could introduce some fresh ideas and sounds to a new generation. The name to tout is Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard, who puts his imprimatur on these hyperactive, sax-driven jams in his role as co-producer. "Shag," "Naked Truth" (featuring singer Shawn Smith from the Seattle band Brad), and "Double Pot Roast Backpack" are standouts. --Jeff Bateman

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House Party
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Dan's first album...Wiggle the Wiggles out of your CD Player
  • Thank goodness for Dan Zanes!!!!!!
  • My daughters favorite!
  • Dan is her new best friend
  • Kids love it
House Party
Dan Zanes
Manufacturer: Festival Five Rec.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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GeneralGeneral | Children's Music | Styles | Music
Folk MusicFolk Music | Children's Music | Styles | Music
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  1. Family Dance
  2. Catch That Train!
  3. Rocket Ship Beach
  4. Night Time
  5. Dan Zanes & Friends - All Around the Kitchen! Crazy Videos & Concert Songs!

ASIN: B0000CC85J
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

  1. House Party Time
  2. Wabash Cannonball - with Bob Weir
  3. Queremos Bailar
  4. Hop Up Ladies
  5. Washington At Valley Forge
  6. Jamaica Farewell - with Angelique Kidjo
  7. Tankoh-Bushi
  8. Down In The Valley
  9. Waltzing Matilda - with Deborah Harry
  10. West Indian Counting Song
  11. Sunny Old Sun
  12. Tennessee Wig Walk
  13. Shining Star
  14. How Do You Do? - with David Jones
  15. Daniel In The Den
  16. Surrounded By Friendship
  17. Old Joe Clark
  18. Hey Little Red Bird
  19. We Shall Not Be Moved
  20. A Place For Us - with Phillip Glass

Amazon.com

For parents, listening to Dan Zanes provides not only instant Raffi relief, but also the warm sense of belonging to the right crowd. On each disc he trots out a posse of cool friends like Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, and Lou Reed and he delivers his openhearted lyrics with the rare roots-rocker's gift for stirring grace into grit. It would seem that the release of his fourth record, House Party would be ripe for a backlash--how long can the hokey conceit of a bunch of aging groovsters banging out kids' tunes in a Brooklyn basement hang onto its charm? Looks like we'll have to wait and see, because House Party rages on with the same winning, welcome-to-our-homespun-revolution vibe as its predecessors. Deborah Harry takes a twirl on "Waltzing Matilda," Bob Weir fires up the "Wabash Cannonball," and Angelique Kidjo bids "Jamaica Farewell," but the Zanes originals are this record's proving grounds, and they pin the tail on the donkey with bulls-eye precision. Contributions from returning regulars Barbara Brousal and Rankin' Don--the best couple of favors a party could hope for--send Zanes' campaign to become the guy who turned lampshade-wearing into a kindergarten fashion craze soaring. --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Dan's first album...Wiggle the Wiggles out of your CD Player.......2007-06-12

You may have seen Dan on various spots on Sesame Street, I first saw him in his yellow suit, singing Jump Up. This album continues the wonderful music that my daughter has turned my wife and my self on to. The beats are there, and the lyrics are very catchy.

So do yourself a favor, swap out Wiggles or Barney for Dan and his Friends, and enjoy kids music once again.

5 out of 5 stars Thank goodness for Dan Zanes!!!!!!.......2007-05-21

Mr. Zanes, you could not have come along at a better time! In a market where Teletubbies, Barney and the Wiggles seem to have the corner, this parent-friendly album is a welcome relief from all the fruit salad/I love you, you love me/lemondrops and gumdrops drivel that permeate my mushy stay-at-home mom brain!

When I was a single college gal, I remember listening to very hip, fun music. Then came pregnancy and babies. Then Baby Einstein music (which is good, but sounds like someone's ballerina jewelry box after awhile), Barney, Sesame Street and nursery rhyme CDs that took over my music collection. Ack!!! What happened to me? I decided it was time to search for something new for me and the kids to listen to.

After finding this CD and loving it, I just assumed that my one-year-old and four-year-old would not like DZ because it sounded too different from what they were used to. Boy, was I wrong! My older one thinks she is listening to "cool music" -- which she is! We especially like the "Wabash Cannonball" but every song on here is a hit with my kids. The guy is truly talented, and it's just great stuff. And it's fun to hear the celeb singers on a kid's album. Finally, we all have "cool music" to listen to!

5 out of 5 stars My daughters favorite!.......2007-05-14

I bought this CD since Dan Zane is on the Disney Channel. My daughter absolutely loves it! She asks to hear "House Party" all day every day. We dance and sing and it has brought a lot of fun into our house.

5 out of 5 stars Dan is her new best friend.......2007-05-13

We always look for music that is entertaining and enriching for both the toddler and the parent. We had heard Dan sing before on "For the Kids" CD and thought we'd give it a try. We all get down to Dan Zanes House Party! This CD never leaves the car player. The cover is a delightfully drawn board book of Dan & his entorage Whoopin' it up all over town. My 2 year old will "read" the book to me, explaining the pictures and making connections to the music. It's great.

4 out of 5 stars Kids love it.......2007-03-09

My son, aged 6 and my daughter, almost 2 - love to dance to "House Party Time" in the morning. It really gets them going. They are big Dan Zanes fans.
Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Gorgeous music, bad quality cd.
  • Great music, low quality reproduction
  • A nice introduction
  • Mozart is the reference point for good classical music.
  • Mozart's music
Essential Mozart: 32 Of His Greatest Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Essential Bach
  2. Essential Beethoven
  3. Essential Tchaikovsky
  4. Mozart: The Great Piano Concertos, Vol. 1
  5. Beethoven Collection: Symphonies Nos. 1-9, Complete Recording (Box Set)

ASIN: B00005A8JZ
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

  1. Eine kleine Nachtmusik, K525: Allegro - Academy Of St Martin-In-The-Fields
  2. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K467: Andante - Radu Lupu
  3. Le nozze di Figaro: Voi che sapete - Cecilia Bartoli
  4. Clarinet Quintet In A Major, K581: Largetto - Peter Schmidl
  5. Ave verum Corpus, K618 - James Vivian
  6. Vesperae solennes de confessore in C major: Laudate Dominum - Emma Kirkby
  7. Concerto For Flute And Harp In C Major: Andantino - Lisa Beznosiuk
  8. Le nozze di Figaro: Overture - London Philharmonic Orchestra
  9. Cosi fan tutte: Trio: Soava sia il vento - Renee Fleming
  10. Symphony No.39 in E-flat Major, K495: Andante con moto - Chicago Symphony
  11. Horn Concerto: Rondo - Barry Tuckwell
  12. Don Giovanni: Serenade Deh, vieni alla finestra - Bryn Terfel
  13. Contredanse In C Major, K609 No.1 'Non piu andrai' - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
  14. German Dance, K605 No.3 'Sleigh Ride' - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
  15. Piano Concerto No.23 In A Major, K488: Adagio - Vladimir Ashkenazy
  16. A Musical Joke, K522: Presto - Vienna Mozart Ensemble

Tracks:

  1. Symphony No.40 In G Minor, K550: Molto allegro - Vienna Philharmonic
  2. Piano Sonata No.16 In C Major: Allegro - Andras Schiff
  3. The Magic Flute: Queen Of The Night: Der Holle Rache - Sumi Jo
  4. Clarinet Concerto In A Major, K622: Adagio - Franklin Cohen
  5. Don Giovanni: La ci darem la mano - Cecilia Bartoli
  6. Serenade in Bb Major, K361: Adagio - London Wind Soloists
  7. Der Vogelfanger bin ich ja - Hermann Prey
  8. Le nozze di Figaro: Dove sono - Kiri Te Kanawa
  9. Violin Concerto No.3 in G Major, K216: Adagio - Joshua Bell
  10. Requiem, K626: Lacrimosa - Vienna Philharmonic
  11. Litaniae de venerabili altaris sacramento: Dulcissimum convivium - Margaret Marshall
  12. Piano Sonata No.11 In A Major, K331: Rondo alla turca - Andras Schiff
  13. Don Giovanni: Champagne aria: Fin ch'chan dal vino - Bryn Terfel
  14. Divertimento No.17 in D Major, K334: Minuet & trio - Vienna Mozart Ensemble
  15. Exsultate, jubilat, K165: Alleluja - Leontyne Price
  16. Symphony No.41 In C Major, K551 'Jupiter': Finale: Molto allegro - Vienna Philharmonic

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Gorgeous music, bad quality cd........2007-04-13

The music is Mozart's and is fantastic. The last piece on the first disc
stutters halfway through, and seizes up my system. I don't have time to return items to Amazon. On the positive side, most of the time Amazon provides quality products and service. I gave 3 stars because I love the music.

3 out of 5 stars Great music, low quality reproduction.......2007-01-30

this is a great collection of his work... the only problem i have found so far is that my copy has irritating "clicks" over the recording.

5 out of 5 stars A nice introduction.......2006-02-22

This is a good well rounded collection to dip you into the classical world of Mozart.

5 out of 5 stars Mozart is the reference point for good classical music........2005-10-20

A good collection of his best work and I find it helps me focus when I'm writing or contempating life.

"We exposed these animals [rats] in utero and then sixty days after birth to different types of auditory stimulation and then we ran them in a spatial maze. And sure enough, the animals that were exposed to the Mozart completed the maze faster and with fewer errors. And now what we're doing is we're removing their brains so we can slice them and see neuro-anatomically precisely what has changed as a function of this exposure. So it may be that this intense exposure to the music is a type of enrichment that has similar effects on the spatial areas of the hippocampus of the brain." --Dr. Frances Rauscher

Dr. Frances Rausher sums up what I feel happening when I expose myself to this incredible composer (Mozart).

I have yet to grow tired of any of the tracks yet, but I will invest in more of his work soon.

4 out of 5 stars Mozart's music.......2005-10-17

This is a review of Mozart's music, not the cd. Mozart is praised to the skies by all and sundry, including most musicians, including my father, who no doubt has his reasons. But my feeling about Mozart has always been that there is nothing in Mozart's music that is other than music. There is no logical impressionism, there are no events that seem to be transpiring as in, for example, Beethoven. Mozart is just music. Mozart is to music as pure mathematics is to science. It hints of nothing else and has no application. I find some of his music irritatingly trivial, for example, Eine Kleine Nachtmuzic. This is mechanical music that one can imagine being piped in by a totalitarian government that insists everyone be cheerful. If Disneyland was an eighteenth century totalitarian state, Mozart would be its Muzak. The populace would be awakened, like Chinese train passengers, at 6AM by the strains of some allegro. They would arise and busy themselves with their ablutions in a state of thoughtless cheer, never for one moment leaving the surface of things. That being said, the second movement of Mozart's clarinette concerto is the music that one will hear on going into heaven.
Road Kill Stew and Other News (with Special Guest Bob Schieffer)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Road Kill Stew and Other News (with Special Guest Bob Schieffer)
    Honky Tonk Confidential
    Manufacturer: Too Many Dogs
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Alt-Country & AmericanaAlt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music
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    5. These Days

    ASIN: B000NVJSHM
    Release Date: 2007-02-25

    Tracks:

    1. Hard Choices
    2. Hangover Boogie
    3. Road Kill Stew
    4. Little Lulu and Sister Hot Stuff
    5. The Ghost in My Guitar
    6. TV Anchorman
    7. Lorraine, Lorraine
    8. Statue of a Fool
    9. Black Roses
    10. I Wish You Were From Texas
    11. Guitar Boogie
    12. Long Shot Love
    13. A Girl Named Dick
    14. addENDum: WHTC Radio-- Momma's Cow

