Real World

Amazon.com
Forget the dreamy mythical Cuba and other sleepy nostalgia. It's reality time. Equis Alfonso, a.k.a. Alfonso X, puts sharp teeth on his internationalist pop, switching gears more often than Brazil's Tom Zé while exploiting a similar celebratory angst over modernism. Even when Alfonso bathes his angular meditations in a jazzy vocal setting as on "No Eres Tu," or lets chiming acoustic guitars define the territory on "Solo Tu Puedes Darme Amor," there's a tough sensibility at work. "Nada en el Mundo" sounds like a cross between Bob Marley and Steely Dan, and if that's a stretch, that's because Alfonso X has mastered the art of the long reach, blending jazz, funk, romantic rap, and the unexpected softness of old-time boleros. Alfonso earned his chops as a member of his parents' long-running Cuban rock fusion band, Sintesis, and his bittersweet compositions along with cool-hot keyboard-based arrangements make his first solo disc an ear-opener. --Bob Tarte

Real World,X Alfonso,Velas,Cuba,Cuban Pop,Int'l & World Music,Latin Pop,Pop,Rock en Español,World Fusion,World Music

Average customer rating: Fantastic album Blind Boys are Great! You don't have to be a big gospel fan to enjoy this You'll fall in love with the Blind Boys after listening to this CD Unbelievable

Spirit of the Century Blind Boys of Alabama Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Similar Items: Higher Ground Go Tell It on the Mountain Atom Bomb There Will Be a Light Amazing Grace ASIN: B000059MEM Release Date: 2001-04-24

Tracks:

1. Jesus Gonna Be Here
2. No More
3. Run On For A Long Time
4. Good Religion
5. Give A Man A Home
6. Amazing Grace
7. Soldier
8. Nobody's Fault But Mine
9. Way Down In The Hole
10. Motherless Child
11. Just Wanna See His Face
12. The Last Time

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Long known as the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, this venerable gospel institution has seen its ranks fluctuate in recent years. Rarely, however, have the soul-stirring harmonies of the group, recording here as a quartet, benefited from such stellar support. Producer John Chelew (best known for John Hiatt's breakthrough Bring the Family) has enlisted guitarists David Lindley and John Hammond, bassist Danny Thompson, drummer Michael Jerome, and harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite for a set that celebrates the bluesy underpinnings of gospel.

The selection of material mixes the traditional spirituals the group has been performing for more than a half century ("Nobody's Fault but Mine," "Motherless Child") with soulful readings from the more contemporary songbooks of Tom Waits, the Rolling Stones, and Ben Harper. Harper's "Give a Man a Home" receives a majestic vocal from Clarence Fountain, while the album's most audacious cut pairs the lyrics to "Amazing Grace" with the melody from "House of the Rising Sun." --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic album.......2007-06-13

They just have amazing voices. There are two Tom Waits songs on the album; and while i'm a big fan of Tom Waits, sometimes it's hard to hear how to sing his songs yourself. The Boys bring out their musicality in a way that's accessible for everyone - i can sing those songs in the shower now! ;) Great album!

Blind Boys are Great!.......2007-01-11

I was not really familiar with the Blind Boys until I purchased this CD. I love their old-time blue-zy style and plan to purchase more of their music.

You don't have to be a big gospel fan to enjoy this.......2006-02-11

The Blind Boys reach out here to broaden their base beyond the traditional gospel fan. They start out by covering material by the Rolling Stones (I just wanna see his face from Exile On Main Street), Tom Waits, and others. They add some mainstraem guest stars to further broaden the appeal. There's blues, rock, soul here all blended together expertly.
This won a number of awards and deservedly so. I'm sure there's many people who didn't realize that they can enjoy gospel music until they listened to this.

You'll fall in love with the Blind Boys after listening to this CD.......2005-09-23

If you weren't already in love with the Blind Boys, you will fall in love with them and their music after listening to this CD.

Prior to hearing this, I wasn't a gospel fan, and wasn't really sure what my reaction would be. Since I bought this CD I have purchased about five others by the Blind Boys - and while they're all superb, this one is my favorite.

It's hard to pick favorite songs on this CD, although, "Run on for a Long Time," "Soldier," and "The Last Time" are a few. You'll find a lot of variety here, from uptempo tracks to more solemn and slow songs.

You might also recognize "Way Down in the Hole" as the opening track from HBO's series "The Wire."

Having toured with Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Peter Gabriel, the Blind Boys have earned their place in mainstream music culture, but maintain the traditional sounds that appeal to audiences around the world.

Unbelievable.......2004-11-15

I saw the Blind Boys of Alabama for the first time on Austin City Limits, singing "Amazing Grace." I remember being completely drawn in at the harmony and the rendition, as it sounded almost like a chain gang. The beginning cadence sounds a bit like "The House of the Rising Sun," but you forget about that once the vocals start in. The rest of the CD is equally moving. I've read other reviews claiming goosebumbs, tears, etc. -- my sentiments exactly. Bravo.

I heard a new song of their's (equally fabulous) on the radio a few days ago but suppose the CD has not yet been released -- I'm waiting!

Average customer rating: An Antti Keisala Comment: The Temples of Sound Relaxing envigorating refreshing music for your day Afro Celt Sound System Volume 5: Anatomic Very Mellow Buy it - now!

Volume 5: Anatomic Afro Celt Sound System Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Ireland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music New Age | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Fusion | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Rock | Celtic | International | Styles | Music Celtic New Age | New Age | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Seed Volume 3: Further in Time Pod (Bonus DVD) Volume 1: Sound Magic Vol. 2, Release ASIN: B000AMUUIU Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

1. When I Still Need You
2. Secret Bliss
3. Mojave
4. Sene
5. Beautiful Rain
6. Anatomic
7. Mother
8. Dhol Dogs
9. Drake

Amazon.com

Their debut album broke down many tediously outdated barriers. Now the Afro-Celts are back with another genre-bursting, non-preachy, multi-culti soundscape. There has never been anything bland or generic about the ensemble's output as their concept of one-world music is less color-blind than color-appreciative; in other words, they don't ignore our differences but celebrate them. Anatomic continues an ongoing pilgrimage of respectful collaboration, wherein Western studio mastery abuts Irish flutes and percussion, harp-like West African koras, keening bagpipes, and gutty Greek bouzoukis, all presented over a resonant, crunchy bottom with beats and electronica for days. Iarla Ó Lionáird sings in English and Gaelic, sitting in with Sevara Nazarkhan from Uzbekistan (who is lovely if disembodied on "My Secret Bliss") and Dorothee Munyaneza, a genocide survivor whose soulful pipes made such a strong impression on the soundtrack to Hotel Rwanda. As always, Simon Emmerson's guitar fulfills dual roles as a melodic vector and tireless rhythmic powerhouse. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

An Antti Keisala Comment: The Temples of Sound.......2007-02-06

I'm preparing some commentary on Iarla Ó Lionáird, one of the true voices of our contemporary music. He has only released three albums so far, as much of his time has passed with this band, a sort of a super group of celtic fusion, or into whatever the brand we wish to demote them, if in the mood. So I'll start here, with their best album.

I prefer the quietude of Ó Lionáird, but the Afro Celt Sound System is, in its inexorable energy, a rather successful blend of the kind of febrile search of tapestries of sound, a play of culturally coloured and multilayered instrumentations and polyrythms, all tied together by the modern Western sonic dance beat heritage. Most people use the word 'fusion' with their music mostly because it resembles so seemingly and seamlessly the well-known formula of dance beats straight from the club floor, that somehow this is an intergration of the realm of world music and club beats. But I think the whole idea of their music goes beyond mere fusion of genres, a 'definition' already turgid enough to provoke resentment to the writer who unknowingly and happily happens to use the word. Let's talk about more cultural a word, that being 'tradition'. I'm no historist at heart, but to think of the streams of musical influence as traditions of influence is an attractive one. So we get to think of the collision of world music and modern dance music in this album as not as collision of genres but of the ways of approaching to music as tradition. Tradition, that is, the perspective of listening and producing music.

At this writing I've compiled only a single list of records, a Top 40 with only a single album from each artist. "Anatomic" was my selection for the Afro Celts, although their debut "Sound Magic" came close. And they are similar.

If you listen to the five volumes in retrospect, there is the visible (or rather, audible) change and evolution in how the different instruments are being blended together. The harshness, almost extraneous soundscapes of "Sound Magic" have in time been turned into lush and broad landscapes, temples of sound. I really like the solacing and otherwordly primitive atmosphere of "Magic", yet what was lost then and what has now been found is the ability to integrate. That is, to integrate and unify the whole traditions, concepts, into not only sweeps, but into dimensional sounds and impressions. In this they are growing and advancing with each new release, but what is not as easily determined is the other side of unity, and that's how the songs fit together.

"Magic", although being a sort of an impressionistic sound-piece, is surprisingly whole. The other albums in between, rather not. There were the epics like "North" and the transcendentals like "Cyberia", the pearls, but the whole was smaller than its parts. At last I've found an album that pragmatically states otherwise. There are some of the best Afro Celts songs to be found from here, "When I Still Needed You" and "Mojave", but also the most sophisticated structure they've yet pulled on us. Don't get me wrong, I could never critize the state-of-the-art engineering of these albums, as they are all as expertly made as ever, and at the same time they offer us the purest experiences in music; sort of sonic profundity. My idea on the other hand is that the whole album grows into and out of itself, through songs that complement rather than just follow each other. And whereas "North" is epic, "Mojave" is majestic. The only flipside is perhaps Sevara Nazarkhan's "My Secret Bliss", of which "Nevermore" or "Green" is the fuller counterpart; Nazarkhan doesn't fit perfectly (which in itself in its friction makes it still interesting), but you should really listen to her album "Yol Bolsin", which is deliciously gigantic in its intimacy, reminding me of the serenity of Yungchen Lhamo.

At its best, Afro Celt Sound System is soulful and as far from discrepancy as their size as a group would imply, and "Anatomic" sounds their finest moment yet; and never have they lost, even if they've changed, the huge energy and passion for music, for which I give extra points in any case. I recall the autumn of 2005 with fondness, for then were we blessed with two astonishing records: the first one is this, of course, and the other is Ó Lionáird's blissful "Invisible Fields". This is an amazing record.

With best regards,
AK

Relaxing envigorating refreshing music for your day.......2007-01-27

I enjoy the masterful blending of rhythm, tone, beat, instruments, and voice that to me is so well done by Afro-Celt Sound System. And this album is their best yet.

My current favorite song is "Mojave" - the third track on this album. I love to put ACSS on in the background as I'm working through the day, and Mojave takes me from a quiet start on an emotional journey through different stages and moods and then gently back down at the end. One day I was playing my way through the album and after hearing Mojave (which is nearly 11 minutes long) I wanted to hear it again, so I just set it to repeat. About 90 minutes later I got up and realized that I wasn't tired, wasn't bored, wasn't even remotely tired of taking the same journey again and again. That, to me, is the test of great music.

Afro Celt Sound System Volume 5: Anatomic.......2007-01-09

This is my second buy for the Afro Celts. I may like this one better than the first one. I'm sure this won't be the last. Thanks for asking.

Very Mellow.......2007-01-03

The songs were very beautiful and well done, however extremely mellow and something you could fall asleep to.

Buy it - now!.......2006-11-23

To be honest, I had to listen to this CD about three times before I got it. I was used to the faster paced earlier works but wow - the wait was worth it. I can't put it down now. The layers of melodies in each song blew me away. With ACSS, there are always layers and deeper sounds in their music. If you take your time and listen closely to this CD, it will blow you away. I highly recommend it.

Average customer rating: A bit disappointing Awesome! One of the harp greats!!! harmonica at it's best church is out! Yeeha

Delta Hardware Charlie Musselwhite Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Delta Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Harmonica Blues | Blues | Styles | Music Similar Items: Alligator Records 35X35 The Road to Escondido Guitar Groove-A-Rama Brother to the Blues Watermelon Slim and the Workers ASIN: B000EMG6VG Release Date: 2006-05-16

Tracks:

1. Church Is Out
2. One Of These Mornings
3. Sundown
4. Black Water
5. Clarksdale Boogie
6. Just A Feeling
7. Gone Too Long
8. Invisible Ones
9. Town To Town
10. Blues For Yesterday

Amazon.com

As authentic as the lines on his forehead and his droopy eyes, veteran bluesman Charlie Musselwhite gets better with age. (At 62, he's a respected survivor with dozens of albums to his credit.) On Delta Hardware the journeyman musician pays tribute to, and revels in, his Mississippi roots. Although he's spent time in Chicago and on the West Coast, for this album of churning swamp and deep Southern blues he taps his formative years in the town of Kosciusko. Musselwhite's poignant voice and crying harmonica convey loss and sadness on the tense, swirling "Black Water," one of two tracks dealing with Hurricane Katrina. His full-bodied, amplified harp cuts like Paul Butterfield and especially Little Walter, two of whose songs he covers here. Give Musselwhite's backing group credit too, especially guitarist Chris "Kid" Anderson, who slices into the slow, riff-based, Walter-penned "Just a Feeling" with Ronnie Earl-styled precision. Even on the straight-ahead shuffle of "Blues for Yesterday," the band nails a sweaty, edgy groove that's as genuine as it is driving. Producer Chris Goldsmith keeps the sound lean, mean, and just muddy enough to conjure images of the band churning out these dark, dusky Delta blues on a porch in the midst of a sweltering summer's night. The no-frills approach is perfect for Musselwhite's otherworldly harp playing to express his years and miles on the endless blues highway. --Hal Horowitz

Customer Reviews:

A bit disappointing.......2007-05-07

I bought this based on the enthusiastic Amazon reviews and the fact that I like blues rock. This is my first Charlie Musselwhite and I was a bit disappointed. His vocals are laconic and the guitar is rarely gripping. The opening song has a good hook, but the rest is pretty forgettable. If you like blues harp, I'd recommend Kim Wilson's solo efforts over this. Still, it's a solid listenable album, and they may be more vivid in concert.

Awesome!.......2007-01-24

This is one for Blues Harp lovers! Great old school blues mixed with some modern style. I've heard Musselwhite play on a Blind Boys of Alabama CD and absolutely loved his style. This collection is different and yet equally as awesome... moreso if you consider the sheer volume of great harpin'. C.M. is a virtuoso of the harp. Buy this for the pure enjoyment of hearing what amazing sounds can be blown through a simple harmonica.

One of the harp greats!!!.......2007-01-19

Charlie Musselwhite is supposed to have said, that he only knows one song, he just plays it slower or faster or in a different key. Well if that's the case he disguises it well and has managed to release over twenty albums of this song. This latest release is right up there with the best of them. This is no nonsense, no frills earthy blues, from the driving Church is Out and Blues for Yesterday, to the dark sounding Black Water. Buy this CD and just listen to that harp cry! It's a great driving album, but the problem is, there are only ten songs most of them two or three minutes long, so its finished before I get home. Ok just stick it on again!!!

harmonica at it's best.......2007-01-13

There are and have been a few great harmonica players. But I am always amazed what a great player musically and technically Charlie Musselwhite is. And I love the way he and his band sounds. The CD rocks and so do the lyrics of Black Water (title 4). Hello America, get ready for more...

church is out! Yeeha.......2007-01-10

worth it for first song. jeff bezos is a clown. can't stop listening to the first song.

Average customer rating: Awesome CD! Unique and upbeat Incredible - the only word to describe it My mind has been blown Afro celt all the best the world has to offer in one band...

Volume 3: Further in Time Afro Celt Sound System Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Ireland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Vol. 2, Release Volume 1: Sound Magic Volume 5: Anatomic Seed Pod (Bonus DVD) ASIN: B00005ASHF Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

1. North - Part 1
2. North - Part 2
3. When You're Falling (featuring Peter Gabriel)
4. Shadow Man
5. Lagan
6. Colossus
7. Life Begins Again (featuring Robert Plant)
8. Further in Time
9. Go on Through
10. Persistence of Memory
11. Silken Whip
12. Onwards

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

While not as out-of-left-field revelatory and astonishing as their exalted debut, nor as darkly magnetic as their sophomore follow-up, Volume 3: Further in Time finds Afro Celt Sound System fleshed out, funky, and fiercely fresh. Now a band of 20-some-odd players, the Afro Celts push forward with unbounded energy and focus, organically driven beats, and a thoroughly joyous fusion of West African and Irish traditional music enhanced with dissonant Eastern influence, psychedelic trip-hop groove, and a monster flood of sonic waves. The resultant sound is somehow both cutting-edge futuristic and primitive in its visceral virility. Demba Barry steps up with an unexpectedly punchy African hip-hop-styled vocal on "Shadowman," "Lagan" plays out into an orchestral swan dive, and, throughout, Johnny Kalsi and Moussa Sissokho come on like gangbusters with the drums. Real World label honcho and world-music champion Peter Gabriel does a stunning turn on the eminently catchy "When You're Falling," and Robert Plant contributes a powerfully epic rock vocal on "Life Begins Again." Fine as all these moments are, the centerpiece of volume 3, where the band achieves beyond perfect synthesis, is the ecstatic groove-lock on the African acid ceilidh of "Colossus." Volume 3 is the tune-in turn-on we've been waiting for. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews:

Awesome CD!.......2006-11-26

I just can't get enough of this group. They have such a unique sound: the name of the group sums it up pretty well. This is an awesome CD like the others.

Unique and upbeat.......2006-11-06

I was introduced to this music by a coworker and I really like it! I've always been a fan of celtic music, but this is like celtic on espresso. It's very upbeat and truly unique. I highly recommend it - enjoy!!

Incredible - the only word to describe it.......2006-08-02

My aunt put this in the car one day when we were driving to my uncle's house. I had just played the song "Chaiyya Chaiyya" from Inside Man, and she said I bet you'll like this, it's a lot of the same style. As soon as she put it on, "North" came on, and absolutely blew me away. The beautiful ambient sounds and the sparse, yet undeniably enchanting African vocals were just beautiful. By the time "North Part 2" came on, we were both drumming our hands and dancing in the car. Whoever thought of mixing African and Celtic music, then setting it to a rave/techno beat is a genius.

She bought me the CD (and also "Seed, which is great too), and I've been listening to it obsessively since. I know it's now a cliche so rate this CD 5 stars, but the beautiful, haunting melodies and the catchy, rythmic tehcno beats make this CD one of the best in my collection. It was a great find for me especially, since I'm getting sick of all the horrible pop/rock/rap that's out there. If you're like me, and you're sick of all "today's hits" and are looking for something to dance to and have a great time listening to, BUY THIS ALBUM! It is something very fresh and amazing. Aah, North 2 just came on with that awesome celtic instrument riff and dance club style techno beat. I gotta get back to dancing!

My mind has been blown.......2006-05-30

Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, plus musicians from all over the world combining their grooves together to make a whole that surpasses anything I could have imagined. This CD not only transports, it elevates! Essential for the world music collector.

Afro celt all the best the world has to offer in one band..........2006-04-20

Every album is better than the one before...I love the depth to the music and the fact that it is depth from the number of musicians playing and not the number of sound effects is wonderful. There is a difference...and wow it is powerful....thank you thank you thank you

Average customer rating: a faraway place What beautiful music! wonderful ethnic sound Soothing, haunting and soulful sounds of Africa lovely

En Mana Kuoyo Ayub Ogada Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Africa | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Constant Gardener African Voices Exile Wonders of the African World In the Heart of the Moon ASIN: B000000HP1 Release Date: 1993-06-18

Tracks:

1. Obiero
2. Dala
3. Wa Winjigo Ero
4. Thum Nyatiti
5. Kronkrohinko
6. Chiro
7. 10%
8. Ondiek
9. Kothbiro
10. En Mana Kuoyo

Amazon.com

Prior to a lot of travel and his eventual settling in England, Ayub Ogada was a member of the Luo tribe from a wedge of northern Kenya pinched between Uganda and Tanzania. Ogada's music is based on repetitious patterns plucked on the nyatiti, a stringed instrument reminiscent of the lyre. On En Mana Kuoyo (meaning "just sand"), he sings mellifluous, almost hypnotic, and yet ultimately lackadaisical melodies concerning home, his instrument, the weather, and injustice. By way of attempting a subtle fusion of African and European (not to mention urban and rural) styles, Ogada is accompanied by a small ensemble that adds surprisingly little to almost too-pretty songs more alike than not. --Richard Gehr

Album Details

One of the Finest UK-BASED African Musicians Explores the Traditional Culture of his People, the Luo: 'go Far, See the World, but Don't Forget Where You Come Fromà'

Customer Reviews:

a faraway place.......2006-12-02

This music takes me to a faraway place, if only in my mind. Great for some perspective while doing mundane errands in the car. Peaceful, haunting, beautiful. The editorial review is terse and, in my opinion, dead wrong.

What beautiful music!.......2006-10-20

I can listen to this CD over and over and get lost in the haunting melodies. Thank goodness I wasn't put off by Richard Gehr's editorial review. The customer reviews are far more reflective of what you will find here.

wonderful ethnic sound.......2006-08-30

The music on this cd was so authentic and real. The sounds made you feel like your were in Africa, set you in a real peaceful yet hollow mood. I loved it!!!

Soothing, haunting and soulful sounds of Africa.......2006-03-13

I fell in love with Ayub Ogada's music after hearing his haunting "Kothbiro" -- effectively the theme song of the film "The Constant Gardener."

I bought the disk for my wife who has played it over and over. She loves the simple, beautiful rhythms, Ogada's liltingly sensual voice and the sense-pictures his music provides of the unforgettable African countryside and people.

lovely.......2006-02-28

It's exactly the sound that I was looking for! Real Africa, not just drums and noise. You can fly with your mind.

Average customer rating: Hula with an R & B spin! Awesome for KIDS! Puts them to sleep! My Favorite CD Feel the Spirit of Aloha You've got to have this one!

Kawaipunahele Keali'i Reichel Manufacturer: Punahele Productions ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Hawaii | Pacific Islands | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Facing Future E Ala E Alone in IZ World In Dis Life Ho'oluana ASIN: B000003ZVJ Release Date: 1997-04-22

Tracks:

1. Kawaipunahele
2. In My Life
3. Hanohano Ka Lei Pikake
4. If We Hold On Together
5. E Ho'i I Ka Pili
6. Wanting Memories
7. Kauanoeanuhea
8. Ku'u Wehi O Ke Aumoe
9. 'Akaka Falls
10. Pua Mikinolia
11. Come Sail Away
12. He Mele Inoa No Kawaipunahele

Customer Reviews:

Hula with an R & B spin!.......2007-05-13

I enjoyed the mix of traditional hula with some songs taking on an R & B spin.

Awesome for KIDS! Puts them to sleep!.......2006-03-19

I listened to this music (my daughter is half Hawaiian) when my daughter was a baby ten years ago and it would always soothe her and put her to sleep because it's so soothing and beautiful. Now, my son, when he teeths he is inconsolible! He will not stop for a bottle, to be rocked, sang to, put down in his bed, etc. But I play this, and not even 3 seconds later, he is on his way to la la land. It is wonderful. I recommend it to any parent! Or anyone who wants to de-stress.

My Favorite CD.......2006-02-17

Keali'i Reichel has such a nice mellow voice.
His Music is so soothing and Kawaipunahele is my favorite CD of his works!
Keali'i Reichel includes familar songs along with the Hawaiian theme that puts you in a very mellow mood.
Only wish I had this CD when my kids were all small.
I have bought two of this CD one I bought in Hawaii and this one I bought for my girlfriend because she drives a Limo and would use it in the Limo.

Feel the Spirit of Aloha.......2006-02-08

I bought this CD on Maui, listened to it while we were there, brought it home and listened to it and, thanks to the included lyrics, learned the words to all the songs. I don't speak much Hawaiian, but I now can sing some songs in Hawaiian. Keali'i Reichel has a wonderful voice, great talent, a love for Hawaiian traditions and his legacy, and I can feel the Spirit of Aloha as he sings the songs on this CD.

You've got to have this one!.......2005-08-30

As you know, all of Keali'i's CD's are recommended. This one was his debut CD, released in 1994. It features traditional Hawaiian favorites such as "Akaka Falls," as well as original compositions including "E Ho'i I Ka Pili," "Kauanoeanuhea," and the title track, "Kawaipunahele." It also contains cover versions of The Beatles' "In My Life" and Sticks' "Come Sail Away." Keali'i's chanting comes across at the beginning of "In My Life" and in the last track, "He Mele Inoa No Kawaipunahele." Be sure to pick this one up!

Average customer rating: Very good show which I hadn't heard of... THE APPLE TREE (1966 ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST) I still remember these songs after 40 years Really 2.5 Boring material that you forget very easily

The Apple Tree (1966 Original Broadway Cast) Sheldon Harnick Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast) Curtains (2007 Original Broadway Cast) 110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast) Company (2006 Broadway Revival Cast) ASIN: B0000027WD Release Date: 1992-11-24

Tracks:

1. Eden Prelude
2. Here In Eden
3. Feelings
4. Eve
5. Friends
6. The Apple Tree (Forbidden Fruit)
7. Beautiful, Beautiful World
8. It's A Fish
9. Go To Sleep, Whatever You Are
10. What Makes Me Love Him?/Eden Postlude
11. The Lady Or The Tiger? Prelude/I'll Tell You a Truth/Make Way
12. Forbidden Love (In Gaul)
13. The Apple Tree (Reprise)
14. I've Got What You Want
15. Tiger, Tiger
16. Make Way (Reprise)/Which Door/I'll Tell You a Truth (Reprise)
17. Passionella Prelude
18. Oh, To Be A Movie Star
19. Gorgeous
20. (Who, Who, Who, Who) Who Is She?
21. I Know
22. Wealth
23. You Are Not Real
24. Passionella Postlude/Finale

Customer Reviews:

Very good show which I hadn't heard of..........2007-05-13

I was very into theatre in high school and college and thought I was up on most musicals, but had never heard of this show until recently. It's comprised of three short stories which were adapted into the musical format. The first two stories are tied together very well, although the last seems tacked on. But the songs are catchy and it's fairly easy to figure out what's happening simply by listening to the songs. There are two songs which are tied for my favoritism: "It's a Fish" from Adam and Eve and "You Are Not Real" from Passionella. Check it out.

THE APPLE TREE (1966 ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST).......2007-04-10

IT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. I WENT TO THE REVIVAL OF THE APPLE TREE ON BROADWAY IN NEW YORK CITY AND LOVED THE SCORE BUT THERE WASN'T A SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE SO I PURCHASED THE ORIGINAL VERSION AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

I still remember these songs after 40 years.......2006-11-05

I saw this show on the stage when it first ran, and have never forgotten it. The key to a good Broadway show is this question: Are you humming the songs when you leave the theatre? In the case of The Apple Tree, the answer is a resounding "Yes." I have been waiting 40 years for this show to be revived, and I have tickets for the revival opening in December at the Roundabout. I hope not to be disappointed, for the trio of Barbara Harris, a very young Alan Alda, and the late Larry Blyden were terrific. The three-part concept can be jarring because just when you're getting into the story, it ends -- but just enjoy the kind of songs they just don't write anymore.

Really 2.5.......2006-07-25

SO this is another show thats actually three one acts. The first "The Diary of Adam and Eve" is the best by far. It has really cute songs and nice plot. Thats the only reason I rounded this up from 2.5 to 3 stars. The rest of the show is nothing great. "Lady and Tiger" is short and boring. And "Passionella" is exactly what it sounds like, a knock off of Cinderella. But hey, its a good show for collectors and "The Diary of Adam and Eve" is nice. Favorite Song: "Its A Fish"

Boring material that you forget very easily.......2006-06-29

According to some reviews, this musical was supposed to be very good and I bought it. Unfortunately, I was quite dissapointed. It's composed of three different tales, the first one referring to the Adam & Eve biblical story. The lyrics here are very silly and tedious. The second tale, "The Lady or the Tiger?" contains songs that are simply awful, probably the worst ever written for a Broadway show. The third story, "Passionella", contains music that does nothing to make things better. The album contains a good informative booklet in English, German, French & Italian (as Sony uses to do)which says that Time magazine defined this show as "three moldy figs". I entirely agree. I would recommend this musical to those suffering from insomnia: it will put them to sleep right away.

Average customer rating: Musical Erotica..... Where to from here? Ditto A true merger of Celtic and African styles. Excellent!

Volume 1: Sound Magic Afro Celt Sound System Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Britain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music Ireland | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | New Age | Styles | Music World Dance | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Vol. 2, Release Volume 3: Further in Time Seed Volume 5: Anatomic Pod (Bonus DVD) ASIN: B000000HPO Release Date: 1996-09-24

Tracks:

1. Saor/Free/News From Nowhere
2. Whirl-Y-Reel 1
3. Inion/Daughter
4. Sure-As-Not/Sure-As-Knot
5. Nu Cead Againn Dul Abhaile/We Cannot Go Home
6. Dark Moon, High Tide
7. Whirl-Y-Reel 2
8. House of the Ancestors
9. Eistigh Liomsa Sealad/Listen to Me/Saor Reprise

Amazon.com

Bodhran and kora? Talking drums and Uilleann pipes? Echoing ancient trade roots from a thousand years ago, Sound Magic reunites two seemingly disparate music traditions in a contemporary setting, reaching for a dance-oriented but spiritual hybrid that takes on a life of its own. Producer Simon Emmerson assembles some noteworthy artists including Ayub Ogada, Davy Spillane, Manu Katche, Caroline Lavelle, James McNally (of the Pogues), Iarla O Lionaird, and Masamba Diop to create evocative, clubby grooves that also incorporate samples and flavors from Armenia and the East. With its multilayered rich textures, Sound Magic grafts cultural respect and urban hipness for the global village of the '90s. --Derek Rath

Customer Reviews:

Musical Erotica............2005-09-28

I happened to have the good fortune one night, of catching a few moments of these fellows on a PBS special. It left me lusting for more. I cannot recall ever having been so enthralled after such a brief encounter with a group's music.

This album is the musical equivalent of a languorous, blissfully exhausting sexual encounter. From the undeniably seductive SAOR/FREE, to the tranquil lulling afterglow of SAOR REPRISE, The Afro Celt Sound System will having you rushing through that obligatory post-coital cigarette in order to do it all over again....

Where to from here?.......2005-07-16

Afro Celt Sound System's first album is, as their name says, a clever and in parts quite stunning mix of Celtic & world music that garnered huge praise and success on its release. But despite its ingenuity it's an odd record, veering often incongruously between "dance" music and much slower and occasionally quite turgid world/folk. Truth is that it's the more upbeat club/dance tracks, in particular the outstanding "Sure-As-Not/Sure-As-Knot", "Whirl-Y-Reel 1" & Whirl-Y-Reel 2", that make it come alive and which justify a great deal of the praise heaped on it.

So... if you want to discover similarly inspired, upbeat dance/world music where to? Well, