title: Hold Up Very Well

text:
This is a 70s vintage performance that holds up well. I was fortunate to see the tenors Nigel Rogers and Ian Partridge, bass Christopher Keyte, plus the rest of the Monteverdi Choir of Hamburg back in the 70s. It was a fabulous concert back then. This disk focuses on tenor duets with Keyte adding the third voice on the trios.

A few points:

1. Rogers and Partridge are very different from each other. Rogers has a very high, clearvoice. Partridge a richer more lyric sound. In this recording, Partridge executes the at times very difficult runs with the least effort. Keyte sings with great sophistication, but he fakes his runs.

2. The repertoire comes from Monteverdi's later books of madrigals, as well as the Selve Morale e Spirituale.

3. This is a combo album containing all of Virtuoso Madrigals, supplemented by three pieces from the album Sacred Concerti. For once the supplemental material is up to original album's standards. Yes, it's filler, but it's well done and richly varied filler.

4. Performance quality ranged from the good (Mentre vaga Angioletta) to the astounding (Zefiro Torna, Salve Regina, Vaga su spina ascosa).

In short, a classic recording that has held up well over the decades.


title: Small Pieces, Small Instrument, Exquisite

text:
I finally got to see Jung Hae Kim in concert early this year. We wondered initially who this person was who hobbled out early in heavy duty leg braces. It's clear her legs could not handle the pedals of a piano, so she turned to the harpsichord. In the concert I saw, she did a good job backing up a couple of very good Baroque violinists.

In this recording, she solos. The instrument she plays is a smaller version of the harpsichord, called a virginal. It features one string per key, and a plectra arrangement that plucks more toward the middle of the strings. The resulting tone is very different from the typical harpsichord, and should be played at lower volumes. This is an instrument for small rooms.

There are a lot of hit tunes from the late Renaissance and early Baroque here, many very dance like. While she opens with Sweelinck, the remaining composers are mostly English, with names like Farnaby, Dowland, and Byrd, lots of Byrd. There are also some pieces by my favorite composer, Anon.

Kim obviously likes this music, her interpretations keep crossing the line into "delightful." I'm glad I was able to talk with her after the concert to tell her how much I liked her album. It's the perfect pick-me-up after a hard day, charming, bright, and often singable. Well worth the download.


title: Good compilation, but legitimacy of CD is suspect!

text: This is generally a good compilation of Dickey Lee's hits; unfortunately though, several of the songs on the album (including his most famous: "Patches") are only in mono, even though they were originally recorded in stereo as well as mono (one wonders where the manufacturer got its source materials).  The sound quality is somewhat less than perfect, but certainly acceptable for songs originally recorded around 40 years ago.  My main concern with this album, however, is whether it is LEGAL.  Although labeled as an "import", there is absolutely no information on the jacket or CD with any sort of address for the "Blue Tulip" label, no copyright dates of any kind noted anywhere, and no UPC code--which makes me suspect that this album is virtually a "bootleg", and that poor Dickey Lee (actually: Richard Lipscomb) is not making a dime off of this!


title: Immersive, emotive, affordable entertainment for lovers of classical music!

text:
Listening to these works in DTS-HD Master Audio is great fun. It is an immersive experience. Are all the pieces superlative renditions? No, but they are well played and very enjoyable to listen to for an evening. At this price, you get 40 Blu-Ray DVDs of music written by the most popular composers in classical music played well. All for about the same amount as a premium seat at an orchestral concert (1 or 2 perhaps). A bargain to be sure!

I am very pleased with this collection. Anyone who enjoys listening to beautiful music will be very happy with this collection.


title: Beautiful Music - Cheap cd sleeves!!!!

text:
The music in this box set is absolutely beautiful! I am a huge fan of Haydn - He really does deserve more attention then he seems to get. What hasn't Haydn written? Quartet music (check), Symphonies (104 check), Piano Trios (check), Opera music (check)... well you get my point.

I own both the Beethoven Piano Trio set by the Beaux Arts Trio and of course this one. They are both sublime - but the recording for the Haydn Trios is my favorite - seems more balanced among the three instruments to my ears.

I wanted to give this set a 5 star rating - If the music were the only factor that's what I would give it. Here's my gripe - the cheap paper sleeves the cds are stored inside-What the hell was Phillips thinking?
I mean I want to make sure my cds are pristine. Personally, I prefer the cardboard sleeves - seem more hearty to me. I know my Vinyl records (yes, I am in my 50s) are sleeved in paper. But I am more comfortable with the cardboard sleeves for the cds.

In the end, I am very, very satisfied with this 9 cd set from the Beaux Arts Trio - What a great job! Ok, I am giving this set a 5 cd sleeves be damned the music is just so beautiful! It's a 5 folks.


title: Independent learning

text: Granddaughter is going into first grade. Bought this to help with spelling. She loves it!  Her 3 year old sibling used the pictures for vocabulary development.  The math cards are also handy practice. As a former teacher I think preschool-1 graders would benefit from this product.


title: never received

text: this product was ordered, paid for and never received. the system made me rate it with  1-5 stars to enter review.  was wanting to give a 0 since i have nothing to rate as i do not have the product :(


title: Great trip done memory lane.

text: Just what I expected.


title: Great CD.

text: Great songs from the past.


title: The real and genuine Dave Clark Five

text: I loved the DC5's big radio hits when I was a kid in the sixties. I was six years old when "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" out of the top spot in the UK hit poll. It's hard to believe that DC5 was right there at the very beginning of the British Invasion! So many songs I remember hearing on the juke boxes at the bowling alleys, burger joints and public swimming pools my sister and I used to get dragged around in by our very young parents. So many hits I didn't know (then) belonged to a band I thought for many years was an American counter-revolutionary band trying to compete with the Brits! Face it, the DC5 sound as American as The Beach Boys! Anyway, the compilation will bring back lots and lots of memories to those who were young hipsters at the height of the Cold War. Even though all the DC5 songs are all pretty rudimentary, many of them bringing to mind chants and cheers like those made by the cheerleaders of that time, they were also songs that were incredibly catchy and enjoyable! Dave really knew what he was doing, as some of those old songs still sound just as good and, in some instances, fresh as they did when they were released nearly fifty years ago! (Wow! It's hard to believe this music is that old. Hot funk, cool punk. Even if it's old junk, it's still rock and roll to me!) "Glad All Over" will always be an anthem to raising the beer bottles high and rousting up a room full of sloppy drunks into a chorus of howling revelers echoing the words in the title of the song over and over again, each and every time Mike Smith calls them out with his teaser lines, "I'm feeling..." or "Oh, Baby I'm-uh...", repeated so frequently all through the song. "Glad All Over" rocks on this date just as hard as it rocked when it was recorded in 1963. And there are several other memorable tunes from a time when it was great to be young and listening to all that was changing in the world of music and in the music of the world. "Over And Over", "Look Before You Leap", "Bits And Pieces, "Because" and the hits just keep on rolling out of your mp3 player! This compilation makes a nice addition to your growing collection of remastered music from the analog days of old! Thanks for the great hits, DC5! And congratulations on your induction into the RNR HOF!


title: 11 out of 10

text: The Best piano cd in my collection.


title: Decent.

text: This is a decent cd.  Soft rhythms and harmonies.


title: Lovely

text: Rich in melody.


title: fun!

text: Dances just as I remember them..fun!


title: Love this CD

text: I have Volumes 1-4 and ended up giving #4 to a friend who’s husband recently went home to be with the Lord. That particular one is my favorite so I re-ordered one for myself.


title: Honestly, I'm Floored

text:
I came to this CD by way of the TV show Yellowstone, in which Kevin Costner stars.  The shows producer, Taylor Sheridan always provides a pretty eclectic soundtrack, often times showcasing songs by the people who perform on the show.

During the show one night I heard a song play, one that I'd never heard before, but what caught my attention was the voice.  It seemed like I should know who's voice that was, but I couldn't quite place it.  After researching it I was surprised to learn it was Kevin Costner and HIS band, Modern West, not just some offhand performance with his voice, it was his entire band and obviously I'd managed to somehow miss that fact entirely.

So when I started looking for music by Kevin Costner and Modern West, I discovered a variety of Yellowstone soundtracks and then a couple of CD's from Kevin and company.  I decided I would give this one a try and I can honestly say, I was completely surprised at how good this entire album is.  One song after another, the sounds just kept going strong, without a single dud in the bunch.  Starting with the opening track all the way to the final coda, this album is rock solid good.

It's not rock and it's not country western, but a combination of of many different genres of music, but they always seem to work perfectly.

And that voice.  Who knew Kevin Costner could sing?  Not me.  He uses a lot of vocal inflection to make the songs emote a sense of connection to each track.  His singing is quite good and you get a sense that these songs are speaking to you.  Although Kevin himself didn't write many of these songs, the way he sings them provides a truer sense of who the man is.  He is attached to these songs and then he draws the listener in with the emotion he provides each song.

This album might not make my top 10 'on an island' selections, but this gets a lot of rotation around here, the music 'fits' my musical preferences and I'll be listening to it often.


title: Five Stars

text: Beautiful song.


title: I have not heard it, but it was a gift and he loves it.

text: He says the album is amazing, he has the equipment one would need to use this. Everything he said about it was glowing.


title: Reformed bootlegger

text: The music is excellent.  I was a treat to recognize songs I have heard through channels outside of owning the CD. (Youtube, napster). IT's a pleasure to search down each of these songs and to buy them from their source channels (CD, download stores), etc.  Her music is upbeat, bright and cheerful.  She's disk 2 on my cd changer and it always turns up my mood.  My only disappointment was that the DVD is locked by region; knowing from the beginning it was an import album, it's not a negative for me.


title: One Star

text: cd skips to badly to listen to


title: Happy Memories!!

text: Oh, the memories this music brings back of "Record Hops", listening to the "Count-Down of the top 40's" on the radio, or of a special time, a person, or place.It's all here! The memories come flooding back with each song. Delivery was on time, and the price was unbeatable. I would not hesitate to purchase from this vendor again.


title: Worth getting, but you will find Cause and Effect or Intuition in your stereo more often

text:
I'd actually give this 3.5 stars, but..........can't.
I have had this album for over 6 years.  If you appreciate the type of deep driving bass frequencies, rich resonant male vocals, and true synthpop, you will probably like this album.

After a time though, you will find that this is not being played as frequently as Cause and Effect, Intuition, or Iris.

This IS a good album, but is suited better towards excercise or driving in your car than it is for playing at home after a time. The beats along with the heavy synth bass lines are motivating, but the lyrics aren't quite as poetic/meaningful/soulful as Cause and Effect or Iris.

Unfortunately, as with most all 30 second sample excerpts, the listening previews allowed by Amazon or other sites won't do this album justice.


title: Re-Release

text: Melanie O'Reilly is a wonderful singer.  That said, this recording appears to be little more than a re-release of her earlier recording entitled "Tir Na Mara".  I've only identified 2 tracks of the 9 on "Oilean Draiochta" which were not on "Tir Na Mara".  Given that "Tir Na Mara" is really tough to find, or if you find a new CD, it's really expensive, I suppose this is a way to beat the system.  As a heads-up, this seller does not bother with tracking numbers, so bear that in mind if you choose to purchase from them.  Also, the time required to get this CD from NY to FL, based on the seller's reported shipping date was TWO WEEKS.


title: Great music. Only problem is when I put cd ...

text: Great music. Only problem is when I put cd in my computer if I am playing disc # 1 library list songs on disc # 2 and vice versa. Other than that the cd's are awesome. Did anyone notice other than Warner brothers Records and Star Mark compilations all the info on the back of the cd jacket is in Russian.


title: Album Information

text:
Recorded 1997
* All compositions by Willem van Kruysdijk and Mies Wilbrink except 'Kasesa Sekwassa' and 'A room with three views' co-composed by Ruud Wiener
* Produced by Willem van Kruysdijk, Mies Wilbrink and Ed van Otterdijk
* Recorded, mixed, edited and mastered by Ed van Otterdijk at van Otterdyke Sound Design, Waalre / The Netherlands
* Additional bass guitar by Erik Rooseboom | 'Bubble remix' by Eeg van Kruysdijk
* Programming, midi recording and editing by Mies Wilbrink
* Sampling by Huub van Dooremalen
* Sleeve concept by Willem van Kruysdijk
* Sleeve design by Moon
* 'Onni doffi's donga is dedicated to Dorothy Kars-Hayter

attachment_type: IMAGE


title: One of the best compilations for classical music!

text: I would find it hard to believe that any lover of classical musics would be let down or unhappy with this collection! Five stars!


title: Essential collection

text: Nice collection of songs. Can listen to it every day on the way to work.


title: Thanks for your kind comments!

text:
Thanks for everyone’s kind comments. I was a bugler in this unit for five years, and performed for these recordings.  Being The Old Guard, we spent as much time on the music as we did the marching.  Loads of work, but we had audiences all over the world, as well as heads of state, tell us how much they appreciated our performances.

I got out of the Corps and the Army 11 months after this music was released.  Glad that people are still enjoying our efforts.


title: Finally, a real hypnosis program

text: I've heard a lot of terrible hypnosis audio programs, but this is finally a quality program that works well for me at least. I would definitely buy used like I did to save a bit off the high price, but this product is definitely worth it - am going to buy more from this series. These sessions don't lay it on too thick or make bogus claims - it's all very professional and reasonable.


The cd was pretty clean with very little light scratches on the surface, but I played it on a few different cd players and the songs would skip.


title: Not terribly different from NIN after all

text:
OK, so supposedly this is an effort by Reznor to 'branch out' and try things different than he thought NIN fans would accept.  But the same layered, nuanced, distorted, industrial, dark, nihilistic tones are there, just fronted by somewhat less fiercely screamed but nonetheless somewhat distorted female vocals (his wife)?

She must not have near the range or the passion he does, since much of her voice seems to be intentionally processed; that's alright - it seemed to fit the tone of each track, vs. just being 'autotuned' as so many wannabe young divas are.  And she doesn't sing with the anger he has - more like a mix between a bit of lascivious "love me long time" stereotype pandering or perplexed why-am-I-the-victim tones.

None of the above is intended to mean I don't like it - I do.  The 4 stars is mostly because it's so short, only 6 tracks.  Would love to hear more.

But frankly, I tend to like virtually everything Herren Reznor and Ross have done...their particular audio landscape manages to hit my nerve endings with a set of impulses like no other.


title: love this cd

text: if you love worship music, this is the CD  for you.if I love to sing with CD music this one is easy to sing with


title: Very Basic, Not Much for Intermediate Photoshopers

text: Great for a beginner, but much more basic than I hoped.  If you've been working with Photoshop for a while, there is unlikely much for you here.


title: Highly Recommended - Check It Out!

text:
I stumbled upon Simon Peters via YouTube and am very impressed with his music.  This is a phenomenal young singer with a fantastic, smooth voice that just keeps improving as he matures.  The backing musicians are first rate, and the sound is tight and well produced, but neither overproduced nor excessively compressed.  In fact, the songs and the sound harken back to what I'd consider the "glory days" of classic country music here in the United States.  "Offa My Mind" and "Love's Gonna Live Here," as well as the title cut, are particular favorites.  You also get a couple of duets with two other well known (in Ireland) country music singers.  First rate!

I own the companion DVD to this album and it's obvious in the videos that he is doing exactly what he loves, and having a blast doing it!

The only negative is that my CD does have a couple of extremely minor digital flaws.  No way to tell if these are duplication problems or mastering errors.

In summary, two words:  Buy It!


title: Beatles best.

text: Really like Abbey Road..why was Paul bare footed?<br />  Update-he was barefoot because his shoes were too tight so he took them off for the shoot.


This is a Bootleg!  Immortal Records is a well known bootleg distributor.  Why is Amazon selling this? Guaranteed  Inferior sound quality like most bootlegs, and not authorized by Billy Joel.  Avoid at all costs.


title: An awesome live jazz/rock/fusion concert .

text: Steve Gadd is one of the most in demand studio drummers of the last 30 years. His name appears on the music credits of almost every big name artist of the modern music era. He has played for Paul Simon, Dr John, Joe Cocker, Aretha franklin, Ray Charles, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, and Stuff just to name a few. The "Gadd Gang Live At The Bottom Line", Proves to be totally captivating, along with band mates Cornell Dupree, Eddie Gomez, Ronnie Cuber, and the late Richard Tee, they deliver a flawless performance. Wait until you hear them rip into "signed Sealed Delivered", "Them Changes" and "Watching The River Flow". If your a fan of the jazz/fusion group "Stuff" this cd is a must. It's a shame that great music like this is only available on import, but fans of progressive jazz will find it a worthwhile investment.


title: Not just a collection of songs - an album in the truest sense

text: Randomly saw them live. As a live act he blew me away; but great live acts don't always translate on album. Don't know how he did it, but the album equally blew me away. I guess that's what good songwriting is. I think I'm actually more impressed now that Liam and the band were able to pull the album off live.


title: Bang your head!!!

text: THRAAAAAAASSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!


title: Great album

text: Man, did this bring back memories of my youth. LOL great album all around.


title: Top 500 album of all times.

text: One of the great ones.


title: #22 of 500 Rolling Stone Greatest Album of all times.

text: Great addition to my collection.


title: #89 out of 500 Rolling Stone Greatest Albums of All Times.

text: Great album to mix up your rock collection. Love it.


title: Beautiful Music for Everyday Life. Stunning Playing!

text:
Believe it or not, I own the gigantic Complete Mozart Collection by Phillips. I bought it soon after it was released a decade ago. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I should have spent the money on something else, but then I would not have been exposed to all of Mozart's amazing piano pieces.
I am most grateful to have these piano sonatas in my life. Mitsuko Uchida's interpretation is just astonishing. Her touch, timing and feeling is just impacting. It's like falling in love with the most beautiful person in the world. If you play these while driving your car, don't be surprised if you find yourself sitting in your car after you have parked to hear a piece all the way to the finish, and almost feeling your heart pounding with emotion.
Some of the later sonatas are absolutely stunning.
Indeed, this collection was given the highest rating possible and the rare rosette designation from the Penguin Guide to Classical Music.
From my perspective, Mozart's piano works for solo or smaller ensembles (sonatas, variation, trios, etc.) represent nearly his finest works. Experts rank his concertos, symphonies and operas (all with large ensembles) as his greatest works, but my experience is that his piano works for smaller ensembles and solo are masterpieces on their own. I have been listening to Mozart's complete works for a decade, and I personally enjoy his piano works the most for my own listening pleasure.
I also very highly recommend the MOZART: PIANO VARIATIONS collection. Very highly! The piano trios and piano quartets are great, too.
I think it's very sad that these Mozart pieces are not so well known. They are masterpieces of great beauty.
I remember one time when I told a friend's wife about these Mozart piano recordings. Her father was a professional concert pianist, and she plays piano really well. She owns two excellent pianos - one grand and one upright. I told her about these recordings, and she said she did not care much for Mozart piano pieces - she did not know much about Mozart - and that Beethoven was her favorite.
So I made her a couple tape recordings of some of the Mozart sonatas and variations (I now know I am not suppose to do that, but my intention was more educational and not piracy), and a month later she told me she was completely blown away. Several years later I ran into her, and she said she was still listening to Mozart on piano and was so grateful for introducing Mozart piano works into her life. Mozart is now, by far, her favorite.
I wish everyone could enjoy them.


title: WASTE OF $$$. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE SOUND QUALITY!! EVEN IF YOU'RE AND REO FAN!!!!

text: Huge REO fan. Seen them 26 times dating back to '87 and have been listening to them since the 70s. The quality of this recording is major, major crap! The channels cut out and it literally sounds like an OLD 8 track recording from an AM radio. I don't know how Plastic Soho or whoever got the rights to release this. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY. And the return shipping makes it not worthwhile returning. DONT'T BUY, DON'T BUY, DON'T BUY!!!!!


title: Great Atmos Audio Only Experience

text:
This is great for what it is. If you want a movie buy the movie of similar title.
This audio Blu-ray shows off Atmos stupendously. Has had my dogs freaked out several times.
This is enjoyable for my whole family.


title: Great album, but disappointing Surround Sound.

text: Low resolution  5.1 Mix is fun but disappoints due to the lack of dynamic range that comes out of the high compression scheme used to create it. Shame they did not use DTS or any of the many high resolution  surround sound encoders.  Still, the original album is a real classic and has a presence and energy  no matter what compression formula is applied to create the digital mixes.


title: This is the most interesting 5.1 version !

text: [[VIDEOID:5d040969014da78a2d957d51dc0d727d]] Set your system up to listen to just the fronts or the rears or the center channel by using RCA splitters ,and you will have a real treat !


title: MASTER TAPES

text: Master Tapes !  Unbelievable !  Been waiting 43 Years ..


title: Buried Treasure

text: It is a shame that this CD is not more well known and currently out of print. It features some of the most rousing choral singing you will ever encounter in this very French rendition of  La Marseilles.  It also includes one of my favorite performances of Saint-Saens Danse Macabre and  some very enjoyable renditions of Chabrier's Espana, Debussy's Afternoon of a Faun, Dukas's the Sorcerer's Apprentice and Faure's Pavane.  The added bonus is a charming chamber piece by Reynaldo Hahn for wind pieces, 2 harps and a piano Le Bal De Beatrice D'este.  If you can find it for a reasonable price thru a third party vender I would not hesitate to snatch it up. It is worth it just for the La Marseille alone.


title: Sounds better than my record

text: After reading some of the comments about sound quality I was pleased to find this better than the original pressing.  As an additional feature the patter is recorded as a seperate song and can be easily eliminated for Ipod use if desired.


title: Firestarter not for cooking.

text: A lot of sut but lit fast and did boil 2 cups of water.I think I'll cut then in quarters and use as fire starters.<br />Good product.