    Product Description

    Road Kill Stew and Other News is a collaboration between the WAMMIE-award (Washington, DC's Grammies)winning Honky Tonk Confidential and CBS News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation anchor Bob Schieffer. Bob wrote the lyrics to four of the songs, including the hilarious "TV Anchorman," which he performs as a talking blues tune. HTC also wrote the music to Bob's "Hard Choices," a song of loss and longing from a woman's point of view; the rollicking rock tune "Little Lulu and Sister Hot Stuff," and "Long Shot Love," which is about a love that's lasted many years, despite the odds. The other songs on the CD are HTC s usual eclectic blend of hard core country, western swing, hillbilly boogie, and rockabilly. Diana Quinn sings the title cut, Road Kill Stew, a delicious, recipe with a swampy taste. Mike Woods sings the obscure Hangover Boogie, as well as the country classic Statue of a Fool. Mike also tears it up on the instrumental, Guitar Boogie. Diana and Lisa Ann Wright wrote A Girl Named Dick, which is a parody of Johnny Cash s A Boy Named Sue. Bob wraps it up with a cameo performance on a not-so-hidden track, a vintage recording that we unearthed from the vaults of WHTC, Momma s Cow.
    The Wurst of P.D.Q. Bach
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • This is a MUST for anyone who enjoys classical music ...
    • PDQ Bach -- The Spike Jones of Classical Music
    • Recaptured (Twisted) Youth
    • I store it in the CD changer in my car.
    • New Horizons in Music Appreciation Indeed...
    The Wurst of P.D.Q. Bach

    Manufacturer: Vanguard Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Bach, P.D.Q.Bach, P.D.Q. | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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    GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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    4. Oedipus Tex & Other Choral Calamities
    5. P.D.Q. Bach on the Air

    ASIN: B000000EDR
    Release Date: 1993-12-03

    Tracks:

    1. Allegro/Tema Con Variazione/Menuetto Con Panna E Zucchero
    2. Aria/Recitative/Ground/Recitative/Aria
    3. New Horizons In Music Appreciation Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
    4. Larghissimo-Allegro Boffo/Menuetto Con Brio Ma Senza Trio/Adagio Saccharino/Yehudi Menuetto/Presto Hey Nonny Nonnio
    5. What's My Melodic Line?
    6. Madrigal, 'My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth'

    Tracks:

    1. IV Andante-Allegro
    2. I. Introduction/II. Overture/III. Recitative And Aria, 'Now Is the Season'/IV. Trio, I'm Sure I'd Be'/V. Opera Whiz/VI. Synopsis Of Plot/VII. Finale Of Opera
    3. Fugue In C Minor (Fuga Vulgaris) For Calliope Four Hands
    4. Oratorio, 'The Seasonings', S. 1/2 Tsp.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars This is a MUST for anyone who enjoys classical music ... .......2006-06-07

    ...BUT not if you take it SO seriously that you have lost your sense of humor.

    Peter Schickele (with whom I am occasionally confused - we apparently look alike!) - has got to be one of my all-time favorite composers. When I was in graduate school, I took considerable abuse from my fellow music lovers for actually having MORE albums by P.D.Q Bach than by J. S. Bach (though I think it was barely a one-point margin, really...)

    But the "New Horizons in Music Appreciation" approach to Beethoven's 5th symphony is not only a musical analysis of the piece as it is being played, but a slam on the constant "blah-blah-blah" that one hears during ANY sports event.

    "My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth" has got to be my all-time favorite spoof of the overly pompous "art song" oratorio. I've encouraged one of my colleagues (who directs the college chorale where I teach) to include it in a program, to no avail. One of these days, I'll put my money where my mouth is - and buy sheet music for the entire chorale.

    This is one of only two albums that I have in (a) vinyl, (b) tape, and (c) CD format. That should be some indication of how very, very special I believe this to be. [The other, for those who are interested, is Joan Baez' "Diamonds and Rust."]

    This has been around for years, and there's a good reason. Schickele is not only funny when he wants to be, but a supremely accomplished composer and musician, with dozens and dozens of serious musical scores to his credit as well.

    5 out of 5 stars PDQ Bach -- The Spike Jones of Classical Music.......2006-03-16

    For the classical music lover, this is an amazing spoof. For those who do not know classical music well, this is still highly entertaining.

    5 out of 5 stars Recaptured (Twisted) Youth.......2003-03-31

    My friend and I saw the good Prof. Schickele here in Pasadena last night (March 29th-- AND the conductor of the Pasadena Symphony is Jorge Meister!)-- and the last number on the program was the WONDERFUL "The Seasonings"-- I had a very hard time even after all these years of first hearing this on a REAL record of not singing along with every little tune!!! This piece last night, being sung by singers whom I do not doubt were not even born when I first heard a recording of it, were as good as the ones I remember from my decadent youth on the original recording. Buy this C.D. if only for this piece!

    5 out of 5 stars I store it in the CD changer in my car........2002-10-06

    My favorite single line of music from this is from "The Unbegun Symphony". Who would think to combine "You are my sunshine", a
    tune I have always thought of as sappy sweet, played on violins,
    with a background of horns, (I don't know what piece, but it
    makes me thing of something noble and civilized) making it a
    definitive statement of a benevolent sense of life.
    PDQ Bach's other works are delighfully absurd, as are Peter
    Schickele's commentaries. (Well I have a new set of friends now)

    5 out of 5 stars New Horizons in Music Appreciation Indeed..........2002-08-08

    It was while sitting in Music Appreciation in college that I was first introduced to the work of P.D.Q. Bach, specifically the track "New Horizons in Music Appreciation: Beethoven's Fifth Symphony," in which Professor Peter Schickele and Robert Dennis serve as the announcers for a spirited game involving the first movement of that particular work. Not only was it funny ("He's playing a cadenza! He's out of his mind! He thinks its an oboe concerto!") it was also more informative than the professor ("I get the feeling we are going to hear a lot of that four note motif, Bob").

    One of the things about P.D.Q. Bach is that the more I learned about classical music the funnier I found it. Yes, I have enough memories of my mother insisting on playing the Texaco Opera quiz throughout the house on a Saturday afternoon to appreciate why "What's my Melodic Line?" and its exploration of the mysteries of the Baroque is funny, but it was not until I saw "Amadeus" and listened to "The Marriage of Figaro" that I understood why the recitatias in the Cantata "Iphigenia in Brooklyn" were hysterical (I was tempted to share this story of Iphigenia with my Classical Mythology class, but given their tentativeness to explore Euripides I did not think it wise to have them get neck deep in Schickele). Then again, the Madrigal "My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth" really needs no explanation, so there is something for everybody here, no matter what you level of understanding of classical music.

    In discussing the works of P.D.Q. Bach with others it becomes clear that you can no more put together an idea collection of his "best" work than you can for lesser composers like Mozart or Beethoven. But you are certainly going to find a few old favorites and maybe one or two pieces that you have hitherto managed to avoid.

    Now, if we can only get a University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople t-shirt...
    Beauty and the Beast - Special Edition Soundtrack
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • a true masterpiece in every sense of the word
    • Great Disney CD: For Children of all ages
    • got this as a present for someone else
    • The Story Captured Through Song.
    • My children listen to this CD over and over
    Beauty and the Beast - Special Edition Soundtrack

    Manufacturer: Disney
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Film ScoresFilm Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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    Disney RecordsDisney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
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    5. Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack

    ASIN: B00005TQ5A
    Release Date: 2001-12-18

    Tracks:

    1. Prologue - Paige O'Hara
    2. Belle - Paige O'Hara
    3. Belle (Reprise) - Richard White
    4. Gaston - Richard White
    5. Gaston (Reprise) - Richard White
    6. Be Our Guest
    7. Something There - Paige O'Hara
    8. Human Again - Angela Lansbury
    9. The Mob Song - Richard White
    10. Beauty And The Beast
    11. To The Fair
    12. West Wing
    13. The Beast Lets Belle Go
    14. Battle On The Tower
    15. Transformation
    16. Be Our Guest (Demo)
    17. Beauty And The Beast (Work Tape And Demo)
    18. Beauty And The Beast - Celine Dion
    19. Death Of The Beast (Original Early Version)

    Amazon.com essential recording

    After the success of their score for The Little Mermaid, the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken returned to Disney for their second fairy-tale adaptation. Sadly, it was the duo's last completed score before Ashman's untimely death at age 41. This soundtrack contains more-conventional show music than The Little Mermaid, owing in large part to Broadway stalwart Angela Lansbury and to Jerry Orbach's Yves Montand impersonation. Most of the songs here were included in the subsequent Broadway adaptation and its cast album, but this disc is superior in its studio polish and cast, which is better suited to the score. --John Sanchez

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars a true masterpiece in every sense of the word.......2007-05-10

    when alan menken and howard ashman put together their second disney feature i dont think that anyone could have known what a masterpiece beauty and the beast would become. the film itself was praised for its maturity and remains the only animated film in history to every be nominated for a best motion picture academy award (it deserved it instead of silence of the lambs) musically the film was magnificient as well. it was adapted into a full length broadway musical three years later. but this original piece will forever remain the benchmark for all other animated works and their music.

    alan menken's hauntingly beautiful score is a true masterpiece. the musical scores for the west wing and the beast lets belle go are moving and powerful. the emotional level that every piece reaches is amazing and menken absolutely deserved this oscar for best score. this is not only his best score, but quite possibly one of the greatest musical scores in history.

    SCORE 5 out of 5

    the songs are all quite powerfull and fun with a definate broadway, its no wonder that it was so seamlessly turned into a broadway musical.

    BELLE - this is the strongest opening to ever appear in a disney film. the broadway feel makes it a great way to kick off the film it is both fun and quirky but definately contains a more serous undertone. this was originally suppossed to be shortened down, but luckilly it was left intact. paige o'hara as belle is nothing short of amazing.
    5 out of 5

    BELLE (REPRISE) - this is short but is very strong due again to o'hara's vocals. her vocals paired with ashman's stirring lyrics of longing make this short but definately a winner.
    5 out of 5

    GASTON - this is a fun song that is both witty and darkly clever. ashman's lyrics and richard white's performance as gaston carry this song. it may be the weakest of the piece, but it's still fun and catchy and shouldn't be missed
    3 out of 5

    GASTON (REPRISE) - this is really just an extention of the song listed above, but this one is much more twistidly clever and is actually stronger that the first song.
    3 out of 5

    BE OUR GUEST - this is one of the most famous songs from the soundtrack and its obveous why after just one listen. jerry orbach and angela landsburry both give great performances that along with menken's french-influenced score and ashman's fun clever lyrics make this song sound fun and fresh. its a great song that really does epitimize the fun of the piece and of ashman's lyrics.
    5 out of 5

    SOMETHING THERE - this is a short little song but it is the first hint at belle and the beast as lovers. o'hara and robby benson both give great but short performances. orbach, lansbury and david ogden stiers also give fun performances as the objects. this is beautiful and romanticly sweet little song.
    5 out of 5

    HUMAN AGAIN - this wasn't included in the original theatrical film (why i dont know) this is a great song that is fun and brilliant. ashman yet again outdoes himself with great lyrics and again the household objects give dynamic performances. im so glad that this is back for the special edition since its a real gem that shouldn't be missed.
    5 out of 5

    BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - this is the most famous song from the movie and it won the oscar for best original song. just one listen shows why. lansbury gives a beautifully moving performance as mrs potts singing this. this is of course the song that shows the beast and belle as lovers and it does so perfectly. this song never dumbs things down it goes for the full romantic punch. well done
    5 out of 5

    THE MOB SONG - this is possibly the cleverest piece. the use of shakespearean lyrics make this a twisted and dark piece that effectively shows human nature that still rings true today. this is an overlooked but strong song that again is lifted by white's performance as the now sinister gaston.
    5 out of 5

    the best part of all these songs is how none of them dumb down the romance or more "adult" themes for the kiddies. this film allows itself to be fully romantic and that's why it has been so praised and lived on in such a flattering light. the near-perfect music not only aided this, but were a crucial part of this maturity.

    SONGS OVERALL 5 out of 5

    as i said earlier, this is one the greatest film scores of all times. it may not be as recognizable or memorable as say star wars or gone with the wind, but the emotional punch that it makes elevates it far past these other two scores. menken truly outdid himself and ashman's lyrics work perfectly. the performances from all the performers are dynamic, fun, powerful, and intense. everythign works perfectly here and truly makes for an experience that is truly magical.

    4 out of 5 stars Great Disney CD: For Children of all ages.......2007-02-19

    I really enjoyed this CD. IT is the soundtrack for Beauty and the Beast.
    I especially enjoyed " BE our Guest". This is an all around excellent Disney CD with lots of vocals,and intrigue. The singers are very talented, and well re-hearsed. I love this CD. It's worth the money. Go and buy it!!!

    4 out of 5 stars got this as a present for someone else.......2007-01-04

    This was a present to a friend. She liked it. I love soundtracks and Disney music, so it's pretty good.

    5 out of 5 stars The Story Captured Through Song........2006-09-29

    Disney's revival as a major animation studio began in 1989 with the release of THE LITTLE MERMAID and reached its pinnacle with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (the only animated film ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar). As much as the film is a visual delight, its also a musical feast for the ears. People had said for over a decade that the musical movie was dead, but BEAUTY AND THE BEAST proved otherwise and paved the way for later big-screen adaptations of famous stage musicals. Some of my favorite songs on the album include:
    "Be Our Guest"--this song revived the huge dance numbers that were once commonplace in movie musicals.

    "Something There"--BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is a love story and though that love is often brought to mind by the title song, it is this number that truly captures the essence of what happens between Belle and Beast.

    "The Mob Song"--out of all the songs on the album, this is the one with the most masculine appeal. It's a song about burning down castles and killing an unfamiliar creature that poses no threat. There's nothing like a dash of good old violence to get the blood flowing.

    This is a great soundtrack for any Disney fan, any patron of musicals, and people who love the film.

    5 out of 5 stars My children listen to this CD over and over.......2006-08-25

    My kids (5 year old boy and 2 year old girl) LOVE this soundtrack. They make me play it repeatedly in the car, EVERYTIME we go anywhere. It is word-for-word an exact replication of the movie. I highly recommend it for any Beauty and the Beast fan.
    Beauty And The Beast: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • a true masterpiece in every sense of the word
    • Great Disney CD: For Children of all ages
    • got this as a present for someone else
    • The Story Captured Through Song.
    • My children listen to this CD over and over
    Beauty And The Beast: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

    Manufacturer: Disney
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Film ScoresFilm Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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    1. The Little Mermaid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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    ASIN: B000001M13
    Release Date: 1991-11-01

    Tracks:

    1. Prologue
    2. Belle
    3. Belle (Reprise)
    4. Gaston
    5. Gaston (Reprise)
    6. Be Our Guest
    7. Something There
    8. The Mob Song
    9. Beauty And The Beast
    10. To The Fair
    11. West Wing
    12. The Beast Lets Belle Go
    13. Battle On The Tower
    14. Transformation
    15. Beauty And The Beast (Duet)

    Amazon.com essential recording

    After the success of their score for The Little Mermaid, the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken returned to Disney for their second fairy-tale adaptation. Sadly, it was the duo's last completed score before Ashman's untimely death at age 41. This soundtrack contains more-conventional show music than The Little Mermaid, owing in large part to Broadway stalwart Angela Lansbury and to Jerry Orbach's Yves Montand impersonation. Most of the songs here were included in the subsequent Broadway adaptation and its cast album, but this disc is superior in its studio polish and cast, which is better suited to the score. --John Sanchez

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars a true masterpiece in every sense of the word.......2007-05-10

    when alan menken and howard ashman put together their second disney feature i dont think that anyone could have known what a masterpiece beauty and the beast would become. the film itself was praised for its maturity and remains the only animated film in history to every be nominated for a best motion picture academy award (it deserved it instead of silence of the lambs) musically the film was magnificient as well. it was adapted into a full length broadway musical three years later. but this original piece will forever remain the benchmark for all other animated works and their music.

    alan menken's hauntingly beautiful score is a true masterpiece. the musical scores for the west wing and the beast lets belle go are moving and powerful. the emotional level that every piece reaches is amazing and menken absolutely deserved this oscar for best score. this is not only his best score, but quite possibly one of the greatest musical scores in history.

    SCORE 5 out of 5

    the songs are all quite powerfull and fun with a definate broadway, its no wonder that it was so seamlessly turned into a broadway musical.

    BELLE - this is the strongest opening to ever appear in a disney film. the broadway feel makes it a great way to kick off the film it is both fun and quirky but definately contains a more serous undertone. this was originally suppossed to be shortened down, but luckilly it was left intact. paige o'hara as belle is nothing short of amazing.
    5 out of 5

    BELLE (REPRISE) - this is short but is very strong due again to o'hara's vocals. her vocals paired with ashman's stirring lyrics of longing make this short but definately a winner.
    5 out of 5

    GASTON - this is a fun song that is both witty and darkly clever. ashman's lyrics and richard white's performance as gaston carry this song. it may be the weakest of the piece, but it's still fun and catchy and shouldn't be missed
    3 out of 5

    GASTON (REPRISE) - this is really just an extention of the song listed above, but this one is much more twistidly clever and is actually stronger that the first song.
    3 out of 5

    BE OUR GUEST - this is one of the most famous songs from the soundtrack and its obveous why after just one listen. jerry orbach and angela landsburry both give great performances that along with menken's french-influenced score and ashman's fun clever lyrics make this song sound fun and fresh. its a great song that really does epitimize the fun of the piece and of ashman's lyrics.
    5 out of 5

    SOMETHING THERE - this is a short little song but it is the first hint at belle and the beast as lovers. o'hara and robby benson both give great but short performances. orbach, lansbury and david ogden stiers also give fun performances as the objects. this is beautiful and romanticly sweet little song.
    5 out of 5

    HUMAN AGAIN - this wasn't included in the original theatrical film (why i dont know) this is a great song that is fun and brilliant. ashman yet again outdoes himself with great lyrics and again the household objects give dynamic performances. im so glad that this is back for the special edition since its a real gem that shouldn't be missed.
    5 out of 5

    BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - this is the most famous song from the movie and it won the oscar for best original song. just one listen shows why. lansbury gives a beautifully moving performance as mrs potts singing this. this is of course the song that shows the beast and belle as lovers and it does so perfectly. this song never dumbs things down it goes for the full romantic punch. well done
    5 out of 5

    THE MOB SONG - this is possibly the cleverest piece. the use of shakespearean lyrics make this a twisted and dark piece that effectively shows human nature that still rings true today. this is an overlooked but strong song that again is lifted by white's performance as the now sinister gaston.
    5 out of 5

    the best part of all these songs is how none of them dumb down the romance or more "adult" themes for the kiddies. this film allows itself to be fully romantic and that's why it has been so praised and lived on in such a flattering light. the near-perfect music not only aided this, but were a crucial part of this maturity.

    SONGS OVERALL 5 out of 5

    as i said earlier, this is one the greatest film scores of all times. it may not be as recognizable or memorable as say star wars or gone with the wind, but the emotional punch that it makes elevates it far past these other two scores. menken truly outdid himself and ashman's lyrics work perfectly. the performances from all the performers are dynamic, fun, powerful, and intense. everythign works perfectly here and truly makes for an experience that is truly magical.

    4 out of 5 stars Great Disney CD: For Children of all ages.......2007-02-19

    I really enjoyed this CD. IT is the soundtrack for Beauty and the Beast.
    I especially enjoyed " BE our Guest". This is an all around excellent Disney CD with lots of vocals,and intrigue. The singers are very talented, and well re-hearsed. I love this CD. It's worth the money. Go and buy it!!!

    4 out of 5 stars got this as a present for someone else.......2007-01-04

    This was a present to a friend. She liked it. I love soundtracks and Disney music, so it's pretty good.

    5 out of 5 stars The Story Captured Through Song........2006-09-29

    Disney's revival as a major animation studio began in 1989 with the release of THE LITTLE MERMAID and reached its pinnacle with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (the only animated film ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar). As much as the film is a visual delight, its also a musical feast for the ears. People had said for over a decade that the musical movie was dead, but BEAUTY AND THE BEAST proved otherwise and paved the way for later big-screen adaptations of famous stage musicals. Some of my favorite songs on the album include:
    "Be Our Guest"--this song revived the huge dance numbers that were once commonplace in movie musicals.

    "Something There"--BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is a love story and though that love is often brought to mind by the title song, it is this number that truly captures the essence of what happens between Belle and Beast.

    "The Mob Song"--out of all the songs on the album, this is the one with the most masculine appeal. It's a song about burning down castles and killing an unfamiliar creature that poses no threat. There's nothing like a dash of good old violence to get the blood flowing.

    This is a great soundtrack for any Disney fan, any patron of musicals, and people who love the film.

    5 out of 5 stars My children listen to this CD over and over.......2006-08-25

    My kids (5 year old boy and 2 year old girl) LOVE this soundtrack. They make me play it repeatedly in the car, EVERYTIME we go anywhere. It is word-for-word an exact replication of the movie. I highly recommend it for any Beauty and the Beast fan.
    Instruments of the Orchestra
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • 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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    1. Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
    2. The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
    3. What to Listen for in Music
    4. Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
    5. The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin

    ASIN: B00006O0NT
    Release Date: 2002-12-03

    Tracks:

    1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
    2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
    3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
    4. Hungarian Dance No.7
    5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
    6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
    7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
    8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
    9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
    10. Csardas Music
    11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
    12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
    13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
    14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
    15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
    16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
    17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
    18. Tzigane
    19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
    20. Caprice No.24
    21. 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.
    22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
    23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
    24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
    25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
    26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
    27. The Violin Muted
    28. Clair De Lune
    29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
    30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
    31. The Pizzicato Violin
    32. Pizzicato Polka
    33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
    34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
    35. 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...
    36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
    37. 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
    38. Hungarian Dance No.4
    39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
    40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
    41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
    42. Bolero
    43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
    44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
    45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
    46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
    47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
    48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
    49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
    50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
    51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
    52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
    53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
    54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
    55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
    56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
    57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
    58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
    59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
    60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
    61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
    62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
    63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
    64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
    65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
    66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
    67. Elfenreigen

    Tracks:

    1. Introduction To The Viola
    2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
    3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
    4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
    5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
    6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
    7. 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.
    8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
    9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
    10. Cypresses (No.9)
    11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
    12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
    13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
    14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
    15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
    16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
    17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
    18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
    19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
    20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
    21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
    22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
    23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
    24. Elfentanz, Op.39
    25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
    26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
    27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
    28. Flamenco
    29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
    30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
    31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
    32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
    33. 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.
    34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
    35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
    36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
    37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
    38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
    39. 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.
    40. Capriccio Di Bravura
    41. 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)
    42. 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....
    43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

    Tracks:

    1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
    2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
    3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
    4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
    5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
    6. Sa'Dawi
    7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
    8. Chamber Music No.II
    9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
    10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
    11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
    12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
    13. A Variety Of Techniques
    14. Chamber Music No.II
    15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
    16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
    17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
    18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
    19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
    20. Naelden, Naelden
    21. The Bachian Oboe
    22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
    23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
    24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
    25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
    26. The Swan Of Tuonela
    27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
    28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
    29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
    30. Bolero
    31. 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...
    32. 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)
    33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
    34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
    35. 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).
    36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
    37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
    38. ...And Quite Low.
    39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
    40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
    41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
    42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
    43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
    44. Introduction To The Saxophone
    45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
    46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
    47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
    48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
    49. Bolero
    50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
    51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
    52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
    53. Sax-O-Phun
    54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
    55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
    56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
    57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
    58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
    59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
    60. Bolero
    61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
    62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
    63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
    64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
    65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
    66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
    67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
    68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
    69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
    70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
    71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
    72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
    73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
    74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
    75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
    76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

    Tracks:

    1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
    2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
    3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
    4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
    5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
    6. Fanfare For The Common Man
    7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
    8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
    9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
    10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
    11. 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
    12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
    13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
    14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
    15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
    16. Billy The Kid
    17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
    18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
    19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
    20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
    21. The Birth Of The Trombone
    22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
    23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
    24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
    25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
    26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
    27. 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.
    28. Hosannah
    29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
    30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
    31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
    32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
    33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
    34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
    35. The Horn And The Hunt
    36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
    37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
    38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
    39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
    40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
    41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
    42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
    43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
    44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
    45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
    46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
    47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
    48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
    49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
    50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
    51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

    Tracks:

    1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
    2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
    3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
    4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
    5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
    6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
    7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
    8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
    9. Den Hoboecken Dans
    10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
    11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
    12. 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.
    13. Gymnopedie No.2
    14. 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...
    15. 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)
    16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
    17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
    18. 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.
    19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
    20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
    21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
    22. The Birth Of The Bongo
    23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
    24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
    25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
    26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
    27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
    28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
    29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
    30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
    31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
    32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
    33. 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.
    34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
    35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
    36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
    37. Ravel And The Xylophone
    38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
    39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
    40. Introducing The Vibraphone
    41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
    42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
    43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
    44. Folk Dances
    45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
    46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
    47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
    48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
    49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
    50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
    51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
    52. Introducing The Celeste
    53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
    54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
    55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
    56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
    57. 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
    58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
    59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
    60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
    61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
    62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
    63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

    Tracks:

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

    Tracks:

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

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars 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!

    5 out of 5 stars 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!

    5 out of 5 stars 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!

    3 out of 5 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.

    5 out of 5 stars 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.
    The (Complete) Session recorded in London w/ great guest artists
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Jaw Dropping
    • A great historical recording
    • Jerry Lee's terrifying answer to the "1968 Elvis Comeback Special"
    • No Comparison!
    The (Complete) Session recorded in London w/ great guest artists
    Jerry Lee Lewis
    Manufacturer: Hip-O Select
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Traditional BluesTraditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music
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    Similar Items:
    1. Jerry Lee Lewis - The Greatest Live Shows on Earth
    2. Live at the Star Club, Hamburg
    3. Jerry Lee Lewis: Greatest Live Performances of the 50s, 60s and 70s
    4. In the Palace of the King
    5. Fats and Friends

    ASIN: B000BQS6TK
    Release Date: 2006-08-01

    Product Description

    Jerry Lee Lewis first trip to the United Kingdom ended in less than spectacular fashion, as the tabloids got hold of the age (and ancestry) of his young bride. In 1973, though, he returned triumphantly. His all-star backing band includes Eric Clapton, Rory Gallagher, Peter Frampton, Albert Lee, Alvin Lee, The Whos Kenney Jones, Procol Harums Matthew Fisher, and Gary Wright, among others. Virtually all of the previously releases of these sessions were truncated in some fashion, usually to satisfy the demands of the medium (only eighty minutes on a CD, so either tracks had to go, or the number of discs had to increase). As a consequence, six songsSatisfaction, Dungaree Doll, I Cant Give You Anything But Love, Be Bop A Lula, Goldmine In The Sky, and Singing The Blues make their CD debut on the Select release. And how does Jerry Lee sound in the company of these talented artists backing him up? Better than he had since the Fifties. Not only did he take on such early rock hits as Frankie Fords Sea Cruise, Johnny Rivers Memphis and Chuck Berrys Johnny B. Goode, but he also turned in creditable versions of Gordon Lightfoots Early Morning Rain and Creedences Bad Moon Rising. Hes totally on his game throughout, surprisingly laid back as he pumps the piano with virtuosic intensity, letting his fingers do the talking. The man from Ferriday, Louisiana, is rocking big time on this finally-restored-to-its-original-glory album.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Jaw Dropping.......2007-06-12

    This may very well be both one of the most obscure, yet "no-holds barred" and wholly unleashed R&R albums of all time, Read the critics' and the few consumer reviews. Recorded "live" in a London studio in '72 (?), just check out the producers, engineers, and guest musicians. You will be wholly incapable of cranking the auto audio system and driving less than 80 m.p.h Just can't be done...

    5 out of 5 stars A great historical recording.......2007-05-28

    Most reviews of JLL records are written by Jerry Lee Lewis enthusiasts and I am one of them. My review might therefore be biased. What I find fascinating about Jerry Lee is that he has not lost any of the original magic during the past 50 years. Listening to records of other artists from that time period, I find the music often dated if not boring or kitsch. Strangely, this is not the case with the recordings of JLL. There is some magic quality to his work which demands respect even today. I have listened recently to many of his records and also viewed some of the movies avaiable on youtube. I recommend that you take a look at his performance of "Mona Lisa" on youtube. That movie shows JLL's great piano playing ability. Look at his left hand articulating clearly rhythm and harmonies. Then watch his energetic outbursts without compromising precision and clarity. That's a unique quality of JLL! He plays the piano almost like a drum. Pay attention to the overall clarity of sound. Jerry Lee's piano is so strong and dominating that he needs little backup - just a drum is enough. The recording under review, unfortunately, does not display these qualities as clearly as possible. The overall sound is a little bit too "thick" and noisy at times. This is the result of a too heavy electric guitar sound - the great innovation of the 70's in jazz and rock music. The sheer power of electricity employed masks some of the finer qualities of JLL's playing. In my ears this sounds today more dated than the original Jerry Lee Lewis boogie woogie sound from the 1950's which in comparison is more delicate. However, this does not diminuish the overall quality and historic value of the recording which is excellent. Highly recommended!

    5 out of 5 stars Jerry Lee's terrifying answer to the "1968 Elvis Comeback Special".......2007-05-08

    First, it's great that Amazon's offering this. It's a Hip-O Select release (Universal's answer to Rhino Records, offering Web-only collectors reissues). Second, what a lineup: Alvin Lee, Albert Lee, Gary Wright, Kenny Jones, Rory Gallagher, Klaus Voorman, Matthew Fisher, Peter Frampton and more, but Jerry Lee is the star here and he's cousin Jimmy Lee Swaggart's worst nightmare: howling, snarling, filled with rock 'n' roll fire. Highlights are Drinking Wine Spo-Dee O'Dee, No Headstone On My Grave, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (a truly insane, over-the-top version), and the Rock Medley (4 Little Richard hits capped by a reprise of "Whole Lotta Shakin"). No one expected this in 1972 (the original year of its release). Jerry Lee was making a name in the world of Country music. Just as Elvis reclaimed his legacy after years of bad movies by suiting up in black leather and beaming himself into America's living rooms, Jerry Lee headed "across the pond" and took back what was rightfully his...with a vengeance. The career-best version of "Whole Lotta Shakin"...with Rory Gallagher on over-amped slide guitar and Peter Frampton on rhythm...explodes as Jerry pleads "Let's go one time now...SHAKE me baby shake me...MOVE me Mama, move me....WHOOOOO, shake it baby shake it, HEE-YOW, shake it baby shake it...Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on...SHAKE it baby shake it...SHAKE it baby shake it...SHAKE it baby shake it...SHAKE it baby shake it...WHOOO, Move it baby, move it...I ain't fakin', whole lotta shakin' goin' on...ONE MORE TIME NOW...I SAID, shake it baby shake it..." Seriously, folks, what are you waiting for?

    5 out of 5 stars No Comparison!.......2005-10-31

    This is a fantastic album. It is infinitely better than any of his many others. Score it if you can!
    Guest Host
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Great songwriting
    • The best album I bought all year!
    • A revelation!
    • Stew -- slow and steady
    • Make A Permanent Space In Your CD changer
    Guest Host
    Stew
    Manufacturer: Telegraph Media
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. The Naked Dutch Painter and Other Songs
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    5. Joys & Concerns

    ASIN: B00004Y6Q1
    Release Date: 2000-09-12

    Tracks:

    1. Cavity
    2. She's Really Daddy Feelgood
    3. Essence
    4. Re-hab
    5. Into me
    6. Ordinary Love
    7. Man In A Dress
    8. The Stepford Lives
    9. Bijou
    10. Sister/Mother
    11. Cmon Everybody

    Album Description

    Stew's unique and compelling view of the world as seen through the strange prism of Los Angeles create soundscapes from the heavy groove and sexual intrigue of tracks like 'She's Really Daddy Feelgood' and 'Into Me' to moving, almost elegaic anthems inspired by urban landscapes like 'Cavity' and 'C'mon Everybody' to beautifully skewed songs like 'Ordinary Love' and 'Sister/Mother', this album, from The Telegraph Company, is a stellar body of work.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Great songwriting.......2005-01-20

    Don't know about the "Stew Rocks My World" one star review. My guess is the guy's either mentally unbalanced or dislikes good music. Regardless, "Guest Host" is Stew's debut solo CD and has amazing, wonderful moments. He's truly one of the best songwriters around today.

    5 out of 5 stars The best album I bought all year!.......2001-10-03

    Ok, It's a 2000 release, but it's the best album I bought in 2001.

    It was one of those Cds I just took a chance on... I liked the cover, the blurbs,the songs titles, etc. and just went ahead and bought it. I wound up with a cd that instantly entered my all-time top 20 list. The first track "Cavity" gives you a good idea what this album is all about-- killer melody, intelligent lyrics, passionate singing, interesting arrangements. Some songs may be difficult to decipher---they tend to be loaded with insider-references to everything from the music biz to the Bible--- but even if you aren't into unraveling all the lyrics, you'll still be able to enjoy the tunes. Stew sounds like a hybrid of Van Morrison and Harry Nilsson with Elvis Costello-esque lyrics and a penchant for Brain Wilson-like arrangements. Now, how can that be bad? Ultimately though, Stew is a true original, and thoughtful listeners should really enjoy his odd ruminations on love, innuendo-laced turns-of-phrase, LA-music-scene-name-dropping (playing checkers/with a roadie from Save Ferris) and sometimes heartbreakingly honest delivery.

    What if one musical mastermind listened to and digested every blip of music that emerged from America in the last half century and made an album that succesfully blended everything from Fleetwood Mac to Motown to The Beach Boys? Well, "Guest Host" would be a pretty good guess. It's the rare record that is obviously referential and reverent, but never come across as derivative or "clever". Many bands have tried and failed to make this type of album. Stew has suceeded wildly. A landmark album.

    5 out of 5 stars A revelation!.......2000-11-07

    I use the word deliberately, because Stew's work , while absolutely unique, recalls no one as much as the great Arthur Lee and Love, circa "Forever Changes." Evocative lyrics that demand repeated listening, wedded to memorable pop melodies and harmonies. Soulful and original and definitely fresh, they aren't making too many records like "Guest Host" anymore. That's becuse Stew is an artist who sounds like no one but himself, and yet brings to mind a heyday of songwriting now all but forgotten.

    5 out of 5 stars Stew -- slow and steady.......2000-11-06

    Mark "Stew" Stewart will probably draw in a new fan base with his first solo album. The tracks form an intoxicating brew that connects with the last few decades of LA pop, an earnest broth that adds a bit of Arthur Lee's Love to Burt Bacharach and everything in between. This is catchy stuff, but the emphasis is on the lyrics and Stew's soulful and intoxicating voice. The LA name-dropping won't mean anything to folks outside of the Smog Belt (including references to Echo Park and LA Weekly music scribes who only seem to like obscure bands), but songs like "Rehab" and "She's Really Daddy Feelgood" are urban and urbane cuts that will appeal to anybody who likes 60's influenced pop.

    5 out of 5 stars Make A Permanent Space In Your CD changer.......2000-10-22

    I just received Stew's "Guest Host" as a gift and I am amazed. Elegantly simple,engaging songwriting at its best. Stew resides permanently in my cd changer.
    On the Wild Side
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Inspired musicianship!
    On the Wild Side
    John La Barbera Big Band
    Manufacturer: Jazz Compass
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Fantazm
    2. The Bill Holman Band Live
    3. Menza Lines
    4. Kindred Spirits
    5. Live at MCG

    ASIN: B0001BS4S8
    Release Date: 2004-03-16

    Tracks:

    1. Mayreh
    2. So What
    3. Tiger Of San Pedro
    4. Message From Art
    5. Walk On The Wild Side Suite
    6. Cachaca Gotcha
    7. Eleanor Rigby
    8. Cloth Of Silver - Threads Of Blue
    9. Highland Crossing

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Inspired musicianship!.......2004-11-22

    I had heard La Barbera's work before -- he was the principal arranger for the Buddy Rich Band for over 15 years and contributed to arrangements by a host of other leaders such as Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Tormé, Harry James, Glenn Miller, and Doc Severinsen - but this is the first CD I've found under his own name. With kudos on the back of the CD from the likes of Elmer Bernstein (composer of the title track) and Horace Silver, I knew before listening that this recording would become a solid staple of my big band library... and it has lived up to that promise. Crisp, bright, and solid arrangements swing from the first cut. The tracks move from rich symphonic fullness to dynamic smaller ensembles - embracing a full palette of colors - and the musicianship is top flight with folks like Bill Cunliffe on Keyboards, Clay Jenkins on trumpet, Pat La Barbera and Bob Shepard on tenor, and Joe La Barbera on drums. Horace Silver wrote: "Good arrangements -- good band -- good performance." I couldn't agree more!

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