title: Gisèle Ben-Dor conducts excellent performances of Ginastera vocal works

text:
Ginastera: The Vocal Album (not previously reviewed in Fanfare) was issued in 2016 by Warner Classics to coincide with the centenary of the birth of Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983). The release includes a trio of compositions by the great Argentine composer. The first, Cinco canciones populares argentinas, op. 10 (1943), dates from the composer’s nationalist period that also produced such works as the 1941 ballet Estancia. The opera Don Rodrigo, op. 31 (1964), and cantata for soprano and orchestra, Milena, op. 37 (1971) fall within Ginastera’s later expressionist phase, with its embrace of more avant-garde techniques, including atonality and the suggestion of electronic music in the orchestral writing. The brief (approx. 9 minutes) Cinco canciones for voice and piano is performed with an orchestration by Shimon Cohen. Conductor Gisèle Ben-Dor commissioned Cohen to orchestrate both this work, and Ginastera’s piano composition, Suite de danzas criollas, op. 15. Cohen’s orchestrations of the op. 10 songs are colorful, and respectful of Ginastera’s original piano sonorities. Soprano Ana María Martínez sings with a rich and lovely tone, and an infectious embrace of the music’s folk idiom. This is the world premiere recording of the Cohen orchestration.
Next are excerpts from Ginastera’s three-act opera Don Rodrigo. In her liner notes, Ben-Dor relates: “(i)n 2001, Plácido Domingo expressed to me his interest in recording scenes from the opera, remembering the significance of his extraordinary success performing it with the New York City Opera at the outset of his career.” Domingo sang the title role in the Don Rodrigo’s US premiere on February 22, 1966 (tenor Carlo Cossutta sang the world premiere at the Buenos Aires Teatro Colón on July 24, 1964). Domingo’s NYCO performances as Don Rodrigo were a triumph, and did much to raise his profile nationally and internationally, even prior to his legendary September 28, 1968 Met house debut in Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur. Given the importance of Don Rodrigo in Domingo’s career (and of course, Ginastera’s rich, inventive, and compelling score), a complete studio recording would have seemed inevitable. Alas, that was not to be, and the two Don Rodrigo excerpts included on Ginastera: The Vocal Album are world premiere recordings. The scenes include Rodrigo’s rape of Florinda (Act II), and his death at the opera’s conclusion. Ginastera manifests the deeply flawed and highly labile personality of the 8th century Spanish king with vocal music that occupies a punishing tessitura. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both Domingo and Cossutta went on to become two of the greatest exponents of their era in the title role of Verdi’s Otello. A 1967 in-house recording of one of the NYCO performances of Don Rodrigo documents Plácido Domingo’s fearless vocalism and electrifying dramatic intensity. He is still mightily impressive in the excerpts recorded for this CD. Soprano Virginia Tola is a captivating and riveting Florinda. Tola sings with arresting tonal beauty and authority, all the while embodying the heroine’s conflict and despair. The recording of these excerpts was a journey across time and geographic boundaries. Domingo recorded his part in LA in 2011, and London in 2014. Tola recorded her music in Astoria, NY, in 2008. Nonetheless, the final product is entirely convincing both in sound and performance. The lack of a complete studio recording with Domingo of Ginastera’s Don Rodrigo is a regrettable omission (I do recommend seeking out the sonically flawed but riveting in-house 1967 NYCO performance recording). But the excerpts included here are of considerable importance.
Ginastera’s cantata for soprano and orchestra, Milena, is based upon Franz Kafka’s collection of letters to Milena Jesenská. Kafka was deeply in love with Jesenská, who was married to another. For his text, Ginastera used a Spanish translation of Kafka’s Letters to Milena. As Ginastera wrote: “These Letters to Milena fascinated me because, in them, the creator of fantastic and metaphysical stories becomes a man in love and heartsick…” Ginastera’s Milena comprises six sections, each dealing with a different topic—Ghosts, Love, Dreams, Letters, Jealousies and disappointments, and Infinity. In the final section, Ginastera quotes the motif associated with the spectral hurdy-gurdy man who appears in Der Leiermann, the final song of Schubert’s cycle Winterreise (Winter Journey). Ginastera conceived the work as “music which we imagine to accompany a woman in her loneliness, rereading, in the faint twilight of her life—and of a society—the letters from her dead lover…” Elements found in Don Rodrigo recur in Milena. Ginastera’s atonal writing for the vocalist includes sung and spoken passages. The high emotional stakes find their embodiment in demanding music both for the vocalists and orchestra. Milena requires a highly accomplished singing actor (soprano Phyllis Curtin performed the April 16, 1973 world premiere). Virginia Tola’s excellence in the Don Rodrigo excerpts again comes to the fore in Milena. This is a marvelous and entirely convincing rendition of Ginastera’s brilliant and challenging score.
Conductor Gisèle Ben-Dor, one of the foremost interpreters and advocates for classical music of Latin American composers, leads technically accomplished, inspired performances. The Santa Barbra Symphony surmounts the challenges of Ginastera’s music with distinction. The sound is excellent, and admirably consistent, despite the various times and locations involved in the recording process. The booklet includes the Spanish texts, alongside English and German translations. Heartfelt thanks to Ben-Dor for assembling the German translation for Milena from Kafka’s original text; no small feat given that each of Ginastera’s six episodes includes bits and pieces from various Kafka letters. Marvelous renditions of creative, inspired, and challenging works by a giant of 20th century music. Highly recommended.
Ken Meltzer


title: Superb performances of challenging piano sonatas by Shostakovich and Bridge

text:
This is a boldly conceived and superbly executed program. Both the Shostakovich and Bridge piano sonatas featured on this disc were responses to the horrors of war. Shostakovich completed his Piano Sonata No. 2 in 1943, in between his Seventh and Eighth Symphonies. Shostakovich dedicated the Sonata to his teacher, Leonid Nikolayev, who died the previous year from illness, after being evacuated from Leningrad to Tashkent. Frank Bridge composed his Piano Sonata during the period of 1921-4. The work’s dedicatee was composer Ernest Bristow Farrar, a friend of Bridge’s who died in France in WWI. Shostakovich performed the world premiere of the Piano Sonata No. 2 in Moscow on June 6, 1943. The first performance of the Bridge Sonata took place in London on October 15, 1925, played by Dame Myra Hess. After the latter premiere, the critic for The Musical Times characterized the Bridge Sonata as “big, uncompromising in its demands both on the performer and the listener.” It’s an apt description for both sonatas. The Shostakovich Piano Sonata No. 2 is in three movements. The first, in sonata form, juxtaposes two contrasting themes. The music has a neoclassical, ironic character. The second movement Largo is spare in texture and introspective in mood. Unlike some other Shostakovich slow-tempo movements, the music remains hushed throughout. The finale, comprising approximately the same time span as the first two movements combined, is in the form of a passacaglia, based upon a theme introduced at the outset. The ensuing variations explore a wide range of moods; some bordering on the playful, but none that could be characterized as triumphant. The music finally resolves to a hushed close.

The Bridge Sonata is likewise in three movements, with themes appearing, reappearing, and evolving from one movement to the next. Bridge’s harmonic world on this occasion is more avant-garde than that of the Shostakovich sonata. Here, we find Bridge in sympathy with such composers as Schoenberg, Berg, and Bartók. But the instrumental colors and textures also frequently invoke the French Impressionists. There is nary a hint of English nostalgia or folk song. The music is extremely dense from a textural and emotional point of view, and technically demanding. But in both the Shostakovich and Bridge, such virtuoso writing is never geared toward conventional entertainment value. Rather, it is at the service of dark and intense expression, much as David Oistrakh described the role of the soloist in the Shostakovich First Violin Concerto, “who plays, as it were, a pithy ‘Shakespearean’ role, which demands from him complete emotional and intellectual involvement, and gives him ample opportunities not only to demonstrate his virtuosity but above all to reveal his deepest feelings, thoughts and moods.” The Bridge Piano Sonata is an unremittingly intense and heartfelt work; one that even today, does not make for easy listening. But like the Shostakovich, it is deeply profound, and worthy of repeat exploration.

Pianist Sally Pinkas is a superb advocate for both of these challenging works. She plays throughout with decided technical mastery. The textures are remarkably clear and deftly balanced, even in the most demanding passages. Pinkas is able to invoke a broad range of colors and modes of articulation, a decided asset in music of such emotional depth. I also greatly admire Pinkas’s keen sense of pacing. The passacaglia finale of the Shostakovich, for example, never sounds episodic or choppy, but at the same time, each of the variations is characterized with the utmost individuality. Throughout, there is a marvelous balance of forward motion, alongside a reflective and insightful flexibility of phrasing. The recording, made at the Fraser Performance Studios at WGBH Radio in Boston, is excellent, a realistic and thrilling reproduction of a concert grand in full flight. Pinkas also authors the liner notes that provide a wealth of information about the creation of these works and their musical trajectories. This is repertoire that, because of its many challenges, could easily wear out its welcome. That is not meant to denigrate the music, but rather, to invoke the London critic at the premiere of the Bridge, who acknowledged the music’s “demands both on the performer and the listener.” Thanks to Pinkas’s probing, expressive, and superbly played performances, this is a disc that engages from start to finish. This recital may not be easy listening, but it most certainly is rewarding. Enthusiastically recommended.