These guys bought a 900 limited release album and are just reselling it for several times the original price. It's not like they held onto it for awhile or anything, they just snatched it up from people that actually wanted it... jerks.


title: Five Stars

text: Product came in perfect condition.


title: Used with this price ? NEVER !

text: PRICE. !


title: Single Versions

text:
You'd think they would've included the album versions along with the single versions, that's why I am giving it two stars. Stand is the only long version

when I read a book, I like to read the whole book not just part of it, that's what a single version is an edited song..........too bad!


title: This stuff actually works

text:
I was very skeptical when I purchased this product. I noticed an improvement right away.  The cartridge sounded just like it did when it was newly broken in.  All you do is take the brush out of the bottle and dab it on the tip of the stylus.  It works and I'm happy I gave it a try.

Update:  For best results make sure to clean the stylus with a fine brush like the one that is often supplied with the purchase of a new cartridge before using this product.  This ensures that any significant dust or debris is removed from the stylus before applying the product.  I like to use the MoFi stylus cleaner at the end of every use of my turntable.


title: Sounds more like him than Drake but

text: This is more of a Future album to me. Sounds more like him than Drake but, still love it.


title: must have for eclectic Preisner's collection

text: great 2-track album reflecting on life and accomplishments of Piotr Skrzynecki - founder of iconic "Piwnica pod Baranami".<br />it's a very hard to find CD, thus grab it you'll spot it.


title: Awesome  METAL

text: Uniquely  awesome  album.Love this album.Kyzer lets it rip.


title: Five Stars

text: Had this album years ago and I have always loved Lacy J. Dalton


title: Five Stars

text: Love Ava Barber and needed this for my collection.


title: Where does one go from the top?

text: These are the top session musicians in Nashville doing their own chosen material.  It is as good as one would expect given that description.


title: big fan of Farl B.

text: all ways great to here the greats.


title: Happy with purchase.

text: The used product was exactly as described. It was packaged well. No problems at all.


title: Great collection of Sting's songs

text: I also have been a fan of Sting since his days with the Police. I have every CD he's put out in his solo career. This collection doesn't contain any new, or unheard songs. But, if you'd like a collection of Sting's music to mello out with, this is it. Whoever compiled the selections did a great job. I've found that the Russian market is very good in compiling very interesting song selections, and making great play lists. I have several McCartney CD's that this is true of too. I've been listening to this Sting 2 CD collection while driving around town. Even when the traffic gets slow, or crazy, these songs keep you feeling good. If you're looking for a collection you could take your lady out on an evening drive, this is one I'd strongly recommend. I'm really glad I added this to my Sting collection.


title: Great Schubert; mediocre Beethoven

text:
I've heard quite a few discs from the Hagen quartet at this point, and I've come to the conclusion that they're completely a hit or miss ensemble; I've heard just as many excellent performances from them as I've heard duds. Their execution is never in question-they are never less than technically accurate, their playing razor sharp architecturally; it's their interpretive choices, which the Hagens themselves have admitted is often spontaneous. At their best this spontenaity leads to vital, energetic readings; other times, that spontenaity can backfire, particularly when the interpretations devolve into what I might consider glib playing. This disc is a microcosm of that. The Schubert G-Major gets a fresh, exciting reading that has fast become one of my favorites. There's a subtle hesitance they bring to the strident opening chords of the first subject in the first movement that makes all other performances subsequently sound wrong, even the great Alban Berg recording on EMI. The slow movement gets an idiomatic, nuanced reading, without the usual romanticizing one comes to expect; and the final movements are given enough weight to keep the work's overall proportions in tact (sometimes a problem in Schubert's works, with their often sprawling opening allegros and lengthy slow movements.)

On the other hand, I didn't think I'd ever hear a more infuriating, unmusical performance of Beethoven's "Serioso" quartet than the Emerson's comically fast performance on DG; then I heard this performance, which is without a doubt the most colorless, featureless, faster-than-the-speed-of-light reading I've heard. I would have listened to it just once and never again, if I didn't have to listen to it one more time through to make sure I wasn't mistaken it was as ludicrously bad as it sounded after the first go-round.

Criticism aside, the quality of play is excellent, regardless of how I feel about the latter performance. Additionally the sound is astounding, with everything captured in pristine digital sound. The quartet is placed neutrally, and all the lines are clearly delineated and easily heard. The liner notes are also excellent and written multiple languages. It's too bad the performances aren't as uniformly enjoyable. Calling this disc a "mixed bag" would be a gross understatement to say the least.

5 stars for the Schubert; 2 for the Beethoven. Luckily the Schubert is the weightier work and makes up the greater balance of the disc; as such I would give this disc a qualified recommendation. While uneven, this disc gives us a fairly accurate view of the variable nature of this group's discography, which at its best can be excellent, but at its worst can be downright baffling musically.


title: Sound amusing?  It isn't.

text: I'm certainly no prude and I like noisy music.  I also find toilet humor funny like most men.  However, I find this CD completely pointless and tedious.  It is not at all funny, and there is little to no musical merit or melody to be found.  Every track of this excrutiatingly long CD is essentially the same -- a guy screaming lyrics in a strong French accent that sound as if they were written by a 14-year-old over unclassifiable, unprofessionally produced music which seems to be there only incidentally.  I suppose some folks would know that a CD with a penis on the cover and a title like "Lung Farts" would not be their cup of tea, but for those (like me) who think these would be selling points, trust me, they ain't.


title: An excellent 20 CD set of Phil Keaggy

text: An excellent 20 CD set of Phil Keaggy.  I had the cassette tapes of these a long time ago.  It's so nice to have them on CD.  The recordings are excellent and the came in excellent condition as well.


title: Fantastic change for Chrissie Hynde

text: I never realized the range this woman has, complete sea change from Pretenders’ music. Beautiful remakes of some old tunes, rich in value and SIGNED by Chrissie! Love it!!


title: Relax and Enjoy.

text: If you like Excellent instrumental music to relax or enjoy with a selected few, this is it. I was very impressed with the fact that just one CD could have the effect of soothing all the daily tensions and start a process of inner renovation.


title: Very good Album

text: I purchased this CD after recalling  TV program that featured Chiz Rider as its main artist. He is a very talented musician and the album really delivers.


title: Five Stars

text: Record plays perfect. Love it.


title: Five Stars

text: Thank you


title: This is not from 2007. The Kivel release is ...

text: This is not from 2007. The Kivel release is from 2000!!! Make sure this is not The Metal Mayhem Version.


title: One Star

text: Make sure this is authentic. This is the singer of Shanghai.


title: Cd d mucha ayuda celestial

text: Extraordinario. Odorar Señor d corazón


title: Wonderful CDS

text: Great CD. Have passion for music and Salsa, with CD you would hear Sonora almost had it.


title: Wonderful Christian Album

text:
A lot of great songs, Buddy Greene is a gifted musician and songwriter. I have a gripe, but it’s not with the album. The seller sent it in a broken case, shattered in several places so you can’t even hold it properly. I don’t expect flawlessness when I buy something used, but my goodness, two CD sleeves with the inserts would have been better.

God bless:-)


title: Five Stars

text: Best massage mp3 album of all time.


title: Spot-on for those in grief and mourning

text: This CD is absolutely precious. For those of us that have experienced loss - the music is a wonderful healing balm and a source of Comfort... Our family has given this CD to others as a tangible way to express condolences. Highly recommended.


title: Five Stars

text: One of my favorite CD's.


title: Please sir, can I have some more?

text: Soooo good! Reeve, please make more music like this!


title: A little bit of everything!!

text:
This cost me more cause it had my favorite song Misty Roses on it.  Wasn’t on any other audio cd.
Beautiful songs all in one place:  Excellent
Can’t beat the great Johnny Mathis!!


title: Five Stars

text: Everything is perfect.


title: Engineering goof in the Saint-Saens

text: These performances are top notch, as are most Munch performances.  But there is an inexplicable goof in the Saint-Saens organ concerto.  At the end of the last movement the image collapses to mono.  What were they thinking when they released this?  So if you want the Saint-Saens buy the SACD disc as it has no such goofs and also has lower noise.  The Franck and Poulenc performances are OK, so buying this disc for them is reasonable.  If your budget is tight and you don't notice the problem buying this disc at a cheap used price might be reasonable.  So the performance gets a 5+ and the engineering 0.  The Victrola version and the version with the butterfly cover all have the same defect.


title: Fine recording, too bad it is not complete

text:
This recording documents what was probably one of the great events in opera history, the debut of Marion Anderson on the Metropolitan stage.  The recording is much less than an abridgement, as it only contains a few notable solos, one scene, and orchestral excerpts.  The largest Anderson solo is on this recording, but the subsequent part of the act is not available.  The same solo is available on other CDs and digital download.

The singers are very good, and Roberta Peters is stunning in Oscar's aria from the last act.  Most of the scene where Amelia is caught at the graveyard is on this recording.  Zinka Milanov sings Amelia, and she may have been a bit beyond her prime at this point.  Some people may be put off by the large amounts of portamento displayed in this recording, but after all it was Verdi.

Anderson is recorded at a lower level than the rest of the voices.  I don't know whether this was because she really was softer, or whether this was an artistic decision.  My father commented that live she had a voice like an organ, so one would think she had great power.

While some of the items from this recording are available elsewhere in compilations this is the only recorded document of this great event.  It is too bad that it is not on a CD properly restored.  Even better it would be nice if there were a complete recording even if pirated.  The studio recording was never complete because it has none of the choruses.  RCA only recorded the five pricipal singers and the orchestra.


title: 700 Years of Classical Treasures (CDs + Book

text:
I have written this review for the same book; but needed more copies
to give to family and friends.
I simply love this book and CDs.  It contains biographies of the composers as well as notes for the music.
It is hard to find now; but I hope more copies will be available soon. My favorite is Handel's Water Music.


title: Cindy Walker Till the end of time

text: Cindy Walker was a brilliant songwriter and a good singer but most of these songs are from the 40s. I didn't like them much.


title: A Great rememberence of San Gabriel CA.

text:
A very professional CD produced for those whom enjoy great Guitar music.
This CD brings back many memories for folks living in the San Gabriel Valley of
California where many of us grew up. Some really old favorites that you may have
enjoyed around the various places around the San Gabriel Mission.


title: Five Stars

text: Love the cd. Highly recommend.


title: NO REVIEWS !!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT

text: What's wrong with all the BLUES fans out there ?????? This is as good as BLUES will ever get. Both RUSSEL BROTHERS forays into the BLUES are like blue prints for BLUES. Every solo is brilliant, the vocals are cool and understated, the bass playing by one of the unknown greats is second to none. Not one dud track and some really outstanding ones. This sits somewhere between traditional and electric and should make both camps very happy.<br />Anything by KEVIN RUSSELL is guitar bliss, so please check this mans music out. Whatever style he plays, he is a MASTER.


title: pretty awefull

text: If you are looking for a benchmark in absolutely pointless noodling, this could well be it. Sure these guys are fleetfingered fretboard wizards, but music it ain't. Up and down the neck without  a single memorable melodie being created in the process. Every scale known to man is recycled without any apparent reason. The production is .....YUK !!!<br />Totaly cliche and completely boring. Like a couple of guys practicing in the garage. POINTLESS !!!!!


title: Mix FREE with CREAM and add a much better guitarist

text: Voila..... FREERIDE. If you like the sound of that, get this cd. You will not be dissapointed. This is 3 piece BLUES/ROCK at it's finest. The vocals are good and the songs are of a very high quality. LARSSON plays some stunning lead and the solos are uniformely brilliant without resorting to warp speed noodling. LARSON influences are never obvious and whatever he plays, comes out LARSSON.<br />If superb guitar playing in a 3 piece format is your cup of beverage, buy this cd. You'll thank me, thats for sure.


title: 5 STARS ALL THE WAY

text: Superb heavy electric BLUES / ROCK from a master muso. He plays just about all the instruments on this release and it's pure guitar bliss. From the spectacular covers of ROLLING AND TUMBLING and IF 6 WAS 9 to some of the coolest original tunes, this is brilliant. His original songs are exceptional and his style sits very comfortably between HENDRIX / LUKATHER and JEFF BECK. All the influences turn out to sound PHIL BROWN.<br />His vocals are another plus. He has a very smoky delivery that fits his music like a glove. If HENDRIX / SRV / LUKATHER / BECK are amongst your favourites, please give this guy a chance. You won't be sorry. If it were possible I'd include a MONEY BACK guarantee. That's how confident I am about this release.


title: A MASSSIVE SUPRISE

text:
If you like the GUITAR or MUSIC in general, you need to get this mans music. This is an astonishing hybrid that works 99% of the time. The combination of BLUES and FRENCH / ARABIC song structures and lyrics is astonishingly listenable and I find myself dancing around the livingroom playing air guitar and emoting in a language I don't understand. Despite the foreign influences, the BLUES gets the respect it deserves and AMAR plays some superb blues guitar. His TONE and PHRASING are sensational and mostly original, although some influences can be spotted. If you mixed BECK / HENDRIX / COLLINS and a couple of KINGS, you'd get close.

Whenever you thought you'd figured out this music, another totaly unexpected direction change hits you between the eyes.

This has quickly become my favourite CD at the moment. Highly recommended.


title: blues master

text: HALL proves that the blues is not static. He has a wicked sense of humour, plays some jaw dropping guitar and writes some very cool blues musik that nodds to the traditionalist while taking it to another place. If you like electric BLUES / GUITAR, this is a NO BRAINER. Simply sensational


title: Energetic, hypnotic and fun

text: THB is one of my favorite artists. He is a Mississippi man and can play any of the blues variants from the region, this is in my opinion one of his best recordings.


title: One Take Recording!

text: Wow, interesting to see this on Amazon.  I am the producer of this album.  Never made it to wide distribution, so truly rare.  It was recalled to due to a manufacturing defect.  If you get this, you must remember that this was recorded "Direct To Disc".  What that means is that each side, the ENTIRE side, had to be recorded in one take, from from first to last song.  If a mistake was made on the last song, then the whole side had to be recorded again.  Some of the best Hollywood musicians involved, recorded at the old RCA Studios on Sunset.


title: Great Harry James 4 pack

text: If you're interested in big band sounds from the 1960's, this is a great album.  A lot of Neil Hefti arrangements.  Getting a full 4 (plus) albums on 2 CD's it's a great bargain.


title: Fine Overview of a Long Career, but...

text: Excellent collection, but if you are a casual Billy Joel fan like me, and don't own any of his original albums on CD, you need to add Greatest Hits, Vol. III, which fills in the gaps with some of the important songs that came after the period that Vols. I & II cover.  Taken together, these three volumes are a pretty good overview of Joel's most fruitful years.


title: A Lost Master Recording?  That Would Be A Pity!

text:
I agree with all the reviewers here -- it NEEDS a CD release - remastered and annotated.  This was Odetta at her peak, and my favorite of all her records, rivaled only by the classic, ODETTA AT THE GATE OF HORN.  ODETTA SINGS was released to tepid reviews at the time, perhaps because Odetta was stepping out of her usual folk and blues repertoire and trying something new. Sometimes the fans and critics just can't accept artists who dare to challenge the perception their followers have come to cherish and expect.  I've always been excited when a singer I love tries something new, even when he or she occasionally fails.  In this case, Odetta most certainly did NOT fail -- in fact, quite the opposite. For example, still really enjoy hearing her droll version of "Mama Told Me Not to Come," and the spirited, banner-waving "Movin' It On," as well as a deeply moving "No Expectations," hold up well after all of these years. On Tom Jones' recent CD, [[ASIN:B009A881FE Spirit In The Room]], he did a respectable version of Odetta's own "Hit Or Miss," proving that other artists have taken notice of this great recording, not only just a few of the fans. To my knowledge, ODETTA SINGS was never reissued in any form. I have only seen a cassette copy once, and my LP is the only vinyl copy I've ever seen. I've often wondered if the master is a lost recording! Let's hope somebody reads these reviews, digs the master tape up from some vault and lovingly remasters it for a CD release -- maybe there were unreleased songs recorded during these sessions, which could be included as bonus tracks.  With or without extra tracks, I would buy a CD of this in a heartbeat!

Some time after writing my review, this entire album had been released as an mp3 download, and it is obviously remastered, as the quality is pristine and free of surface noise (in other words, not a transfer from vinyl); the stereo sound is perfection! I would still buy a proper CD issue, but this is the next best thing.  Highly recommended!


title: Needs A CD Release!

text: One of Wendy Waldman's most beautiful and epic songs concludes this album: "Time Like Your Wire Wheels." It's a marvel of atmosphere, drama and vocals, riding on a stunning arrangement and haunting melody. On a popular decline after a series of critically acclaimed but modestly selling albums, Wendy Waldman had switched labels and came out with WHICH WAY TO MAIN STREET, an effort to punk up her image and rock out (she resembles a female Bruce Springsteen in the cover photo). Not at all a bad creation, this collection of songs was criminally ignored by radio stations and the general public, and thereafter Waldman was better known by industry insiders, for writing songs that were sung by others: Judy Collins, Maria Muldaur, Kathy Mattea, to name a few who recognized her formidible songwriting skills. I wore out my vinyl copy of WWTMS, because I loved almost every song on it; then, more recently, I bought a pristine vinyl copy (personally autographed), from Waldman's website.  The above-mentioned closing song is worth the price of the album, but other songs, the hard rocking "Heartbeat," the plaintive and catchy "Does Anybody Want To Marry Me?" and the electrifying "Gotta Get Over You," are outstanding and memorable as well. Wendy Waldman came out of the same Southern California rock scene of the 70's as Linda Ronstadt, Karla Bonoff, Andrew Gold and Jackson Browne, and although her talent is at least as great as any of theirs, her star never rose as high (with a voice reminiscent of both Carole King and Laura Nyro, she also recorded with Bonoff, Gold and Kenny Edwards in group called Bryndle). She has continued to tour and record, both solo and with a female trio called The Refugees. Most of Waldman's first several records did finally get digitally remastered and issued on CD, but so far, not this one -- it deserves a CD release, even if it isn't quite up to the level of perfection she reached during her Warner Bros. period. This fan would buy it in a "Heartbeat!"


title: Father's Day gift

text: Early Father's Day gift for my father-in-law. He enjoyed it and watched it a number of times.


title: Five Stars

text: This is beautiful music, if I ever went to Paris I would expect to hear this music..


title: Beautiful Glimpse of the Past

text:
My favorite Michael J. Lewis score... romantic and nostalgic. Not a great film, but the music is a real work of the heart, capturing things the actors and script just can't manage. I never tire of listening to it.

For further Lewis appreciation, check out his music for Theatre of Blood. He adds the right touch of Grand Guignol to a nasty little Vincent Price film.


title: Why isn't it available on CD?

text:
This was the first recording of these two works I ever owned, thanks to Janice White of White's Bookstore in Key West, Florida, when I was a junior in high school. I was young and impressionable, having heard "Don Juan" live in a performance by Sixton Ehrling and the Detroit Symphony as part of the Community Concert series in Key West. Mehta's performance with the LA Phil knocked me out. But what REALLY blew me away was his take on the "Roman Festivals" - a piece I had never heard before. Since then (1966) I have heard a number of different versions of this piece - but none has matched Mehta and the LA Phil's, especially the unrelenting energy in "The Epiphany". Yes, I suppose a pipe organ would be better than the electric one Mehta had to use, but I'd have to hear it to believe it. As it is, they tear the roof off the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Now then, why isn't this recording available on CD - except as that overpriced Japanese JVC Audiophile CD? Surely BMI can re-release it. I, for one, would line up to buy it.

By the way, my second choice in the Respighi would be Lorin Maazel and the Cleveland Orchestra. Almost as good as Mehta. Almost.


title: Dvd refused to play, indicated that it was Nkt ...

text: Dvd refused to play, indicated that it was Nkt for this region.  If that is so, why was it shipped.  Zig number should have indicated this USA


title: No Buglin Sam.

text: No obvious San Dekemel on the album.  Go to Smithsonian.


title: Children's Audio Book Meets Lo-Fi Punk Rock Weirdness. You Need This in Your Life!

text:
The Spits' Haunted Fang Castle is one kooky little record.

A blend of children's audio book (full color booklet included), bursts of lo-fi punk rock, and psychedelia, all wrapped up in a fantastical story about a centaur, wizard, and arcade game questing through a mystical swamp to rescue the princess from a massive green spider. And it all clocks in under 15 minutes!

Truthfully it all sounds way radder than it ends up being, but so what?! It's one of the most uniquely awesome albums you've never heard, and by a band who has carved out quite the name for themselves with their short, sweet, and catchy lo-fi tunes. Oh, here's another WTF aspect about this EP—it was put out by Scion Records and is virtually unknown to their fans. Most punks are too closed-minded to appreciate a gem like this, but I'm happy to have it in my collection.


title: Five Stars

text: a musical feast for the mother of an old friend in her twilight years.


title: Huh?

text: What is this made of? Platinum? If the stated price is actually correct, is this a charity item for the family, or? Otherwise, this ripoff is an insult to JC and his fans of the lowest order.


title: Begging for  a DVD

text: Star Wars II,Attackof the Clones just has to be released on DVD.  This secquel  has the fastest action throughout the movie with breathtaking scenes of the real and th sureal.  A must see for Star Wars fans to more importanly link all of theseries together.  The DVD will problably wait until III is completed and then all series will be released in a packe deal.  Whatever happens to the release format, this is a treasure and  a pleasure, so we can't go wrong!


title: Two Sides of entertainment

text: Best two part harmony.  These guys can really sing seriously.


title: 10 out of 5 Stars

text: This is a great selection of Hughie Thomasson led Outlaws songs.  Alternate recordings of some old favorites and awesome cool unreleased stuff. Sound quality is excellent, especially for "Demos and Out Takes".  An absolute must have for any Outlaws fan, or anyone who likes Southern Rock.


title: \zzzzzzz huh

text: I am one f those persons that when people ripped on manowar for loosing their "touch" I would still defend their work their work. However, this time I will not. Boring songs, booooring. If I wasn't driving I would have fallen asleep


title: joyful

text: He plays 24 old hymns with an enthusiasm that seems to truly seems to come from his heart.  I usually buy cd's with vocals but this lifts my spirits<br />and I treasure it.


title: Sonorous and melodic

text: Brook Benton is a cross between Nat King Cole and Barry White.  He's the type of music you put on while having a bourbon and a fire in a fireplace.  He's a rare steak with an earthy red wine.  He's the type of music you play on a road trip that makes all the bad drivers seem to disappear.


title: New side group with vocals by the always engaged Christopher Cross!

text: Very pleasantly surprised by this new set from the group Freedonia. Lead singer is 80s soft pop icon, Christopher Cross. These excellent players push Cross to new heights with his vocals. He's always been a favorite, but this project just leaped ahead of my previous Cross favorite, "Every Turn of the World" (1985). I had no idea this project existed until I bought Cross' other new album, "Take Me As I Am" (also very good), and Amazon suggested I might also like this. They were right.


title: Different approach, but still quality music

text:
This is a great new album from Christopher Cross. The sound you're familiar with if you've continued following Cross' career since the beginning. What's changed is the approach. These songs can best be described as instrumentals with vocals, rather than vocals with great music.

It's a step or two further down the career progression Cross is on to a broader, more jazz-oriented artist with strong pop sensibilities. Great music to put in the car CD player and just cruise away.


title: At Last Stevie Nicks

text: At Last as sung by Stevie Nicks makes the whole thing worth its purchase. I learned that I actually like NIcks' version better than that of Etta James.


title: Not a great song but it was a memory

text: Not a great song but it was a memory. Could not find the single version through digital downloading. The album version doesn't satisfy the memory of 40 years ago so I had to get the original 45 and it does sound the way I remember it. Just a little pricey though.


title: James Bond and Dr. Who-David Tennant

text: What is not to like about this a great James Bond story by Ian Fleming, read by the beautiful voice of David Tennant (Dr. Who). I have seen the movie of course, but the book is always better and to have is read to me by the extraordinary actor David Tennant with that wonderful voice is brilliant. A big plus, I don't have to try and pronounce all the fancy french and german locations and foods that Ian Fleming is so found of using in his books. This is a richer and fuller way of enjoying a good book with the lights down low, your feet proped up, and your drink of choice in hand.


title: Wrong order

text: Fairly expensive. I didn't read the blurb, so<br />i ended up with a cd full of chanting - had the order been a dvd I would have been much happier.


title: Jaw-Dropping, Astonishingly Good!

text: Okay, I'll come right out and say it. "The Winds Have Changed" by Eric Genuis (pronounced JENN-us) is one of the finest recordings of any kind that I have ever heard. Those who know me well are aware that I am not one to throw such hyperboles around recklessly, but this CD is worthy of every superlative I write. Seldom do so many aspects of the recording art come together as brilliantly as occurred in this album. Everything about it managed to strike gold: compositions (Eric Genuis), pianism (Eric Genuis), lyrics (presumably Eric Genuis again), vocals (Ann Marie Boskovich), conducting (Allan Wilson), orchestral playing (Slovak National Symphony Orchestra), and sound quality (Peter Fuchs). I have owned my copy of "The Winds Have Changed" for a couple of weeks now, and already I have heard it at least a dozen times. The opening track, "Here I Am," is absolutely gorgeous, one of those singles that jump out at you and say, "This is an instant classic." But all twelve songs, including the title track, are quite stunning in their own right. Just when one beautiful melody ends, Eric Genuis tops it with another. How should this album be categorized? Is it pop, easy listening, contemporary Christian, light rock? All of the above, and more. Even a classical music lover (like me) will delight in its orchestrations, which are tasteful and riveting. That really comes as no surprise, as Eric Genuis is a classically trained pianist and composer. Thus far, I have purchased nine copies of this CD directly from the Eric Genuis website ([...]), and I plan to give them to friends, relatives, and even a radio station or two. I suppose that word of "The Winds Have Changed" will have to be spread from a grass-roots level, as there is no major label involved with promotion, and Amazon does not seem to offer it in CD format at the present time. I intend to do my part, so sincerely do I believe in this project. Bravo, Eric! Brava, Ann Marie!


title: Cool KISS cover songs from the Unmasked album

text:
I'm a  big KISS fan, and I always enjoy cover songs when they are done well. All of the songs on this album are done with respect to the original, but with a unique updated take on the song. I also like that every song is specifically from the KISS Unmasked album. There are a few duplicate songs, and Shameless recorded three of the sixteen songs. But every song is worth it.

As of this posting, there's no track list, so here it is. If you like KISS or just good rock music, I really recommend it.

1. Is That You? (Jenza)
2. Shandi (Ryan McKay)
3. Talk To Me (Shameless)
4. Naked City (Na$h)
5. What Makes The World Go Round (Demon Drive)
6. Tomorrow (Pretty Suicide)
7. Two Sides of the Coin (The Geminus Sect)
8. She's So European (Boot Camp)
9. Easy As It Seems (Dressed To Thrill)
10. Torpedo Girl (The Torpedo Girls)
11. You're All That I Want (Shameless)
12. Naked City (Oliver Monroe)
13. Tomorrow (Shameless)
14. Two Sides of the Coin (Mind Over Me)
15. Easy As It Seems (Tykoon)
16. Talk To Me (KISS Forever)

I also would recommend the tribute album Covered With Kisses (An Evansville Tribute To KISS) from 2004.


title: My favorite flamenco pianist in the world

text: I LOVE this man's music. He's an amazing pianist and an amazing flamenco pianist. I've been listening to this CD (and his other one) for YEARS since I first purchased it, and I STILL love it.


title: Classic folk duo from CA, WA - beautiful harmonies, songs

text: I first saw and heard Reilly & Maloney in Chuck's Cellar in the mid-seventies on the peninsula, south of San Francisco.  They had the perfect male-female duo sound, two great voices that blended as one, pitch perfect, and were fun to be with as well!  I must have seen them 20 times over the years, before they disbanded and went their separate ways.  Many years later, I saw that they were playing at a local venue, the Blue Heron restaurant in Duncan Mills, Sonoma County, and it was like old times all over again.  Even though they've aged, (haven't we all?) the sound was as good or better than I remembered, and all the magic was still there.  They are playing here and there, and if you ever get a chance to see them, I highly recommend it.  They are one of the best folk duos to ever grace a stage, and they should have gotten much greater recognition than they've received over the years.  Beautiful and beautifully crafted songs and lyrics, the sweetest harmonies, Ginny's nearly ethereal voice, David's perfect tenor, you have to hear them to believe it.  Do yourself a favor and keep an eye out for them!


title: An Audio Feast

text: This is a superb compilation of songs with  great Eastern flavor that can help awaken the senses and inner self.<br />Chinmaya Dunster is a unique individual and his music reflects that uniqueness! I am using this CD in a Tai Chi / Qigong class and in the background this  music gives a real sense of flow and ease to the class. This music will relax and carry you, altering time, and capturing you ever so subtly. Enjoy !


title: great soundtrack for a great game

text: freedom fighters is in my opinion the best third person shooter of all time and its soundtrack is amazing i have the itunes version and this is one of the best soundtracks i have ever heard if you are a fan of the game get this soundtrack if not its still a great track to listen to the cd version is very rare however you can get a copy on itunes like i did highly reccomended


title: Excellent, Exceiting Analog Recordings Orginally made in 1966 & 1956 Digitaly Transfered to CD

text:
This CD provides a wonderful opportunity to hear great Russian works performed by the London symphony conducted by George Solti.

Wonderful selections preformed by a great conductor and symphonic orchestra with a reproduction quality that is truly unbelievable considering that they were made fifty and more years ago. I have listened to this CD several times with great enjoyment each time.


title: Five Stars

text: I like the "I Dreamed a Dream" piece.


title: Five Stars

text: I wanted to hear Aklcie Blue Gown and play it for my grandsons. UItr was a success.


title: a total gem

text:
A classic, must, must, MUST HAVE album.
A true gem that was criminally underlooked.
A seriously great band with great songs.
10 out of 10


title: Recommends

text: My dad's a big Patsy Cline fan. He loves it


Went to a concert in Minot, ND and it was at a good denominational church. I am not sure why we are not able to purchase this excellent music on CD but it is very relaxing and peaceful.


title: Had the song "THE LIGHTHOUSE" and Jesus is the lighthouse ...

text: Had the song "THE LIGHTHOUSE" and Jesus is the lighthouse and we he stands on the hill to tell the world about his light (since He is the light of the world) and the way, He is the way, the truth, and the life!


title: Redeemed  how I love to proclaim IT!

text: This CD is excellent Christian gospel music with very articulate children sing really beautiful children about growing up in India; talking about how they got delivered from being killers (their grandparents were headhunters) and then because very much in LOVE with Christ.  It was maybe the best music I have purchase on Amazon (better than Gaithers, Signature Sound, and Hillsong and I really mean it)  Bibles for the World (which sponsored the India Childrens Choir in Colo Spgs) was started by the song of a redeemed (by the blood) 'son of a headhunter" named Rochuga Pudaite and his son John (yes the 4th book of the NT) is the leader now


title: Awesome purchase on Amazon (I bought the new one)

text: This CD is excellent Christian gospel music with very articulate children sing really beautiful children about growing up in India; talking about how they got delivered from being killers (their grandparents were headhunters) and then because very much in LOVE with Christ.  It was maybe the best music I have purchase on Amazon (better than Gaithers, Signature Sound, and Hillsong and I really mean it)  Bibles for the World (which sponsored the India Childrens Choir in Colo Spgs) was started by the song of a redeemed (by the blood) 'son of a headhunter" named Rochuga Pudaite and his son John (yes the 4th book of the NT) is the leader now.  They also sing America; God shed his grace on thee


title: Blessed folks from the Holiness (or pentecostal movement) in the Nazarene church

text: When the Spirit of the LORD is poured out, do not quench (I advise you) the fire of the Holy Spiritq


title: Awesome

text: One of the best records in Christian music at the time from a Christian college in the midwest in Olathe, Kansas.  This one song "I should Have Been Crucified" was fantastic and thank GOD for this great group.  Wish this album was on tape. A couple of these men, Randy Beckum, and others Bill Cobb went on to further ministry for the LORD


title: Five Stars

text: Excellent


title: Five Stars

text: Thanks


title: Five Stars

text: Thanks.


title: Five Stars

text: Love it!!


title: Keith we miss a pioneer

text: Makes me miss Keith even more.  FARMER DOUG


title: a waste

text: I thought Mark Stewart and Wobble... it must be great. It's not. They're just trying to make a few quid I guess. I should've listened on ittube first.


title: Big Joni Mitchell Fan--Until Now

text:
I've listened to, and sung with, Joni Mitchell forever.
From the early stuff of angelic highs, gorgeous poetry and idealistic love songs, to later, when her range and her voice was roughened by cigarettes and booze, I sang along, the eternal fan. I sat at the feet of her musical and poetic genius like an acolyte, ever seeking inspiration.
My best friend had this album in the 90's; she has a great ear, and our tastes are frequently similar.
So, I bought it, only to find that I hate it.
I respect her desire to do something outside of anything she had ever done previously.
Certainly, I understand her desire to work with/pay tribute to Mr. Mingus. And in my defense, I do like jazz, at least to a point. Sadly, I haven't disliked an album this much in ages. If ever.
Maybe it's me, and I just don't understand where she is coming from, or trying to go. But I listened more than once. And I still hate it. I wish I didn't. But I do.


title: Five Stars

text: My son's favoriye musician.  He loves this cd.


title: Five Stars

text: good to hear again


title: Nat Colecore is the best

text: Nerd core is the best


title: Good news, bad news

text: Of course I was excited about the idea of having a representative CD of the original birth of the cool album. This CD satisfies that pointBut in the mix you can hear everything but the drums. This is 1992 Recording. There’s no excuse for that


title: Boston masters

text: This was originally a 10 inch LP which I had when I was a teenager. I have always loved this music and, it makes me very happy to have a CD of it. Serge and Boots are such masters. The same goes for the rhythm section. I remember hearing them at the Stables, In Boston


title: Too long ago

text: This is Jazz from a long time ago and, although, I like very old Jess, this Jazz tends to get boring to me


title: Four Stars

text: Nice music.


title: The one song

text: I bought it for one song (Tom Foolery). I used to have that on a 78 and wanted a digital copy.


title: I'm lovin' me some "G"

text: It's Gloria Estefan, need I say more? OK. Gloria plus legends of Latino jazz and it's all about Cuba. All songs are in Spanish and the words are included. If you are using music to learn the language, It's the jackpot. Included is a DVD with English or Spanish content to choose from, masterfully done. The set gives you a glimpse into the heart and soul of our Gloria and the music of the forbidden island.


title: Exemplary is an understatement

text: There's an old Romantic song of Russia titled "I never meant to love". That could sum up my experience with this outstanding collection of military marches. In my opinion, no one does music like the Russians. The sound is mighty with the exception of "The Optimists March". Good luck reading the titles as all of them are in cyrilic. The mastery, precision and energy of this collection will energize you. You'll also be surprised that you recognize some of them. Obtaining a cursory history of Russian military music will aid your appreciation and could further pique your interest. Not just music, but the sound of history!


title: Five Stars

text: Always an excellent performance


title: Great singer

text: Really good coffeehouse type album, we like her version of the songs better than most of the original artists


title: Boulez is the master, and what a masterful orchestra!

text: This has to be the definitive modern interpretation of these works by which all subsequent recordings must be judged. Boulez is the acknowledged master of 20th Century music for the orchestra, and Cleveland's band was especially wonderful at the time of this cut.


title: Errr.....Well, um.....it's interresting

text:
If you like chilling, witchey, and erie sounding chants you'll love this CD!
As far as the technical quality of this recording, I can't say much.  It sounds as if she is in a metal echo chaimber for much of this cd.  As far as the accompanying sounds....can't say it's much there either.  It sounds like something you'd hear on bad sci-fi.
However, to give credit where it is due, this is a decent way to start to learn galdr if you don't have an experienced teacher.  I wish there were other recordings of Galdr avalible on the market.  You may want to check out other chant recordings of the eddas avalible.


title: Classics are very  nice

text: I have always been a fan of classical music, so this fits right in with my collection.  And at such a bartgain I'm glad I bought it.


title: Not worthprice!

text:
I was VERY disappointed in this CD.  THe songs were poor, the singers were WORSE!

I don'tknow what happened to the SMC?  Other CD"s were very good!


title: Awesome

text: This is an awesome CD. The lyrics do not seem to have anything negative in them, and the music sounds good. I listened to other songs by HB on youtube and I don't like many of their songs. So I feel fortunate that I like all of the songs on this CD. I was able to hear the whole album on youtube so I knew I would like the whole CD before buying it. I didn't even know about HB until doing a search on youtube for christian heavy metal.


title: Easy to understand and remember

text: This book is a good introduction to Joel Osteen and what he teaches. I think it is a great basic overview for someone who has never read any of his books. His ideas are easy to understand. And he uses stories and catchy phrases to make his point, so what he is saying is also easy to remember.  I listened to the Audible version and thought his reading of the book could have flowed better. But all in all it is a good introduction to his teachings. And he makes every thing he says easy to understand.


title: Amazing History Lesson

text:
Wow - George Clooney really does have a great ability for telling history.

Everything about this movie was a great history lesson.

It was dramatic, but its not a dramatic story. Not alot is given about the character's backgrounds or personalities. Some of it comes across almost like a documentary.

But it is the telling of what happened in the CBS Newroom in the 1950s during the McCarthy Hearings.

The movie is in black and white, and is very true to the 1950s style. There are even some real TV commercials from the 1950s

in the movie.

What an amazing history lesson.

It talks so much about basic American Rights and Freedoms. The right to a fair trial. Freedom of Speech. Freedom of the Press.

Freedom to chose your political party.

I highly recommend that you catch this movie. Bring your kids and explain to them what it all means.


title: Just as described

text: Movie came in well packaged and on on time. Very reasonable price.


title: It's ok

text: It's ok. I guess. If you're into hair metal. The riffs are somewhat repetitive and the solos are nothing you have never heard. but it's interesting enough.


title: FANTASTIC CD. BEAUTIFUL

text: I highly recommend this beautiful CD - Courage, by Stuart Townend.  It is full of the beauty and love of Christ, our Saviour.  It is filled with emotion and care for the trials Christians often face in life, as do unbelievers, who may also find great comfort in Jesus.  It is a perfect CD for anytime listening and especially when you are facing trials that seem impossible--and often they are, without Jesus!  Thank you, Stuart for another CD glorifying our God!


title: Excellent overview of the Dead Sea Scrolls

text: If you want to move beyond the simple introduction to the Dead Sea Scrolls, there's no better place to go than this course from The Great Courses. The professor is personable and enjoyable to listen to. Some of the material is quite complicated, but I think he does a good job simplifying it so the average layperson can grasp the significance of it all. If you're someone who likes to learn and wants to expand your understanding of what William Albright said was the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times, then this DVD set is for you.


title: Good quality, but...

text: Couldn't finish downloading the last song- the one that I actually bought this for. It just crashed my I-tunes every time I tried to import it. Other than that, the sound quality is good on the songs I could play.


title: Excellent concert. My only complaint is that the sound ...

text: Excellent concert. My only complaint is that the sound quality isn't as good as it could have been. That's the reason I withheld the 5th star.


title: completely blown away!

text: My general taste is more Coil through Brian Eno to Phillip Glass.  However, credit where it's due.  This is undoubtedly one of the best pop records that I've heard in years.  For one thing, the sample that drives this track (and by Christ - it really drives it!) is inspired.  On top of that, the vocal rips through the whole thing like a bomb.  Y'know, I've never given a single thought to this woman's output but now, after hearing this...well...no matter if anything else she's done deserves the attention, this deserves to be acclaimed.  Brilliant - simply brilliant.  A pinnacle single from 2006.  What pop music ought to be if it was made in a better dimension.


title: Liszt's Lieder: wonderfully chosen, beautifully sung, excellently recorded

text:
It would be as idle to pretend that Liszt's Lieder are on par with Schubert's as that the Wanderer-Fantasie is on par with the B minor Sonata. However, this does not in the least mean that Schubert's magnificent piano work or Liszt's remarkably multifarious songs are without a great deal of intrinsic value. Indeed, they ARE true masterpieces, if on a slightly smaller scale than the greatest ones in the genre. Despite the fact that many eminent Lisztians have clearly expressed their admiration for Liszt's Lieder - and these include names like Alan Walker, Humphrey Searle, Harold Schonberg and Sacheverell Sitwell - this is one of the most neglected areas from Liszt's enormous output, rivalled in this sad contest only by his choral works perhaps. There are very few recordings of Liszt's Lieder and almost all of them are of just few pieces, usually coupled with other composers. Only in 2010 did a complete recording project start (on SACD, mind you), but only two volumes (about half of Liszt's songs, not counting any revisions) have been released so far.

So far as I know this box set is the only one more or less extensive selection of Liszt's Lieder recorded by a single singer. We are indeed fortunate that this singer is Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau himself, the man who is arguably the finest exponent of Schubert's Lieder from the last century. Even though he was a little past his prime in 1979 and 1981, when these recordings were made, his voice had lost none of this formidable expressive qualities. Occasionally, the inherent lack of power may become a little annoying in passages which require certain vocal excess, but this was always the case with Fischer-Dieskau. Even in his prime, his voice was small and ill-suited to many operatic roles; yet without this very limitation, one may speculate, he would never have achieved his superb diction and his performances would have lacked their trademark subtlety and sensitivity. Daniel Barenboim on the piano is far more dispensable but still excellent in these recordings. DG, for once, have done a great job with the sound. Both pianist and singer are splendidly recorded, with excellent balance between them, outstanding clarity of detail and exemplary dynamic range. If there are any Lieder in which the piano should be equal to the voice, these must be the ones composed by Franz Liszt, reportedly the greatest virtuoso and one of the most imaginative composers for the instrument who ever lived.

Unfortunately, but expectedly, the original edition of this box set from 1981 is hopelessly out of print. But since at the time this recording won the Gramophone Solo Vocal Award, it was more recently (2004) re-issued by DG in their so called ''Awards Collection''. This recent release is the one that is being reviewed here; so far as can be ascertained, it is identical with the original one in terms of sound and presentation. Very unfortunately, and rather UNexpectedly, the re-issue is perfectly out-of-print as well, and second-hand copies are offered at exorbitant prices. I can only say that for ardent Lisztians, Lieder lovers or fans of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the box set is worth every cent.

Before pointing out some highlights, it is useful to have a kind of playlist. The three CDs have timings 65:20, 42:18 and 62:47, respectively, and contain exactly 44 Lieder, that is more than a half of all (about 70) that Liszt composed. Poets and catalogue numbers are omitted for the sake of clarity.

CD 1:
1. O lieb, so lang du lieben kanst
2. Es muß ein Wunderbares sein
3. Die Loreley
4. Angiolin dal biondo crin
5. Im Rhein, im schönen Strome
6. La Tombe et la Rose
7. Le Vieux Vagabond
8. Gastilbelza
9. Hohe Liebe
10. Gestorben war ich
11. Wie singt die Lerche schön
12. Kling leise, mein Lied
13. Es rauschen die Winde
14. Ein Fichtenbaum steht einsam
15. Schwebe, schwebe, blaues Auge
16. Die Vätergruft

CD 2:
1. Anfangs wollt' ich fast verzagen
2. Laßt mich ruhen
3. In Liebeslust
4. Ich möchte hingehn
5. Du bist wie eine Blume
6. Vergiftet sind meine Lieder
7. Morgens steh' ich auf und frage
8. Wer nie sein Brot mit Tränen aß
9. Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh
10. Der du von dem Himmel bist
Drei Lieder aus Schillers ''Wilhelm Tell''
11. I. Der Fischerknabe
12. II. Der Hirt
13. III. Der Alpenjäger

CD 3:
1. Die drei Zigeuner
2. Die stille Wasserrose
3. Wieder möcht' ich dir begegnen
4. Blume und Duft
5. J'ai perdu ma force et ma vie
6. Ihr Glocken von Marling
7. Der Tages laute Stimmen schweigen
8. Oh! quand je dors
9. Comment, disaient-ils
10. Enfant, si j'etais roi
11. S'il est un charmant gazon
12. Der traurige Mönch
Tre sonetti di Petrarca
13. I. Pace non trovo
14. II. Benedetto sia 'l giorno
15. III. I vidi in terra angelici costumi

If the first thing one looks for are the originals of some of Liszt's most famous piano pieces - ''Liebesträume'' and ''Tre sonetti di Petrarca'' - one is in for quite a few surprises.

Those who are familiar with the Petrarch Sonnets only in their final versions for solo piano in the ''second year'' of ''Annees de Pelerinage'', cannot but be surprised how different they are as songs. To begin with, the first two pieces are in reverse order: ''Pace non trovo'' is the famous 104th sonnet which appears second in the aforementioned set of piano pieces. But the really astonishing thing is that the works for solo piano are no mere transcriptions of the songs. They are indeed strikingly different: for Liszt, as always, the act of transcription, even when it comes to his own works, is an act of composition as well. It must be added, though, that the versions recorded here are the early ones, composed in 1839 during Liszt's sojourns in Italy; these were accompanied with solo piano pieces (again in the same reverse order) which are naturally closer to the Lieder originals. Later, during his Weimar years in the 1850s, Liszt thoroughly revised both the piano pieces, for inclusion in ''Annees de Pelerinage'', and the songs for separate publication. So in this particular case it is truer to say that for Liszt the act of revision was in fact an act of composition.

The case with the ''Liebesträume'' is even more complicated. Regarding the piano versions, even though the third piece is far more famous than the other two, they ARE a set and so were they first published in 1850, if seldom performed since. Apparently the songs appeared at roughly the same time as the piano pieces and thus should be considered as a set also. Strangely, they are not so recorded here, but all of them ARE here nonetheless: tracks 1, 9 and 10 on CD 1. The famous third piece (almost always mistakenly referred to as ''Liebestraum'') takes for its song title the first line of Ferdinand Freiligrath's poem: ''O lieb, so lang du lieben kanst''. The first two pieces are settings of poems by Ludwig Uhland; no. 1 is usually known as ''Hohe Liebe'', whereas no. 2 appears alternatively as ''Seliger Tod'' or ''Gestorben war ich'' (the first line of the poem, usually used only for the song version). These titles, the first two at any rate, are often used for the piano pieces as well, at least when these are played at all.

It is astonishing to compare the piano pieces from the cycle titled ''Liebesträume: 3 Notturnos für das Pianoforte'' with the songs, all the more so since both versions, apparently, were published at the same time. The first two songs are mere two minutes long each, hardly having anything to do with more than twice longer and much more elaborate piano versions. The main material is recognisably the same, but the treatment is so completely different that these are for all purposes different works. The famous third piano piece is of comparable length with the song and somewhat more similar to it, but it is not very easy to recognise immediately the latter, especially considering the overwhelming popularity of the former. The song utilises only the first two verse of Freiligrath's much longer poem and Liszt's treatment of the text - or Fischer-Dieskau's perhaps, for that matter - is not always as sensitive as in the incomparable piano version.

For the rest of the songs all I can say is that they appear to have been excellently selected insofar as they finely represent Liszt's impressive versatility. The aforementioned sets of songs are sufficient testimony that Liszt was a supreme melodist, though nowhere near Schubert's class in this respect. Another fine examples for that are some of Liszt's most popular (if that is the right word) songs, such as ''Angiolin dal biondo crin'', ''Es muß ein Wunderbares sein'', ''Kling leise, mein Lied'' and ''Ich möchte hingehn''. The last one of these is the famous song in which Wagner's ''Tristan chord'' appears almost identical; it has long been considered - wrongly - to be one of those instances when Liszt stole from the music of the future, but we now know that the notorious chord was an afterthought from the time when Liszt already knew ''Tristan und Isolde'' and it is more probably that it actually was a quotation from Wagner. Which is not to say that Liszt did not anticipate daring harmonic inventions before Wagner, as evident from ''Loreley'', a fine setting of Heine's powerful poem. Another, more tangible for the layman, source of fascination is comparison of Liszt's settings of some famous poems with those of Schubert, such as in the case of Goethe's ''Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh'' and ''Der du von dem Himmel bist''. In contrast to such quiet and lyrical songs, there are long narrative ballads with many dramatic verses, such as Hugo's ''Gastilbelza'' and Lenau's ''Der traurige Mönch''. The latter, indeed, is no song at all but a melodrama for voice and piano in which text is spoken, rather than sung - and which is one of the earliest compositions in music history entirely based on the whole-tone scale. Quite an advanced composition for 1860!

Last but not least, few words about the sumptuous presentation. The booklet contains an excellent essay by Wolfgang Dömling (in English only, but translated from German) in which he has a number of fascinating things to say about Liszt's stature as a Lieder composer or his numerous revisions. The booklet also contains all texts in original language (German, French, Italian) with English translations. In addition to the names of the poets, there is a great deal of useful information such as which version or setting was used for this recording and the year of publication and/or composition (the latter only when it can be ascertained with some degree of accuracy and is significantly different than the former). Of course for all songs the number in the Searle catalogue is given as well.


title: Interesting character movie.....

text:
Good Night, and Good Luck protrayed a movie about the confrontation between a rabid anti-Communist witch hunter, Senator Joseph McCarthy and well respected newsman, Edward R.Murrow. The movie reflects more on the character issue of Murrow and his reaction to McCarthy's antics and actions which he believes to be bad for our nation. Historically speaking, Murrow entered the fray against McCarthy late in the game but his intervention proves to be highly effective in the domino effects that led to the downfall of Joseph McCarthy.

The movie proves to be well acted, directed and written. Shot in black and white, it captured the period era perfectly. David Strathairn who played Edward R. Murrow captured his character perfectly and the entire movie centered around him as Joseph McCarthy was only shown in real life tape. George Clooney who co-wrote, directed and acted in this movie does his job superbly well and the movie proves to be well supported by excellent supporting actors/actresses like Frank Lanagella, Robert Downy, Patricia Clarkson and Ray Wise.

The movie however, may not be for everyone. The pacing is bit slow and very deliberate. No one get killed, no sex or does anything get blown up. The movie reflects on the lead character, Edward R. Murrow as he dwelled on the consequences of his actions as he decides to take on Joseph McCarthy, who at that time was America's most feared man.

Some people have regarded this movie as stand against the current Patriot Acts in trying to connect McCarthyism to the Patriot Acts. However, any well educated individual on American history knows that comparing the two would be like comparing apple with a pineapple.

There is awful lot of smoking in this movie which reflects the time period. I can see why after seeing this movie, Edward R. Murrow, chain smoker himself, died in his 50s of lung cancer. An interesting piece of film, well worth watching if you got the patience to reflect with the actors.


title: An unusual story, makes me admire the author.  I was intrigued and interested with many characters.

text:
THE GREEN MILE by Stephen King.

Of course  I loved the character John Coffey.  I was so sad for him.  And I cried for him.  I kept thinking of what I would have done to save his life.  I wanted the other characters to do more than they did, but that would have been a different story.  So I reluctantly accept the story I got.  At one point John says he's tired of being alone, wished he had someone with him to tell him where they'd been and where they were going.  Another line in the book that will stay with me was about a type of killing: "it happens every day all over the world.  If it happens, God lets it happen and when we say I don't understand, God replies I don't care."  I think the idea of God not caring is behind a number of Stephen King books.  So, I know I won't always get a happy ending from him.  But the way he writes dialogue and events and characters are so worthwhile that I'll keep reading.

I have two complaints about this book - technical.  This was written as a six part series, each part published separately.  Therefore each part has a recap of prior events to refresh the reader's memory.  This "refreshing of memory" was redundant.  I wish the author would have taken those parts out when publishing the single book.

My second complaint was the jumping back and forth in time.  The narrator is an old man recalling and writing about what happened in 1932 with John Coffey.  The 1932 story is frequently interrupted with things happening in the old age story.  I was ok with some of it, but not when he jumped in the middle of a critical scene.  That was artificial suspense, which made me mad at the author and took me out of the story.  Both stories are good and important for each other, but I would have liked the switching done at logical stopping points, not in the middle of conversations.

The narrator Frank Muller was wonderful - as usual.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Paul Edgecombe.  Unabridged audiobook reading time: 13 hrs and 45 mins.  Swearing language: strong including racial slurs (but not often used).  Sexual content: a few scenes briefly referred to, no details.  Setting: 1932 and current day Georgia.  Book copyright: 1996.  Genre: mystery with fantasy, death row fiction.  Ending: mostly sad, but interesting for some.

OTHER BOOKS:
For a list of my reviews of other Stephen King books, see my 5 star review of Carrie posted 5-11-12.


title: 3 ½ stars.  Not my favorite Heyer but enjoyable, a little above average.

text:
STORY BRIEF:
Parents are dead, leaving five siblings in the care of an aunt who is frequently absent.  The oldest Harry handles the finances and is elsewhere during most of the book.  The second oldest is Frederica, 24 years old, who is raising and caring for the younger three.  She wants Charis to have a proper London season to find a husband.  Charis is a devastating beauty who is not smart, has very few skills, but is humble, generous, and caring about others.  Vernon is a Marquis.  He is a distant cousin by marriage to Frederica.  Frederica's family lives in the country, but they rent a house in London for the coming season.  Frederica visits Vernon, meeting him for the first time.  She asks if he will lend his name as a sponsor for Charis so she will be invited to various parties.  He is not interested, but when he sees Charis he changes his mind.  He dislikes his sister Louisa who has been badgering him to host a party for the come out of her daughter Jane.  Jane is not good looking.  Vernon decides to hold the party for Jane and Charis together because he knows Louisa will be horrified that Charis' beauty will outshine Jane's.  One of the stories in the book is Charis and her various suitors.

Vernon is 37, never married, and is jaded regarding women.  Most things in life bore him including women.  Frederica believes she will never fall in love or marry. She is content with that.  She is responsible, practical, and intelligent.  She is pretty but nothing like Charis.  Although Frederica is not in the market for a husband, she is surprised when there is some interest in her.

Most of the story is various interactions between Frederica's family and Vernon.  For example, 12-year old Felix is a budding engineer fascinated with steam engines, hydraulics, etc.  He wants to visit a foundry and talks Vernon into taking him, since only someone with Vernon's clout would be allowed inside for a private tour.  Vernon and all who know him can't believe he goes on a tour like this.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
I enjoyed this book.  As with most Heyer books, I loved the various personalities, their interactions, and the dialogue.  There is more conversation in her books than in contemporary writing, and it's nice for a change.  This was good as an audiobook to listen to while I did other things.  I don't think I would want to read it, but it's definitely good for listening to.  Yes there is a happy romantic ending, but I wish there was more romance.  There is a nice warm friendship that develops through the book, and then all of a sudden on the last page there is a revelation of love.  I wish that happened earlier, so I could enjoy seeing more of the love.  But this is typical Heyer.

It was fun to watch Frederica's younger brothers worm their way into Vernon's life and see his defenses melt.

There is one section with a hot air balloon, an injury, and healing that seemed too long and a bit boring.

The narrator Clifford Norgate was ok but not the best.  His voice is a deep bass, which sometimes confused me when he was doing female characters.  Eve Matheson is my favorite narrator.  She does both men and women well.  I'd love to hear her do every Heyer book there is.

DATA:
Unabridged audiobook length: 13 hours 29 minutes.  Narrator: Clifford Norgate.  Swearing language: mild.  Sexual content: none.  Setting: 1818 England.  Book Published: 1965.  Genre: regency romance.

CAUTION SEMI-SPOILER (as to who falls in love):
My favorite quote from the book.  Frederica says she doesn't think she has ever been in love and doesn't know what love is.  Then she asks "is it being not very comfortable and cross and not quite happy when you aren't there?"  He says yes.


title: really good listening.

text: Soft, smooth music! really good listening.!!!


title: If you love Koto music you need this album.

text: Kimio Eto is the master, and it is clear when you listen to the album.


title: Excellent excellent sermon

text:
I haven't listened to this audio cd, so I can't comment on the audio quality, whoever it was that read the sermon, or anything like that.

My review is of the sermon itself, which can be found in [[ASIN:0801079837 12 Sermons on the Holy Spirit]].  All 12 sermons are excellent, but this particular sermon is the cream of that choice crop.

"Instead of worshipping more than God, I fear we worship less than God.  This appears when we forget to pay due adoration to the Holy Spirit of God."

"The operations of the Holy Spirit are of incomparable value.  They are of such incomparable value that the very best thing we can think of was not thought to be so precious as these are."

"So may it be!  So may it be!  May springs begin to flow in all our churches, and may all of you who hear me this day get your share of the streams."

Spurgeon's goal in this sermon is to show us the vital necessity of being filled with the Holy Spirit.  You can be saved - have had a drink - without being filled with rivers of living waters flowing out from your life.  He shows us the excellency of the gift of the Spirit, and then lays out how to seek more of the Spirit in our lives and our churches.

I liked this so much, I ordered 30 copies of it in booklet form from Chapel Library to give to those in my church.  I highly recommend this sermon, in any form it may be.


title: MNReview

text: Great for a quick tape of the best Bradford book.  Note that it's "British" english.


title: Quantum Consciousness

text: Mind blowing info. Highly recommended!<br />Add Candace Pert's Molecules of Emotion and D. Chopra's Quantum Healing to your holistic repertoire.


title: Five Stars

text: This item arrived in good condition, to the joy of my wife.


title: Really miss them

text: Barton and Sweeney were regulars in my college town, and I saw them at least once a month if not more. I was incredibly sad as they slowly broke apart and stopped performing. They may have only made two albums, but I know every song by heart and I have a video of a few of their performances, so they're never that far away.


title: Now you have to remember that this is vcd so it may not play in your player

text: OK so if you you can play video CD's and you can't stand George Lucas Hayden Christian and you can stand star wars in full screen well the vcds are the special edition and it has the real ending to it from 1997 before he put his two cents in which I didn't like I mean no star wars fans liked


title: leatherface Texas chainsaw massacre score

text: Leatherface only had a heavy metal soundtrack back when it just came out because i got the cd back in 1990 so in 2005 they brought out the score to it and they only made 500 i mean the score makes the movie so if you can find a copy buy because you will be taken back to one of the best horror movies of the 90's


title: Unique Talent

text:
This CD somewhat captures Garrison White's unique and incredible talent. Garrison, however, truly shinned in his live performances. What set Garrison apart from other musicians I have ever heard or seen was his ability to combine music from different cultures, genres, centuries and languages, and create his own unique sound. He played the 12-string guitar with amazing dexterity, speed, and melodic taste.  The sound of his voice was like that of a close friend. Asides from English, he sang in Russian, Celtic, and Armenian among other languages.

The CD does contain some of Garrison's live classics: "Field Full of Stones", "Star of the County Down", "Jovano", "Never Meant to Stay", "Know How To Love", and the beautiful "Single Yellow Rose".

His untimely and tragic demise truly saddened me. On a personal note, I heard Garrison play from 1989 to 2003 many times. Overtime, we became friends. I last saw him on the Thursday before his tragic death. He was a great musician whose talent never received the exposure it deserved. More importantly, he was a kind and intelligent man who can never be replaced.


title: Good driving music

text: I bought this CD to replace a cassette version which was stolen from my vehicle.  I love the music and listen to it a lot while driving.


title: Wonderful CD

text: I bought this album for one song and found I really like them all!


title: Great album

text: I was so glad to see that this album was available in other countries as it has never been rel;eased on CD here in America. I received the album and played it immediately and was so happy as it was one of my favorite albumns of the Beatles. I would highly recommend it to everyone who is a Beatle's fan!


title: love all his music.

text: love it thanks.