Ken Meltzer


title: A superb recording of Arthur Sullivan’s Haddon Hall, as well as two G&S-inspired one-act operas

text:
A new release by the English Dutton label comprises English operettas from the late 19th century. All received their premieres at London’s Savoy Theater by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, most famous for their association with the works of Gilbert and Sullivan. Two one-act works, Ernest Ford’s Mr Jericho and François Cellier’s Captain Billy receive their world premiere recordings. Dutton designates its release of Arthur Sullivan’s 3-Act Haddon Hall as the “First Professional Recording.” I’m aware of two prior recordings of Haddon Hall, neither of which I’ve heard. Henry Fogel disliked the 1982 Pearl issue, performed by the Chorus of the Cheam Operatic Society and Southern Festival Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Harding (Fanfare 06:1, Sept/Oct 1982). Henry reserved the possibility that the recording’s subpar performance may have influenced his opinion of the work. James Camner viewed Haddon Hall in a far more favorable light when he reviewed a release on The Divine Art label (24:5, May/June 2001). There, the performers were the Prince Consort Chorus and Orchestra, led by conductor David Lyle. Camner praised the score as “prime Sullivan.” As I mentioned, I have not heard either of the recordings reviewed by my colleagues. But after listening to the new Dutton recording, I am convinced that Haddon Hall is a work that will delight any G&S fan. Arthur Sullivan composed the work in 1892, at a time when W.S. Gilbert was engaged in a dispute with Richard D’Oyly Carte. Sullivan’s librettist for Haddon Hall was the playwright Sydney Grundy. The plot is based upon the well-known tale of the elopement of Dorothy Vernon and John Manners. Grundy transported the story from the 16th century to the 17th, during the time of the English Civil War. Grundy and Sullivan collaborated closely upon the text for Haddon Hall, and it is clear that they were intent upon preserving many of the dramatic and musical conceits that made the G&S operas such successes (for a wonderful summary/parody of these conventions, seek out comedienne Anna Russell’s recording on Sony Classical, “How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera”). As George Bernard Shaw wrote in his review of Haddon Hall: “I contend that Savoy Opera is a genre in itself, and that Haddon Hall is the highest and most consistent expression it has yet attained.” I’m not sure I would go quite that far, but the score represents Sullivan in marvelous form, spinning out one gorgeous melody after another, and reveling in the many beautiful colors he could conjure from the human voice and instruments of the orchestra. In addition to the love story of Dorothy Vernon (soprano) and John Manners (tenor), Grundy and Sullivan provide comic relief with (believe it or not) the Puritans, led by Manners’ rival, Rupert Vernon (baritone). Another Puritan, McCrankie (baritone) brings a Scottish flavor to the proceedings and music. It’s an absolutely beautiful score, one that falls just a bit short only in the last act, where the lovers are absent until the very final moments.
The performance on the new Dutton recording is marvelous. All of the singers bring the appropriate vocal material for their respective assignments, a complete and idiomatic embrace of Sullivan’s Victorian-era score, and crystal-clear diction. Conductor John Andrews elicits glowing and incisive performances from all concerned. The same may be said of the two one-act operas that serve as supplements to Haddon Hall; Ernest Ford’s Mr Jericho (1893), and François Cellier’s Captain Billy (1891). Both were featured as curtain-raisers for other Savoy operas (Mr Jericho was added to performances of Haddon Hall toward the close of the latter’s run). The one-act operas are clearly inspired both in plot and music by the Gilbert and Sullivan formula. If they don’t achieve the magic of the best G&S works, they are delightful in their own right, and provide a welcome supplement to the first-rate performance of Haddon Hall. The recorded sound is excellent, a wonderful sonic canvas for this worthy achievement. Extensive and informative program notes and plot summaries by Martin T. Yates and Christopher O’Brien are most welcome, as are complete librettos for all three works, available for download from the Dutton website. A must, I think, for all Savoyards.
Ken Meltzer


title: Gorgeous Super Audio restorations of Stravinsky with Boulez, Mehta, and the NY Phil

text:
I have also reviewed a superb Dutton Epoch restoration of early 1970s Columbia recording of the Haydn Symphonies Nos. 93-5, with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein, the orchestra’s Music Director from 1958-69 (and thereafter, Laureate Conductor). Another Dutton Epoch issue, “Igor Stravinsky: The Firebird and The Rite of Spring” features recordings by Bernstein’s NY Phil successors; Pierre Boulez (1971-77), and Zubin Mehta (1978-91). Boulez and the NY Phil recorded L’Oiseau de feu on January 20, 1975. The Mehta-NY Phil Le Sacre du printemps was made on September 26, 1977, the year before the conductor assumed his music directorship. Both recordings were made in that Manhattan Center in New York City. These are both superb versions of the works in question, and they make a fascinating pairing. In both cases, the New York Philharmonic is at the top of its form, playing with great precision and tonal beauty, the latter not always apparent in their commercial recordings from the era. In addition to the qualities I’ve already mentioned, Boulez’s Firebird (complete 1910 ballet) is striking for the breathtaking (some might say, analytic) clarity of articulation and balancing of instrumental voices. This is achieved in part by an orchestral sonority of the utmost transparency, one that does not embrace the kind of romantic, opulent sound often heard in this work. I do want to emphasize once again that the sound Boulez and the NY Phil achieve is quite beautiful, if not lush. By contrast, Mehta coaxes a richer sonority in the Sacre recording. This is not a performance that shortchanges the aspects of Stravinsky’s revolutionary score that so shocked contemporary audiences. The many episodes of tremendous power and dissonance are delivered to the hilt. And to a great degree, they impart an even greater impact because of the beautiful mystery the musicians conjure in the work’s more introspective moments (the Introduction to Part II, for example, is absolutely mesmerizing). But the sound in the climaxes remains steadfastly rich and beautiful. The traditional view of The Firebird is that it represents in part Stravinsky’s tribute to the late romanticism of his teacher, Nikolai-Rimsky Korsakov. The Rite of Spring, on the other hand, is Stravinsky plunging us into the avant-garde world that would become ever more prominent in the first part of the 20th century. But in listening to these two recordings side-by-side, the differences between the two works seem not nearly so profound. In fact, one might start to conjecture that the perceived musical dichotomy is the result more of the story lines for the two ballets, than of Stravinsky’s change of aesthetic. In short, these are two marvelous recordings of Stravinsky masterpieces that might also inspire some reflection and reassessment.
I’ve heard previous CD reissues of both of these recordings. The Firebird is part of the 67-disc “Pierre Boulez: The Complete Columbia Album Collection” from Sony Classical. The Rite of Spring is coupled with 1957 excerpts from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, the latter with the NY Phil led by its Music Director from 1949-1958, Dimitri Mitropoulos (Sony Classical Essential Masterworks). Both prior issues are quite fine, with a wide dynamic range, impressive detail and bass response, and a noticeable left-right stereo spread quite common at the time these recordings were made. The Dutton Epoch restoration is a Super Audio CD, but also playable on standard player. I auditioned the Dutton restoration (made from the original analogue tapes) on such a standard machine, and the sonic improvement is quite striking. In both recordings, the sound is noticeably warmer, more blended, and situated in an acoustic that more approximates the depth of a larger concert hall. This release is part of a series of what Dutton calls “Historic” reissues, rather unsettling for someone who grew up with these recordings. But in the Dutton restorations especially, these Stravinsky recordings sonically hold their own with the best. And again, the performances themselves are outstanding. The booklet includes reproductions of the original LP cover art and sleeve notes. In the case of The Firebird, the notes are by Stravinsky, and are filled with tantalizing anecdotes and the composer’s dry humor. Peter Eliot Stone’s engaging notes accompany The Rite of Spring. A marvelous release from Dutton, and one I’m delighted to recommend with the utmost enthusiasm.
Ken Meltzer


title: Classic Bernstein-NY Phil Haydn, beautifully restored in Super Audio

text:
In “Leonard Bernstein Conducts Haydn”, Dutton offers excellent Super Audio restorations of early 1970s Columbia recordings of three Haydn Symphonies, performed by Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. Michael J. Dutton has created the Super Audio restoration from the “original analogue tapes”, provided by Sony Classical International. I’ll start by acknowledging how unsettling it was to see recordings made during my youth, and ones so formative in my musical education, now being labeled as “Historic.” I am now officially old. And it is in part because of my vintage that I am not someone who can be completely objective about Leonard Bernstein. I grew up on his televised “Young People’s Concerts”, and in my earlier adult years, attended many symphonic and opera performances in which Bernstein conducted the NY Phil, Boston SO, Vienna PO, Israel PO, and National Symphony. Bernstein was, of course, a charismatic performer, and those concerts will remain among my most treasured memories. That said, I acknowledge that Bernstein had strengths and weaknesses as an interpreter. But I do believe that at least with regard to the music of Haydn, Beethoven, Schumann, and Mahler, Bernstein was a podium  giant, and his recordings of that repertoire are essential listening. There are many elements that make Bernstein’s Haydn so compelling. Haydn’s orchestral writing demands pinpoint execution, both in terms of articulation and balance of instrumental voices. This Bernstein achieved in admirable fashion in his Haydn recordings both with the NY Phil (Sony Classical), and Vienna Philharmonic (DGG). Bernstein also fully embraced the vigor, energy, and daring of Haydn’s orchestral writing. With Bernstein, the genial “Papa Haydn” yields to a composer and visionary who both taught and foreshadowed the great revolutionary Beethoven. And Bernstein, a man with a keen and infectious sense of humor, reveled in the many such episodes that appear throughout the Haydn symphonies (and his oratorio, The Creation). If you have the opportunity, watch Bernstein’s explication and performance with the NY Phil of the finale of the Haydn Symphony No. 102, part of a January 24, 1959 “Young People’s Concert.” Bernstein’s affection for Haydn and the composer’s genius at creating “laugh out loud” moments are palpable. And while we’re on that subject, in the recordings included on this Dutton reissue, Bernstein masterfully sets up the jokes in the slow movements of the Symphonies Nos. 93 and 94. In both cases, Bernstein paces the music culminating in the musical punch lines with the utmost elegance and understatement. As a result the “Surprise” in No. 94, the fortissimo orchestral explosion, has all the requisite impact. In No. 93, the bassoons’ sepulchral exclamation point at the end of the tender wind and string exchange has a marvelous deadpan quality (although to be honest, I still prefer the slapstick flatulence of the classic Szell-Cleveland SO recording). Adding to the list of positives, Bernstein observes all of Haydn’s repeats. Not only does this give us the chance to hear wonderful music as much as possible, the repeats are also essential for a proper realization of Haydn’s sense of time and musical architecture. If there is any point of criticism I might level at Bernstein’s Haydn, some of his tempo choices, particularly in the third-movement minuets, might impress as overly broad. But even here, Bernstein uses such tempo selections to emphasize the strength and vigor of Haydn’s vision. There are many superb recordings of the Haydn Symphonies 93-5. But if you told me that the only recordings you ever heard of these works were the Bernstein-NYPhil, I don’t think you would have been shortchanged.
Symphonies Nos. 93 and 94 were recorded in Philharmonic Hall (later, Avery Fisher Hall, and now, David Geffen Hall) at Lincoln Center in December, 1971. The recording of No. 95 took place at Columbia 30th Street Studios in NY in 1973. Philharmonic Hall was then a notoriously difficult acoustic venue, and the recordings of Nos. 93 and 94, while in full-bodied stereo, are hardly state of the art. There is a lack of warmth and depth, along with harshness in the climaxes. These flaws, while not disqualifying, are unworthy of the level of musicianship documented here. No. 95 features a more resonant acoustic, albeit one still with some harshness, with perhaps a small corresponding loss in detail (my source material for these observations are the reissues contained in the 60-disc Sony Classical set, “Leonard Bernstein”: The Symphony Edition”). I do not own a Super Audio CD player, but my high end stereo system affirmed that the Dutton restoration preserves these recordings in a far more sympathetic acoustic. The harshness has been removed, and the overall orchestral sound is warmer and sweeter, but without any loss of detail or impact. If you don’t already own these recordings, the Dutton restorations are a clear first choice. It’s a closer call if you already have the Sony Classical reissues. But if you love these recordings as much as I do, you’ll want them in the best sound possible. And again, that’s the Dutton. Liner notes by Steven E. Paul and Edward Downes are taken from the original LP issues. Cheers to Haydn, Lennie, the NY Phil, and Dutton. Recommended with enthusiasm.
Ken Meltzer


title: Soundtrack of my Life

text: This is the best music I've heard in a very long time. Each song tells a graphic story of love and love lost. Gary Stier writes beautiful tales and accompanies them with the best of any southern rock and blues played today. This independently produced and distributed cd is a must have.


title: It’s The Band

text: Not much to say, but if you like The Band, you will like this compilation.


title: This trio of early Waits concerts (replaying much of the ...

text: This trio of early Waits concerts (replaying much of the same songs on all three albums) lets you be a fly on the wall as Tom waxes weird and maudlin.


title: Five Stars

text: Ear-whiskey for Waits afficianado.


title: Rating your service

text: I absolutely love my new LP cd. And I would like to thank you very much for your prompt & dedicated service in helping me obtain my new cd. I will definitely be ordering through your service again. Once again thank you so much.


title: At least one song is pretty damn good!

text: "Sanctuary" is the only song from this album I have heard. I heard it played on an internet ambient station and it struck me well enough that I was compelled to come here and see if I could find it. I'll probably get the entire CD sometime soon.  But the one song I have heard is pretty damned good. So there you go.


title: Nostalgia at its finest,

text: Pleasure listening


title: A Bore.

text: Very disappointing. Bentyne and Soundheim how could it miss? 3 good tracks. The title of the CD is pretentious.


title: Tracks

text:
1- Spring Waltz
2- Across the Bay
3- Andante Cantabile
4- Rolling Clouds
5- A Walk in the Forest
6- One Morning in June
7- Song for Sienna
8- Kindred Spirits
9- Andante Affettuoso
10-Butterfly Waltz
11-Early Light
12-Northern Sky
13-Moonrise
14-Lavender Hills
15-Tribute to Dax Johnson


title: Very inspiring!

text: I listen to this everyday. Such a beautiful voice and great message.


title: Love this. It has been a long time since ...

text: Love this. It has been a long time since I have heard the old Gospel songs I heard as a child. Thanks to who ever put this together and to amazon for always having what I need and want


title: A no-brainer purchase

text:
I bought this Limited Edition set on Amazon’s UK site and the cost is far less even with overseas shipping included.

The video is in B/W, included only 12 of 31 songs performed live, and the quality is poor. It was probably shot with a consumer video camera onto tape, but it adds tremendously to the experience when one can relate to the environment and the atmosphere.

The DVD is advertised as in PAL format, not the NTSC format used in US and Canada, but I had no trouble playing it on my Oppo BDP-105 player that feeds a Panasonic VT60 TV. The disk is “region free”. So it can be played on any player. Many players, like the Oppo, can handle analog videos of different frame rates and resolutions, convert them to digital and output through an HDMI cable to the digital HDTV set. On my system, the disk played with no fuss whatsoever. In case it didn’t, I do have an older region free DVD player that I use to play foreign DVDs. These players can play both formats and output analog component videos. As a last resort, it could be played on a computer. I’m glad that option #1 worked just fine. Others will find one of the 3 options work for them.

The DVD was the first disk I played. The audio was handled by a Yamaha RX-A3010 receiver and Energy RC-70 main speakers. I was immediately taken by how much better the sound quality was compared to other Eva Cassidy CDs, all of which I bought 10-15 years ago. I then played the CDs, feeding the stereo output to my vintage stereo system which has better amps and speakers, confirmed that these CDs are also far better sounding than all the old ones. The voice and instruments have excellent clarity and tonal balance. The recordings captured the club ambiance quite well. In other words, there is now finally a CD set with audio quality that does justice to the superb vocal.

The artistry of Eva Cassidy should require no introduction or description than what has been said countless times. Suffice to note that there are a total of 32 songs. 31 of them live recordings from one session, 12 of which previously unreleased, and 8 of those are new songs. Why it has taken 20 years to release the complete concert recording is hard to comprehend, but thank God that we can finally hear it, and see it too. After just one pass of listening, it's safe to say that this is my favorite EC recordings by a wide margin. I could not have bought myself a better Christmas present!


title: Wrong album

text: [[ASIN:B00EZFRLZS Btob - Thriller (3rd Mini Album) Cd+poster in Tube]]I placed an order for this album 3 weeks ago and it came a 1 week earlier than planned, which was fine. But, they gave me the wrong album, BTS's mini album, I'm not mad because I'm also a fan of BTS but please don't do this again with other buyers.


title: Five Stars

text: I recommend it 100%


title: Five Stars

text: GREAT!


title: A Must have CD

text: Ms Eagleson,voice is true to the Music.It is almost as if she is singing directly to you. A must have CD...


title: Five Stars

text: No issues! Received product right away!


One of the best DJ mixes/electronic albums ever. Too bad it's out of print apparently and cats r tryin 2 gouge ya 4 40 bones. It's worth that though.


title: Great One of a Kind Hawaiian Sounds

text: If you love Hawaiiana you'll love this album. This is an out of print CD by Bill Kaiwa with titles not found on any other of his CD's. Bobby Ingano does backup on the steel guitar with a silky smooth pure Hawaiian sound that only he can deliver. He Aloha Ka Makani alone is worth the price of the CD. You can almost see the sun rising through gently drifting palms. Delivery was timely. Condition was as described. I am highly satisfied.


title: Do Not Buy

text: Horrible sound. Muffled guitar. If you try to overcome the defects to hear Jimi play, you will wind up with a massive headache. Save your money. "Authorized by th estate of Mike Jeffries"? Cut me a break.


title: A fine duet.

text: Their voices and. Styles blend very well.


title: There's nothing like taking this course live (that's why 4 stars instead ...

text: I had taken the course live many years ago so I knew what it was all about.  There's nothing like taking this course live (that's why 4 stars instead of 5), but if you can't afford to take the live course this is an excellent second choice.  It was definitely a great brush up for me.  I did all the cd's and meditations with my grandson over a 3 day period.  Very important to keep up with meditation to get the full benefit.  Amazing what you can do with your mind:)


title: Spiritual retreat.

text: Beautiful songs to uplift your soul in good or challenging days.


title: As expected , New and very cool looking

text: as expected , looks so brutal and cool , DONT be confused, just buy it , thanks to the seller =)


title: Five Stars

text: This seems better than even their Empires album.  One feels like their sitting in the room with them.


title: wish I had been there

text: This live album brings the music to you like you are there.  The music is uplifting and one can feel the faith.


title: Five Stars

text: Real nice music, easy listening, Love Leonard Cohen


title: Great Irish Music

text: Love it ... music is great and delivery was very timely.


title: The Forest Mourners ~

text: Where to begin,this ep is not only sublime,but an ambient masterpiece.This is actually the last odyssey album i needed to obtain, and i'm glad i did.The first thing i noticed about this ep is the unique artwork on the disc and pages, that alone i knew it was special.Now to the music, [night spirits] and [Twilight Storm] have to be some of my top favorites by dis pater.[Spirit of the Winter Mountain] and [Journey Across the Sea] capture a mesmerizing feel and atmosphere.Last but not least the self titled track [the forest mourners] has a definite eerie black metal vibe to it none of which, you realy hear on his later efforts.All in all this ep is a treasure to ambient BM fans and i considered myself fortunate to own it.


title: Great Cool jazz

text: Great music. A continuation. Great jazz


title: Five Stars

text: Hubuy loved it !


title: great cd

text: Great buy!!!!! The music is fantastic. It is worth the money. The music is relaxing and rwminds you of the good music scores from old movies. I also bought it for my elderly father. Who loves it.


title: I’m a fan and just love her Style

text: Very nice CD. If you are in to neo soul music you will love this CD. Check out the song, Trap being human.


title: Nostalgia purchase

text: I use to own this cd when it first came out and have since missed placed it or lost it during a move. Buying this brought back so many fond memories of a time when you couldn't download any song. Then unwrapping the package and placing the CD in my car stereo was just as fun and entertaining as it was some twenty years ago. I'm glad we can still purchase cds.


title: Madonna's best dance music!

text: Awesome album! Every song is great!


title: Stock this CD Amazon!

text:
Came here to buy Rock Sugar's CD and found it only listed at a couple of resellers for $50?  C'mon man...that's ridiculous.

Edited my review:

After contacting the band through their website (thanks to the tip of another Amazon poster), they kindly sold me a copy of Reimaginator for a fair price.  The CD is absolutely fantastic!  If you are a fan of 80s metal, rock, and pop...or even just a fan of fun mashups...this CD is a MUST OWN.

The arrangements are nothing short of brilliant.  The artists are all top notch, and the vocals are perfect. They are able to seamlessly emulate bands from Supertramp and Queen, to Metallica and Guns and Roses.  Hell, even Jesse's Bryan Adams vocals are FRIGHTENINGLY authentic.

I'd love to go see these guys perform live, as I have not had as much fun listening to a CD in a long, long time.


title: Five Stars

text: Awesome Product, I Loved It, !!! THANK YOU


title: Great Artist

text: This Kid Goes in Man, He Is Such A different artist Than I Expected him To Be The CD IS A Clear Sign Of A Christian In Growth Because As You Listen To The Cd You Can Hear It, As If Each Song He Did Had Grown With More Importance Than The Last Ayy May Gods Grace Be With You My Friend, I Will Also Pick Up Your 2 Newest CD, Thank You Vick For Great Display Art, Thankz,"!


title: Smooth song styling

text: Very interesting - Julie backed by only acoustic base and electric guitar.  She didn't have a wide vocal range but it is very pleasing music of standard jazz vocals.


title: Just as much as expected.

text: Most excellent timing for arrival.


title: the brass fittings are nice, but they get stuck in the nozzle attachment ...

text: the brass fittings are nice, but they get stuck in the nozzle attachment and the brass fitting comes off in the nozzle so you cannot get it out.  It also sprung a leak in the hose after a few months.  You get what you pay for, that is why I am not giving it 1 star.


title: My favorite BTS era!

text: I got this album because this is when I got interested into BTS


title: Music I grew up with

text: This music was part of my life growing up in the 70's.  Before they became an acapella group, Glad was one of the early bands during the Jesus movement.  This album was in my collection along with other Christian musicians like; Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Petra, and Mustard Seed Faith.  I hadn't heard the album for 20 years when I found it on the internet.  It was like a reunion with an old friend.


title: AMAZING

text: this is lana's best album and an amazing listen


title: Sweet music I grew up on.

text: After seeing the Doobies in concert this summer, I wanted this for my car.


title: Five Stars

text: Item as described, very prompt service


title: Five Stars

text: Great item, Joe Pearles is  wonderful singer with a beautiful voice


title: Awesome

text: Music


title: Description and DVD do not match

text: great DVD they need more how ever the description does not match what's pictured what's pictured is a DVD that was very limited that came with new junk aesthetic


title: Three Stars

text: Sometimes, just heading it read straight from the book is swsome


title: Came quick in the mail

text: My daughter loved it she was excited with all the things it came with.


title: EVANESCENCE'S ALBUM "ORIGIN" AN EXCELLENT BUY❤!!!

text: Love ❤ it... pure Amylee's work.. enjoy it and never get tired from listening to it!  A great addition to your Evanescence's CD collection!! Great Sound! Recommend 💯%!!!


title: With this album you can feel the hidden sadness and passion of the artist as he sings "Amor in Buenos Aires" my favorite❤

text: Volviendo a Casa has one of the most beautiful songs though no written by our beloved singer and songwriter but, written by another writer just for him. It's the most romantic and fantasize song ever. It brings tears to my eyes listening to him as he sings it with such passion and a bit of hidden sadness. The whole album is just beautiful in its context. A great buy to add to your collection.


title: great album

text: it’s the real deal


title: Petula at 83 takes you Downtown to '65

text:
For all fans of Petula, who know the beautiful aspects of her life with family, friends and fans; listening to the lyrics are insights to her soul.

But this is what we diehard fans for the past 50+ years have totally loved about the incredible and unique songs she has brought to us.

For example:  listen to 'George' - and you will understand the Scorpio Petula (like me).

But back to Petula's newest and definitely one of her Greatest - you have to sit down and place onto your best vinyl turntable, put on your best headphones, take a toke or two, sit back, close your eyes and escape into the pure-live instrumentals.

Then comes the live vocals that have entranced Petula fans world wide since WWII in London when she first sang to the troops.

I love each and every song.

Each brings up beautiful memories of special times in our lives and the world, but also takes you to new excitements of new loves and friendships!

Who better to spread new joys and love than the lady who out of the blue, in the midst of the rock and roll revolution started a quiet, simple, sweet but extremely profound song with a lifeline to everyone  -  just go Downtown.

Her latest at 83 - continues that love, outreach and reach into your heart.

I play it nightly when going to sleep.

Merry Christmas!

-


title: Great

text: I been looking searching high and low for this album and finally got my sticky fingers on it


title: Merle Haggard's Kern River record

text:
I received the record & love it.  Merle Hagggard wrote Kern River & Emmylou Harris did it on her recent All I Intended to be record.  I loved the song by her & searched for it by Merle.  Couldn't find it anywhere until finally I found it at Amazon.  Love both Merle's & Emmylou's version of Kern River.
Thanks
John Seckinger


title: This is a beautiful CD - all of its songs are just fantastic ...

text: This is a beautiful CD - all of its songs are just fantastic and they couldn't be sung better than by Hvorostovsky.


title: Arantzazu XVIII

text: This is a beautiful CD, it's a must; great music, great voices. Knowing about la Virgen de Arantzazu makes it even more beautiful.


title: Libertad - Yasmin Levy

text: Even though I like Yasmin Levi's other CDs, I must say that this one is way too "modern" for my taste. The traditional songs are accompanied by rather loud music which makes it difficult to enjoy. That's my opinion; others may have different views.


title: Had To....

text: Haven't played it yet but from opening the package it looks practically new. Come w/ Japanese, Target (forUSA) bonus tracks. New condition, well packaged. Thanks

attachment_type: IMAGE


title: Perhaps you're a Sonic Youth fan who lost interest during their tributes to Karen Carpenter and Stan Brakhage.

text:
If you wish the band that made EVOL just got further wigged out instead of turning into professional songwriters, this might be what you're looking for. I initially wished this had better production (cf. I dunno Hendrix or The Cure or something) so the whirlpool's mass could be more felt, but the third album (Purify) despite better production was just as good and no better. And now I feel like more clarity and overdubs would lose the sense of freedom Lights Unfold has.

I've heard singer Kathleen Lynch compared to Siouxie, but never noticed that myself until the Purify album. Here she sounds like (I'm sorry to repeat myself) like Kim Gordon, but guileless and out of her mind. Pleasingly all this insanity forgoes psychotic rage in favor of something more beatific, like an orgiastic oneness of humanity, or at least those of us who follow Lynch's lead. Personally I think I trust her.

Might be rough going for listeners waiting for tunes or hooks, but on this album you're never far from a distorted guitar solo while Lynch gathers her ideas and the walls melt around you.


title: Great cd

text: I love the cd but this religious card came with the package as well. No one asked for that. Don't be sending me that religious crap


title: It’s a great CD

text: It’s a perfect CD - it has great songs -


title: Only 1 Song and Distorted sound.

text: This item took a month to arrive. It only has ONE song on it, which apparently I overlooked in the description, but for 26.00, I don't think so.  The sound is also distorted like it is playing at a slower speed and I checked the player to make sure it wasn't the player. I'm returning it.


title: Love it

text: Great cd. Has all of my favorite Floyd songs on it. Who cares that they aren't "in order" so to say, the sound quality is fine for me. It sure beats having to change the cd every time you want to listen to a different album. This has all of their best from all the albums on 2 cds. Great buy


excellent cd + dvd of my favorite band Cometas Por El Cielo Edicion Especial CD + DVD is a concert in Mexico, and it's great


title: Thank you. I received safe and sound. Enjoying ...

text: Thank you.  I received safe and sound.  Enjoying it very much.


title: Excellent and fast delivery

text: Exactly what I ordered


Worth the wait! Meets all of my expectations and more. So very pleased and happy for this young man! Well done Louis...well done. Your #1 fan from day 1!


title: The best

text: Lincoln park Michigan at its best


title: Vinyl came warped and scratched

text: Did not play good


title: Great Item

text: Excellent service.  Item exactly as described.  A+ rating.  Even though the shirt is very large, I was very glad to get it as a bonus.


title: Restored my faith in Life!

text: This is so lovely, uplifting, and pleasant to listen to and sing along with, that I have played it every morning as a happy greeting to my day! It makes life worth living!


title: A Happy Mom

text: My mother is absolutely in love with Prince and well, she hasn't stopped listening to the CD since it came in. Overall we both are pleased with the purchase!!


title: At last!

text: I have searched for this CD for years! I lived in SLC during the '02 Olympics and even got to see a game. We learned most of these songs and sung them in school- so it was a great walk down memory lane to listen to them again.


title: Package was secure and shipped fast!

text:
The package was wrapped in bubble wrap and came the way it was described (new and sealed!)

Everything came intact. Would recommend this store again 10/10


title: Five Stars

text: Great selection of Spanish language music with lyrics


title: We knew Lawrence Welk. A true gentleman!

text: My husband’s present . Priceless.


title: lana del rey is a goddess

text: that is all


title: Beep boop

text: Got this 2 years ago but it's lasted till now


title: There is no other better Christmas album!

text: What a majestic pure voice of strength, grace, power and purity. So round and full from early songs of ancient carols to modern takes on the holiday. All are so pleasurable and rich, like an excellent bayberry or holiday candle giving light, atmosphere and warmth, filling the air with a luxurious palpable texture. Her carol, the titular piece, Christmastide, is my absolute favorite Christmas song. I could play it for hours. The way Ms. Norman extends the vowels and notes, sliding into velvet waters without a splash, the movement so expert and loving, it is a whole being, the holiday itself. Listen to it and you will agree. Another star in the constellation for all to marvel and celebrate. Thank you.


title: One Star

text: You have to be out of your mine.


title: Five Stars

text: Lovely


title: Jessye Norman at her finest

text: The fabulous voice of Miss Norman has never sounded better; the final "Amen" is one of my favorite tracks anywhere.


title: They're Playing our song, vol. 1

text: This is a good listen.  Familiar songs.  Familiar singers.  Not terribly exciting but certainly worth the purchase price.


title: Love the 50's

text: Another great preformer of the 50's, if you love the 50's, it one you need to complete your collections of the 50's


title: Singer

text: Songs were done her way<br />Loved it.


title: The artist

text: Been looking for a long time for this.


title: Good

text: Smell really good


title: Only a couple of the pieces are recorded live, but it's still a good disc.

text: Only a couple of the songs were obviously recorded live; the rest were studio recordings assembled in the same order as the original concert. Still a good disc, but "live" is relative. Yeah, but...If you want to hear it actually live, all the way thru, watch the YouTube recording of it.


title: Five Stars

text: Its a awesome album


title: Five Stars

text: Better than I expected


title: Must for my collection

text: Fan for nearly half a century. As I have most everything of his on LP, I now have almost everything on CD. Sound quality is good to my ears -  as clear as I remembered on record. The first track is a perennial concert favorite of mine (Early Morning Hours) - never get tired of hearing him sing and tell stories whether live or (now) online. Original was released 1976, and this disc appears to be a 2013 reissue by Talking Elephant Records in Bexleyheath, UK.


title: Awesome record

text: I expect most people will be drawn to Amazon for Alex's album due to Internet Explorer's commercial currently airing on television. This is frustrating since neither Amazon nor iTunes currently has anything available for purchase right now except the single or the album as an import. But once this album becomes readily available, people are going to be blown away by its brilliance. It's a must have. Alex, you rock! :)


title: Cheap Defective Copy of CD

text:
Seller had made inferior copy of original Steven King release, compounded with incomplete CD write process on his PC. After many phone calls I was able to get a refund, but I was stuck with shipping cost to return the defective CD.,

Was by no means a legitimate copy.

Steven King is one of the best findger-picking guitarists in the world. His CD's are outstanding.Shame on Amazon for failing to vet this seller, a true disservice to Steven King


title: Five Stars

text: Wonderful presentation of the great hymns with the signature voices of 2nd Chapter of Acts!


title: Three Stars

text: Glad All Over, got this CD.


title: Perfect CD for Kids

text: The songs were favorites when I was a kid and kids today love them too. With a positive message and fun-to-sing-along-with songs, it's a must have for every parent.


title: Four Stars

text: Not among my favorite by RR, but good nevertheless. He is a phenomenal accordionist and musician. Very unique.


title: Beautiful Music, Rich Emotional Content, Unexpected Benefits

text:
The songs on this album suggest winding down, quiet conversations, and acceptance of life as it is. In other words, Autumn.

I hate to highlight notable compositions, because each of them is beautiful and satisfying to a certain mood. But in particular, "Colors-Dance," "Woods," "Moon," and the track laid down later, "Too Much Between Us," convey a sense of dialogue between two very old, very close friends.

I bought the vinyl version in my first apartment. My roommates and I would sit on our L-shaped couch and read to this music. Somehow, it has the ability to occupy the part of the mind that wants to wander while allowing the rest of your attention to focus on its task. (That may be true of Winston's music in general. )We found this to be true for my son as well, at night when the ADD meds were wearing off but the homework still had to get done.

But don't only listen to "Autumn" when you're doing something else. It is full of emotional content and lovely melody. Unlike many other reviewers, I favor this album over all others, even "December."


title: Magnificent Music

text: Such wonderful OPM compositions beautifully arranged and magnificently performed by this outstanding orchestra.  A wonderful addition to my music library!


title: Thank you!

text: The album arrived safely and on time tyvm! And i pulled seulgi and yeri’s pcs🤩


title: STAN RED VELVET

text: The album came in perfect condition and plus i got my biases photocard!!🤩 They all look stunning as usual 🙄✋ The cd works perfectly as well!


title: Five Stars

text: Love it


title: Love it.

text: Love it.


title: Five Stars

text: Love the songs


title: that's why i pray

text: loved the song, the title, the content. i look for good music like this.<br />a friend recommended it. i would recommend it


title: Ningen Isu is awesome!!

text: This was a great album!! Can’t believe I had never heard these guys before.


title: Five Stars

text: Incredible


FABULOUS!  I immediately started to see things I never did before.  Great for improving my psychic abilities!


title: Fun and a good beginner workout!

text: I am a couch potato due to asthma and just being lazy about exercising. I also love vintage workout lps and this one deserves a good review! It's quick yet effective and does not give me an asthma attack, yet still gets me sweating.  I'm going to do it everyday!


title: NIKI BEST

text: GREAT MUSICAL  SELECTIONS FROM OUR GREATEST LIVING FEMALE POET...<br />BRAVO, BRAVO, BRAVO BECAUSE IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS..


title: Five Stars

text: Inspirational!


title: BUSTED

text: Used camping worked great until it busted. Did not last very long was not used bit a few times. Find you something else.


title: Don't waste your money....

text: First of all this cd arrived in a broken CD case.  It's not clear when to start the CD from what point on the road.  It's very difficult to find your place on the CD once you've started your trip.  The CD itself is very "cheesy".  Mostly a lot of music playing and not so much explanation.  Just google "Road to Hana" and write down the suggested stops and the mile marker closest to what you want to stop and see.  Plan an entire day for the Road to Hana.  We spent 5 1/2 hours (had to get back for a luau at a certain time) and were only able to make it half way to Hana.  The trip itself is magnificent.....Don't miss it !!!!!! Just don't waste your money on this CD.


title: perfection

text: picture-perfect


title: Hank Williams Well Represented Here...

text: Although not complete by any means (no compilation ever is) this set of recordings is a good overview of Hank's work. It includes the majority of his popular studio work plus some very good live material. This set is a great way to introduce yourself to his music and will serve as a strong base to start a complete collection. The audio quality is very good and the packaging is well designed, handsome and easily stored, unlike most cumbersome and bland box sets. The Hank Williams Complete Collection is not really complete, but it's a good start.


title: My mother loves it!

text: I got these cd's for my mom to play in her car and she's been wanting some "Best of" music from some great oldies.  These cds did not disappoint! Nice collection to have...


title: One of our all-time favorite DVD's to watch when we need comfort...

text: This DVD is full of Biblical Truth for those in pain...if you are going through really hard times, you will watch it over and over, because it is full of scripture and the kind of reminders that we can't hear enough. Though Louie Giglio usually speaks to those in their early twenties, we have found that this DVD appeals to young teenagers to people with many years to their credit...probably because it, again, is simply full of TRUTH, plain and simple, and is honest about how painful this life can be.


title: Beautiful, calming and relaxing

text: Bought the set for my Mom for Mother's day and she loves it! I love them too!


title: I'm the guy on the back

text: i am Billy on the back cover


title: Best Posty Album

text: Probably the best post Malone album


title: A must have for any rock music collection

text: This has been on constant loop since I bought it. I absolutely love it! There is not one song that I want to skip by. Sebastian Bach has such an incredible voice and so much range. I could (probably) listen to him sing the phone book. The songs also stand the test of time. None of them really sound dated. If you like rock music  this is a must for your collection.


title: Bad

text: 4 song only


title: Rare and awesome

text: One of a kind item from a top notch seller. Will shop again without question. Love this 2 CD set. Rarity indeed. Thanks


title: Perfect

text: It came in perfect condition, no scratches, no damage nothing wrong! It also came earlier than expected, im super happy (:


title: CD Received in good condition

text: The CD was ship in good conditions and playes wonderful.


title: I made a boo boo on first review it was number 3 n I love the entire cd

text: Loved it


title: The cover of the cd case was cracked when I got it

text: The cd worked fine. Just didn't think I'd have to pay 27$ for a product that's partially damaged when I receive it


title: Great Set

text: I like the bundle of 2 cds


title: Right and Wrong.

text:
Oh, Neil.
I love me my Neil but you seem to have lost your way my friend.  Good... but how many times will i listen to it?  Nice ideas.
Keep writing Neil , something will rise out of your own ooze.


title: The Fents were fusion incubators.

text: These men brought it.  RIP TED HALL.  I called to say hello but you were gone.


title: I love them!

text: These replaced cassette tapes.  I love them!


title: Relaxing and helpful.

text: It has given me a chance to practice meditation while on the bus. I use the CD's all the time. I keep the narrator's words on my mind through out the day.


title: Baptiste Method of Yoga given by Magana Baptiste

text: This is a one of a kind. A must have! Great for lay person who wants to know about yoga and those who want to keep on the path. I only wish this was available on CD. I am fortunate to have the vinyl at the moment. Check out her "Breath Is Life" book as well....


title: Talented and love his voice

text: Talented and love his voice. What would Love Do is my favorite song of the cd. He cusses on one of the songs and I am sure it is from such a troubled past that shows he is in turmoil in his life. We pray for him all the time, Love the style that he plays.


title: It was so good I would have paid more so the price was ...

text: I bought this pack for the DVD and booklet I own almost all of Rez's music. It was so good I would have paid more so the price was great with all you get.


title: Love it! I listen to it over and over ...

text: Love it!  I listen to it over and over again.


title: Great musical memories

text: My husband and I are DJs for a non-profit radio station that plays music of the  40s, 50s and 60s. This CD is broadcast quality and just what we needed to supplement our station's playlist.


title: Disappointed

text: One of the discs is defective, as the sound and lyrics skip.


title: love the new songs

text: as always Taylor delivers.  one of her best yet.


title: A wonderful gift for Greeks loving music.

text: This was a very well received gift for a friend. She was beyond happy with it.


title: I'm guessing the complete box set is a collector's item.

text: Can a person still buy the complete set? Mine got some smoke damage in my house fire.


title: Love this CD

text: Love this CD


title: Jahn is good, Jahn is great

text:
You need to get this record.
It will make you happy.
Purchase it, listen to it.
It will make you happy.


title: Not what I expected?

text: I tried very hard to get a DVD, but this turned out to be a CD. Not the same, I didn't get much use out of it and had to reorder the DVD.


title: Ture and encouraging

text: Since Nov of 16 when I had a stroke then another one Jan of 17.and June back surgery l have been so encouraged to just be grateful and trust God the songs sing to God in my 💓 every day, I wake up and they are there.I am looking for that DvD now in that I have worn mine out


title: WOW!!!!!!!

text: I wish there were more artists like Jill Freeman out there. This record is the antithesis of the Britney/Jessica/Avril etc., money machine. Just deep, sensitive, insightful songs and a voice you can crawl up next to. The CD is out of print so snap up any copy you can find! Maybe she'll do a new one someday - she just put up a website.


Awesome!  No other word describes this cd best!


title: This CD is priceless! And the artist is phenomenal ...

text: This CD is priceless!  And the artist is phenomenal.  I am a Caribbean lady and this is a true gift to be treasured for life! Never tire of hearing this cd!


title: Wonderful Music

text:
This is a WONDERFUL CD.  We already have the cassette tape, and love it.  My children, boy 11, boy 8, girl 6, and boy 2 just love to sing along.  The songs are written to Praise God, and the words have so much meaning.  The songs are easy to learn and easy to sing along with even for the little ones.  Several of the songs like "Little David" teach a lot also.  The children can pick up so much information about the Bible in song format that really sticks with them.

The sound quality is not high tech, and maybe even a little lacking, but this isn't a professionally made CD either, however it is good and still very nice to listen to.

If you don't like various styles of music, especially folk type music then this probably isn't the CD for you.  Rebekah sings alone, ocassionally accompanied by other adults, children, or just her guitar.

We really, really LOVE this CD and intend to give one to everyone in the family this Christmas.

It is WELL WORTH the price, and a great purchase for good, clean, fun music for your children to listen to and sing along with.  You will find yourself singing along too.  The songs that are in Pidgin and English are by far a hit with the children.  The LOVE being able to sing in another language.

If you get the CD I would suggest buying her book [[ASIN:B0017QW6W6 Rebekah's Diary]] to go with it, so you can read the story of her mission trip and know the back ground behind the songs.  In her diary, she has the lyrics to a few of the songs before they were ever put to music.  It makes the music mean so much more to have the book, and vice versa.

ENJOY


title: Wonderfully creative!

text: This album is genre-bending and such mastery!


title: Great Sound

text: Great selection of hit songs.  Love the sound on my Bose CD player.


title: One of the most astonishing recordings in the history of rock music.

text:
While I listened to Love in college a long time ago, I had never heard this album until a week ago... and it was really a fluke as to how that occurred. My college tune mavens and me were in a week long email discussion over the very controversial Rolling Stones T0P 500 albums of all time list. Supposedly, a hundred or so music experts -- musicians, producers, record execs, etc. were consulted on this and submitted their favorites. How the order came to be is a mystery of the highest order.

My music maven buddies and I tried to focus on the TOP 100, as that is about as much data as our feeble brains can process in one sitting. While this is not the place to list the TOP 100, with some of the totally idiotic and bizarre choices that were made by RS magazine, as well as many of the glaring omissions, I will just list a few of the bizarre and ridiculous inclusions in the TOP 100. The glaring omissions are too many to even discuss here ---

#13 - Velvet Underground - really? This 60s group that I barely heard in college has the 13th best album of all time?
#33 - The Ramones - punk NJ rock - actually pretty good but not #33.
#41 - Sex Pistols - seriously? this is garbage.
#44 - Patti Smith - saw her in concert ages ago. She's alright, nothing more.
#45 - Public Enemy - angry rap album. Its Rap and its Crap.
#60 - Captain Beefheart - uh, who? -- Only decent if you're on an acid trip. I'm not.

So I then go to #40 on this list - Love - Forever Changes. To think that the above mentioned albums could even be mentioned in the SAME PARAGRAPH as this record, let alone for several to be rated higher than this album is a total joke. But listening to the above recordings, as well as a bunch of other ones on the RS Top 100 list did do one thing for me -- It made me realize even more what an astonishing piece of genius that "Forever Changes" is.... after the first listen I was totally blown away. After the 3rd or 4th, I was totally in awe.

It is not that often that music really moves me, or evokes emotions in me that may have been dormant  for many years. I can only think of two albums in the last ten years or so that did this - "Travesura Chilie" by the amazing flamenco guitarist Jose Luis Encinas, and "Sailing to Philadelphia", maybe the best solo album by the sensational Mark Knopfler. But Forever Changes evoked these emotions in me and more. I've listened to it at least fifteen times in the last week, and I am not done yet.

The music of Arthur Lee is so beautiful and haunting, I can't get enough of it. His melodies, arrangements, his beautiful voice and singing style all contribute to a work of amazing perfection... and the way his songs build,, you're listening to one of the tracks and you think he's done, then the song takes a twist and keeps on building, until it ends in a crescendo of horns, strings or guitar... you think Arthur Is done, but he just keeps on delivering.. and THAT is what makes this recording so amazing. Arthur Lee just keeps on bringing the goods, and the more he brings them, the better they get.

#40 on the RS Top 500 list is too low, as I truly don't think there have been more than 10 or 15 recordings in history that are better than this one.


title: Very good album.

text: Album arrived on time, packed well and played well.  Very good album.


title: Buy it!

text: A great album from an unassuming man with an amazing voice. Add this CD to your collection today!


title: Chrome Johnson rocks...

text: This is one of my favorite albums; Uzilevsky is a terrific songwriter and player; the whole band is great. Haven't seen them live yet? Keep an eye out...they're a blast on stage.


title: It cost too much, but I am happy that I bought it.

text: I have wanted this CD for years! I had it on vinyl back when it first came out. Amazing!


title: Another great album

text: Garth never disappoints!


title: Rare Tracks are available elsewhere

text: If you are buying this just to get Holiday Road and Dancin' Across the USA, like I almost did, don't.  These two songs are available for free (legitimately?) [...].  They are under "Lindsey Buckingham solo"


title: A great CD, very funny

text: Second time buying this - the first one I left in my car's CD player when I sold it.  A great CD, very funny.


title: Great transaction!

text: Very satisfied-quick delivery too.


title: Pretty dang good

text: Awesome music, not my usual thing but definitely a fun album


title: It's going to touch my girl's heart.

text: The Beatles were a wonderful band but their musicianship doesn't compare to that of Duran Duran.  The incredible harmonies, the powerful use of rhythm and the mastery of their guitars and keyboards will make a strong impression on my blind girlfriend.  Even a song they wrote for a James Bond movie is beautiful.  And, a choice of an electric mandolin to convey poignancy is perfect.  This album should be in everybody's collection.  I just gave a copy to my ex-wife who said "I knew them well when they first came out but somehow I lost track of them".


title: This band rocks

text: As the drummer for this band, I can with all certainty say that you will enjoy this.. has a little bit for everyone.. p.s. I also still have some new ones..


title: Tommy and Rumble do it again!

text: Wouldn't have expected anything less from these guys.  Enjoyed listening to them in the mornings while I was stationed in VA.  This album, like all of the ones before it, did not disappoint.  Sure there are some lame spots, but they are few and far between.  If you want to laugh and have spent any time in the Hampton Roads area, this is great fun.  A must have if you're looking for all the T&R cd's.


title: Good deal

text: Love Damon Fowler.  Product was as described.  Came fast in a few days.  Good price and no complaints at this time.


title: Maria

text: A very good record by a singer who was not afraid to take chances later in her career.


title: Christian Christmas Album

text: Outstanding album!


title: Worth the investment

text: I listen to this CD all the time.  Well worth the cost.  Highly recommend to other Elvis fans.


title: She came a long way from here

text: Not the best sounding recordings but to hear Janis early in her career is great.


title: I loved it and was pretty proud of myself for remembering ...

text: I also listened to this album over and over again as I child. I loved it and was pretty proud of myself for remembering the name of the tree ( before I listened to this old favorite again!) This is a real treasure!


title: If you are a Coldplay fan, this is a must have

text: I keep this cd in my car to play it at will. This is a kick ass cd with all of your Coldplay favorites, you won't be disappointed.


title: Fine orchestra and chorus

text: I look forward to hearing The Grant Park Symphony and Chorus all year, and with this CD I can hear them all year. Great selections.


title: wahoo

text: I have played this over and over again and every time I love it more.  the greatest voice ever.great musician.


title: great set piece for the finale

text: well, considering that this was originally supposed to be the final episode it disappoints me.  but the fact that they have extended it to what is rumored to be a movie length episode, who knows, this episode has served as a great set up for the series conclusion.  with some more character development and revelations abound and a retarded epic cliffhanger ending this was most definitely a fantastic episode as was the whole series to date.  and with the extension of the series we get to see more of the story that we might have missed out on had they not extended it.  haven't received my copy from right stuf yet but watched it on psn the first day and can tell you its well worth it.


title: Great

text: Great


title: soo happy

text: I got all the inclusions inside which is great. The outside is a bit dented which is fine, it is barely noticeable! Everything arrived safely and I pulled my og biases!! LOVE ATEEZ <3


title: Glad they came as a ser

text: My mom loves Bruno.


title: Great

text: I had this as a cassette many years ago and wore it out. When I started thinking about it recently, this was the first place I looked. It arrived fast and in perfect condition.I am so happy to be able to listen to my favorite cello suites again, I know that any time that I am looking for something no matter how common or far-fetched, Amazon will probably have it.


title: no CD included

text: I give it a zero.No CD no poster nothing but the booklet.


title: CFH Live!

text:
This is a nice little Live ep of tracks all taken from their "official" debut,Cowboys From Hell!

The sound is excellent on all of the tracks. It sounds like the first 2 are from the Monsters Of Rock in Russia, then the next 2 sound like they are from that Foundations Forum show or whatever it's called off the CFH home video. I know for sure that Heresy is because at the end it's got that exact same "Pantera fu%$ing rips,aarrgghhh" at the end.

It also contains a nice little booklet of awesome Live photos of each member. This is highly recommended if you are a fan of live Metal.The only thing I wish they would have done is put The Art Of Shredding from the CFH video on here too.

Also recommended is the Official Live 101 proof and some of the best Bootleg shows that I've heard so far are the Slaughtered Show which has Use My 3rd Arm,Slaughtered and Shedding Skin live among other classicks and the BlackTooth show which features an awesome live version of Hard Lines and Sunken Cheeks...which almost sounds better then the album version!!


title: Love it

text: Love it


title: satisfied! ^^

text: it came packed very neatly; everything that was in the description came!<br />unfortunately the poster was folded (i actually bought the same one at a convention and forgot oops) but nonetheless very good!


title: ENJOYABLE!

text: Got this for my husband, who has dementia now.  He is ecstatic with it and I'm enjoying it when I play it for him.  Great collection and very enjoyable for anyone who went through in the 50s!  We consider the 50s the very best!!!!!!


title: Five Stars

text: Great music


title: Missing and used

text: It came like this the seal damaged, I have no idea why the cover a smugged like that. Opened the first page it was ripped, and there was no photo card or the circle card. Pages were also creased, just overall mess


title: Multiple versions of Greatest Hits of the Nineties CDs.  This does not match song list provided by another reviewer!!

text: Be careful.  The list of songs given by another reviewer does not match this CD.  This is only 2CDs!


title: Just what I expected from one of my favorite cds

text: It was perfect


title: Great record

text: Wynn Stewart, What else can you say about this great country legend? This song to me is probably the best song he ever recorded out of the countless others like, "It's Such A Pretty World Today" and many many more. This is a truly heartfelt song. We lost MR. Wynn Stewart and he surely will be missed by all of his fans and those that weren't a fan, but still enjoyed some of his great recordings such as this one. Thank you Wynn R.I.P.  Guitar Bob


title: Good buy

text: Great CD for any Creedence lover.


title: Great Classic Music

text: all of my favorite selection on this cd.


title: Must buy

text: Just what my son wanted.


title: Five Stars

text: love it


title: A MUST HAVE

text: AMAZING!!


title: This is a really good album

text: I like the packaging nothing was damage I got everything I wanted I also got my bias The poster was actually good and not that pixel if you want to buy a stray kids album you should buy it from this person or company


title: radical face

text: outstanding music


title: Great recording!

text: Fabulous record of a great American artist!


title: Five Stars

text: thanks


title: Nice soulful sax work.

text: I've had this CD a long time, I finally sat down and listened to it, it blew me away. Wish I played it a long time ago, it's a musical piece of classic art...


title: Good songs

text: Good item


title: Still practicing

text: Love it. Hope to learn by next summer  so I can surprise my mom at her annual business party. Thanks!


title: Five Stars

text: Perfect condition


title: Great CD set

text: The nostalgia is strong with these ones. Thanks for all the reverb Capitol and thoughtfully putting instruments on one side, vocals on the other then calling it Stereo! I admit it. While I have all the UK releases, the Mono Box set and more I can’t help it. I love these. I just love them. This is how they sounded when mom played them for me as a little boy on the Kelton console stereo. Thanks mom!


title: 6 episodes too long

text: Way too long and repetitive. Stays interesting for a while but really drops off in episode 3. Once you do find out what is going on, it is just kind of silly.


title: a return to rock and roll roots

text: If you are looking for a no frills basic rock and roll record that brings back memories of the 60's, look no further than "Time to Rock." Musician Virtuoso Dave Stevenson has written (12) songs which evoke the style of the bar bands of the late 60's and early 70's. All instruments and vocals are by Dave Stevenson (the former guitarist from the seminal 60's band Fallen Angels from Syracuse University. Of particular note are the bluesy "Slinky" and the topical "Bad Politics."


title: Five Stars

text: Great stereo rig as set dressing on show but don't know about it sitting in full sun?


title: 40 is Fab!

text: A great 40th birthday gift for my daughter, she loves it!  Thanks.


title: Utterly implausible plot.

text: The plot of the Innocent borders on absurd, and it gets worse as the story progresses. I won't give it away out of respect to those who will read the book. Suffice it say that, in the end, I was left with the feeling, "why did I waste the time with this book."  There are interesting little tales within the bigger story that keep you engrossed until the bizarre ending: the relationship between Robie (the hero assassin) with the female FBI agent, Vance; the relationship between Robie and the homeless 14-year-old, Julie; and the relationship between Robie and his boss, "Blue Man."  But Julie is a horribly misdrawn character -- she comes across as 14-going-on-35, and it makes no sense. It is hard to assess the overall plot as you are reading the book, because it is so convoluted and you keep hoping that it will make sense in the end.  At the end of the book, obviously understanding that his plot is patently absurd, Baldacci uses his hero/assassin, Robie, to explain all of what has happened.  The explanation offered by Robie serves as a summary of the book and it confirmed for me that the plot is indeed as absurd as I suspected. Baldacci's imagination was beyond the pale in his construction of this story. Warning: in the audio edition of the book, the female reader (with her striking New York accent) is terribly distracting.  Every time that Vance (the female FBI agent from Washington, DC)speaks on the recording, you are inclined to laugh, because her accent is so out of place.  Likewise for the voice of 14-year-old Jule, who sometimes sounds like a big-mouthed hooker on the run with an assassin.  If you have nothing better to do this summer, read the book and enjoy the little tales within the bigger story; but don't look for a plausible plot.


title: worth checking out.

text: The first disk I would give a 5 out of 10, the 2nd disk I would give a 8 out of 10.  The 2nd disk bumps all the way threw.  However, the interview should be its own track at the end of the disc not a interlude to each song.  The guy uses all the lingo in the interview as if he was a member from a blood set, so I can see how the police could identify him as a member of the bloods.


title: Wow

text: My gosh , 20 outstanding songs.  what a value!  My favorite is "Where've You Been".  Very, very touching and thoughtful!


title: Love it (love it , love it!)

text: I find this Annie Lenox CD fabulous! It's putting her back on the map for me. I love her strong, bluesy voice, her interpretation, and her wonderful selection of songs. Perhaps it's because I'm 70 years-old. No matter. Some of my younger friends enjoy it as well.


title: great service and cd

text: nothing. i liked the cd


title: The case was different but apparently its the same album.

text: Haven't heard it yet but I'm guessing its going to be good. I've never been disappointed by this brand. The only thing was I bought it thinking it would be wolf themed but when it got here the case was different so I hope I wasn't mislead. In any case I doubt I'll be returning it since I always like them.


title: If you like this kind if music

text: Not much to be said. If you like this kind if music, you'll like this disc.


title: Tony Bennet is the man!

text: I fell inlove with Toni B in these albums!<br />I believe He is a one of the great in music industry!


title: Sold out CDs now produced using CD-R

text: A legal product which has the appearence of a "pirate" CD. The reason: some CDs (like this one) are completely sold out. New editions are produced "by demand" using CD-R. Sellers should inform the client about that condition for this kind of products before buying the item.


title: A classy BBC dramatisation; a superb cast, including Eleanor Bron

text:
I first heard this years ago on Public Radio's The Mind's Eye.
It is only available on audio-cassette. I had to convert it to CD.
Jim Wormold runs a failing vacuum-cleaner business in Havana, Cuba, and he is anxious to leave.
A recruiter from the British Secret Service contacts him and asks him to become an agent to report
on Castro, Guevara, and the Soviet Union.
Wormold obliges and begins to invent sub-agents. The fictional sub-agents send bogus reports
to London, and for a while, it pays well.
Unfortunately, his superiors in the Secret Service decide Wormold needs help and send him a
secretary, which threatens to blow the entire operation.
Also, the Soviet Union's own spies are interested in the bogus reports and try to recruit Wormold's
fictional sub-agents to work for them.
The suspense of so much deception is a source of great hilarity, even when the Soviets stage a murder
and try to have Wormold assassinated. Only a skilled writer like Graham Greene could create such an
amusing, suspenseful story.


title: Huss

text: The CD was in good shape. It was not what I expected of a Christian album. I gave it to a young person who will enjoy it.


title: Five Stars

text: I have digital album. But I want the album with the photos in New Zealand. Taeyeon SNSD Leader Fighting!


title: Enjoyable

text: Very enjoyable mixture of Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, and English songs in a variety of styles including traditional and popular.  I never tire of listening to it.


title: BUY THE BOOK... Learn to take care of YOURSELF by understanding what health really is.

text: It is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the invalidation of the standard of care in "mainstream health care". The medical model has been broken for years as a way to become truly healthy. This Dr. has exceeded my expectations of what someone who taught in medical school could ever understand. He got it, then he went past anything I could have ever imagined him knowing.  Incredible man and great book.


title: Wrong Titles

text: Barefootin was on there, which is not the song we were after. We wanted Lets Go Baby, which was supposed to the B side, but instead it was Mountain of Love by Harold something or another. It came from a series of "collectibles".


title: Really cheap packaging

text: The product was billed as a "box set".  I expected 2 cd's, each in their own plastic cd case, and a "box"<br />to hold the plastic CD cases.  What I received was 2 CD's in a cardboard holder, with each play side directly in contact with cardboard. In my opinion, repeated use of this cardboard holder would scratch the CD's quickly.  The music is enjoyable and I have plastic CD holders, (which I have from the old days when saving data on cd's was common practice), which I will use to protect the CD's from scratches etc.  "Box Set' is an exaggeration, if not a misrepresentation, in my opinion.


title: Great Collection!

text: What is there to say? Who doesn't love John Fogarty and CCR? Thankfully my car still has a CD player!


title: No it did not it does not sound nothing like Loretta Lynn I know what she sings I have ...

text: No it did not it does not sound nothing like Loretta Lynn I know what she sings I have been a fan for years and years sorry I am not happy with it that for sure


title: good music !

text: This CD was a great gift for my husband!<br />Andre Rieu always plays a wonderful music!


title: Truly A Great Saxophonist!

text: I am among the biggest Grover Washington fans out there. His percussionist, Doc Gibbs, lived right across the street from my family in Philly. He is also very good at what he does and used to take time to teach the children in the neighborhood. I love 'A Secret Place'. So soothing and relaxing... (R.I.P. Mr. Washington, Jr.)


title: GR8 SERVICE!!!!!

text: This item is in gr8 condition!!!! Love it!!! And the delivery was quick!!!


title: Love Captain Patch the Pirate

text: Used to play the cassette for my now 35 year old when he was a youngster, now we can play the songs for our grandchildren.


title: Great Music

text: Bought this to replace the one that was damaged. So relieved and happy that it was here.


title: Mobile Fidelity mastered vinyl record

text: Wow, this Mobile Fidelity mastered version sounds soooo good!


title: Five Stars

text: very happy . Thanks :)


title: Great live recording from July 1968

text: Great live recording from July 1968. A must for all Pharoah fans! Sort of a missing recorded link between his almost always wild playing mainly on the higher register of the tenor sax on recordings as a member of John Coltrane’s last band from 1965-1967 and his more melodic but still a lot of wild playing on recordings under his own name using all registers of the tenor sax beginning in 1969 with Izipho Zam and Karma. (His first Impulse record, Tauhid, from late 1966 also contains some songs more in the vein of his later playing.) Pharoah’s playing is great as is that of his pianist during this period, Lonnie Liston Smith, as well as that of Sirone on bass and Majeed Shabazz on drums(both of whom also play on Izipho Zam). The live recording is one uninterrupted performance that starts with a beautiful song I had never heard and includes versions of Venus/Capricorn Rising(also on Tauhid), Balance(also on Izipho Zam),and (without vocals) Creator Has a Master Plan and Colors(more famously on Karma with Leon Thomas’ vocals). I was fortunate to be able to see Pharoah live last October and he was playing as amazing as ever. Go see him if you have the chance —at almost 78, who knows how much longer we will be blessed with his live concerts. Thanks to Pharoah for putting his spiritually inspired healing music into the world for over 50 years!!


title: A new generation carrying on the tradition!

text: This CD along with his What We Share and To Feel CDs are revelations--Myron Walden is an essential part of a new generation carrying on the spiritually inspired tradition in jazz. Fathered by Coltrane, it has been manifested for years by greats such as Sonny Rollins, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Lloyd, Billy Harper, Azar Lawrence, Tisziji Munoz, and Dwight Trible who all see music as a divine gift that is one of the true healing forces of the universe. However, all of these masters are getting along in years, and we need a new generation of musicians to carry on the work. That Myron Walden has accepted the calling is evident in these three CDs as well as in his awesome live work both on his own(check out Momentum Live)and in his amazing playing with the Brian Blade Fellowship Band. Thank you Myron!


title: good but not great

text: Finally managed to snag a copy of this from an Amazon marketplace seller for about $20 (incl shipping)-- a good deal!  Given my high expectations, I was a bit underwhelmed by the musicianship however.  The Tokyo string quartet are essentially a string quartet in the "american" mold (a la the Julliards, Emerson), meaning a razor sharp precisioned machine.  And their brisk unsentimental approach does work better in Haydn as compared to (say) Mozart.  But honestly these quartets could do with a little more "gemuetlichkeit" and emotional involvement; these quartets exhibit moments of wistful chromaticism and suspended harmonic sequences which Haydn learned from Mozart, and a little rubato or even sentimentality would not be out of place in those 'sighing' passages.  The Pro Arte quartet recorded 50/3 and 50/6 in the 1930's and I prefer those to these TSQ recordings.


title: Mac Powell + Country = Awesome!!!

text: I have owned this LP for two years and I still Love it! If you love classic country music (great stories, talented vocals, great writing) and Mac Powell then you will play every track. I listen to it on repeat!


title: Carlos Di Sarli Classics

text: Must-have. This CD contains many of the best songs that you will hear at a miloga. They are perfect for dancing Argentine Tango. Di Sarli is more traditional tango music, but not very old,like Gardel, which I do not enjoy as much. Perfect CD if you starting a collection of Argentine Tango music, or adding to your collection.


title: Five Stars

text: My y


title: Cher! What more can one say about her, but brilliant.

text: Stars was included. Looking for that album for years.


title: Awesome! Great investment in lives of kids!

text: Grandsons ages 7 & 9 love these stories and listen to them going  to and from school everyday.  Sound Biblical teaching in captivating story lines!


title: Five Stars

text: Love the music!!


title: Four Stars

text: great album


title: Amazing

text: Good


title: Not!

text: This thing is awful! Used a few times then it split. No water.


title: AWESOME!

text: Just as the movie this soundtrack is amazing. All the songs and scores are on this album along with pictures of the cast and lyrics to the songs. I love this soundtrack!


title: What a voice

text: If you have never heard the Screaming Cheetah Wheelies, then you owe it to yourself to get this cd and all the other SCW cd's. This guy is one of the best front men I have ever heard. I have had the pleasure of also seeing them live and he sounds just as good live as he does on the albums if not better.


title: Great dance music

text: Fun party CD. Sam Smith has a nice and engaging voice that makes you want to dance.


title: Wow super old time radio shows

text: Brand new in sealed packaging. Great shows many hours of awesome listening. Highly recommend this seller. Thanks.


title: Works like a charm!

text: The record was in excellent condition.  Very playable.


title: Five Stars

text: Love the collection of music. Her style all the way.


title: Wish List

text: I ordered this for my brothers birthday as it was on his wish list I am sure that he is enjoying it right now.


Five Stars


title: Five Stars

text: Love the Harp


title: Morgan Rules!

text:
ONLY the VINYL version of this most iconic of all the Cruisin' albums captures the full sweep of the radical "Boss Radio" movement of the mid-60's with Bill Drake and Ron Jacobs helming 93 KHJ in L.A. "Moragnized" teens all over Southern California grooved to Boss Radio Hitbounds, Double Goldens, and 20-20 news. It was the greatest success story of modern Top 40 AM radio at its peak in 1965. Jacobs went on to help create "American Top 40" with Casey Kasem at Watermark, along with Cruisin' 1965 recording engineer and DJ, Bill Hergonson.

NOTE: ALL, read that ALL of the CD versions of this series are edited bastardizations of the originals. ONLY get the LP versions of the Cruisin' series to hear them UN-edited in their very original form!!!!!!!


title: Real organ literature on a fake organ!

text: As a youth in the 60's, I absorbed every organ record I could, and there were a fair number in my local St. Louis suburban library. This was one of them. Mario Salvador was known in St. Louis as the longtime organist at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, containing a large Kilgen instrument (renovated and rebuilt in the 80's and also more recently), a decent musician with training in Rome. The organ sound is awful, but lots of cathedral reverb makes up for it to a small degree. The only piece I can remember with any clarity is "Naiades" (Water Nymphs) from Vierne's 24 Pieces de fantaisie, a fast-flowing quiet piece which takes a fair bit of technique. Interesting musical curio for an organ lover!


title: Great CD

text: Been looking for this cd for awhile.  Great find and a very honest seller.


title: Five Stars

text: Great CD!!


title: Peaceful and Relaxing

text:
I received this CD as a sampler with a computer in the 90s. I grew up listening to this around the house. Listening to it now brings about an amazing feeling of nostalgia and many many great memories.

The music is very relaxing and peaceful, and it also contains a few upbeat and exciting tracks.


title: The CD has scratched that won’t play the song

text: [[VIDEOID:effb8dc0715fe437586220e30301931f]] CD has a scratch that stops the song …


title: Five Stars

text: My favorite band !!!!! such a great find.


title: Its the same song in different ways of singing

text: Nice song for those who will not tire listening to it.  It also has a DVD telling how the song came about.


title: my cuban songbird's unowned titles

text: When I had learned of this maxi-single's presence,I'd dreamt of owning it and now thanks to amazon I actually posess it now.Awesome,THANK YOU AMAZON!!


title: the greatest players often go unrecognized

text: Ron is one of the finest jazz players today. He doesn't need to impress with bulls*** high notes when his ideas and sound are impeccable. Give us more Ron!


title: he is one of the greatest tenors in the world today

text: He loves his family and the cd comes in free of scratches. He is very religious and blind plays the piano


title: Great songs. Great singers

text: This collection is exactly what I wanted.  Especially enjoyed Bob Tebow on bass.


title: No male contraltos, please

text: This is a very good recording of some 16th century Spanish music, especially if you like male altos and sopranos.  In those days they may have used castratos - unavailable today (although in times where some folks are not sure bout their gender, that may be an avenue to pursue ......) but certainly not male altos. To me, men who sing parts usually written for women sound like squealing pigs, and this recording is no exception. The contralto outblares everything else which takes away considerably from the music. Apart from that you are vert well served. The five stars are reserved for male contralto lovers.


title: Preussens Gloria

text: So muss es wohl geklungen haben, als Österreich von Alten Fritz buchstäblich der Marsch geblasen wurde. Haydn wird mit schweren Stiefeln traktiert und auf Linie gebracht. Nichts ist von der Eleganz geblieben, die uns Eugen Jochum, Georg Solti und Adam Fischer (um nur ein paar zu nennen) vermittelt hat. Die vertopfte Aufnahmetechnik unterstreicht die preussische Verzopftheit, mit der man in - nun ja - Berlin - Haydn begegnet ist. Bei Schubert ist es nur wenig besser, nicht ganz so verzopft. Wer sowohl Haydn als auch Schubert so hören will, wie sie klingen sollen, ist mit George Szell und seinem Cleveland Orchestra musterexemplarisch besser bedient.<br />This must have been the sound when Frideric the Great tried to bring Austria in line with his Silesian wars. Heavy Prussian boots stomp out any elegance which which has been communicated to us by (for example) Eugen Jochum, Georg Solti, and Adam Fischer. The dated bathtub recording technique underlines Prussia’s approach (surprise, surprise, Berlin alas!). Schubert fares hardly better. If you want to hear both Haydn and Schubert as they are supposed to sound, go to Cleveland. Here, George Szell has set standards which have yet to be met.


Too bad that this disc has not been re-issued on CD.  This is light good tongue-in-cheek entertainment, and Hershy Kay has been one of the underrated American composers of the 20th century who makes no pretense of being a "serious" "classical" composer.  A real cowboy will probably balk at the classical ballet style in which the Western Symphony was filmed. A real cowboy will also wonder at his songs put to a classical symphony with its Allegro-Andante-Allegro-Presto movements. But it works thanks to brilliant orchestration, also thanks to the conductor's brisk tempi which keeps the horses going.  Virgil Thomson's warm-hearted "Filling Station" is a good match and the orchestra knows how to deliver the score which deftly draws from traditional American music while retaining an original touch. For those who find Aaron Copland's cowboy scores too jagged and too nervous, this one puts you at ease.  so have some good Country and Western fun with a tongue-in cheek highbrow delivery.


title: Too bad that this disc has not been re-issued on CD


title: waters end

text: The endless river proves once again, that Floyd is Dave Nick and Rick, absolutely no need for waters once again.waters has always been way too full of himself to be tolerated for a band that just makes amazing music, imagine what the wall would have been without all the gloomy waters lyrics, the endless rivers is a fresh exciting performance , half of it you could add to crazy diamond its that good, very pleased how good it is , Nick and Dave flip out on their instruments , and the beautiful melody wind of Rick Wright keeps them aloft ,so glad they released the endless river.


title: This is the best of a new generation of Brazilian musicians

text:
While looking for some new Brazilian music, I purchased this album from iTunes.  At first I wasn't sure what to expect, now I find myself listening to it in the car, at home, and at work all the time.

My friends and coworkers love it as well.

If you enjoy Brazilian music, this CD is sure to satisfy.


title: Five Stars

text: Very good...plays very well....like new..


title: Five Stars

text: Love it...I am a Bobby Bare fan since he started..


title: Five Stars

text: Very happy with this product, good service..


title: Have I Told You Lately . . .

text: The only place I could locate their duet, "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You". A little scratch but was glad to find it.


title: God Will Make this Trial a Blessing has been a tremendous help to many people, I have worn our my tape and would like a new one

text: This song is great.  I actually wore my tape out and would love to have another. Hop<br />ing this comes back in stock. I would love to get it on an accompaniment track tape


title: Capturing a piece of personal history

text: When I cleaned out my fifteen-year-old car for trade-in, I found an old, beat-up "cas-single" of Rosco Martinez' "Neon Moonlight/Captura Me" and, although I could barely recall the tune, decided it had once been worth ordering in the cassette format of the day, so I set about obtaining it on CD or download, to give it a listen. CD was available, D/L was not. When I ordered the CD, I thought I was paying for and getting just the two interpretations on the "cas-single" -- so I was pleasantly surprised to receive a 13-track album of Mr. Martinez' music, most tracks unknown to me. 'Neon Moonlight' sparked memories and the other songs are representive works of a very good artist. I thoroughly enjoyed all. There is a sincere passion and longing in this music that is still relevant today.


title: Orphaned by its provenance

text:
This recording was a product of a Decca/RCA agreement sharing contract artists and production staffs. Other examples include the Leinsdorf conducted "Figaro," "Don Giovanni, and "Ariadne," Dorati's "Flying Dutchman," Price's first "Aida" (under Solti), and Milanov's "Forza" (whose conductor escapes me). John Culshaw's memoir ("Setting the Record Straight") states that after a period of parallel distribution, rights reverted to the company that paid the production costs. That was the fate of these recordings. They languished until a brief appearance in the Grand Opera Series. Decca had its own all star recordings of most of them. The "Gioconda" was first issued as a Living Stereo item and apparently didn't sell very well as it was soon demoted to the budget Victrola line. It later emerged on Decca just before the advent of CDs in a digitally remastered version. Cerquetti's rival version (on Decca) got the critical nod for overall casting and tauter conducting so Milanov and Co. were at a disadvantage from the beginning.

Milanov was fresher in her pre-war Met broadcast of the opera but this remains a major voice in a signature role. The high pianissimos are still there along with a more matronly timbre below. Di Stefano's pushing of his lyrical voice had taken a toll by this time. As noted elsewhere in these reviews, the microphone was not kind to Warren's voice. He sounds better here than in some of his RCA recordings. I still hear a near wobble. I wish Tozzi had been tapped for Alvise! Laura just might be Elias' best recorded role.

I have great affection for the recording and still wince at the rarity price I paid for my CD copy - which I have ripped, archived and back up against CD de-lamination and other catastrophes!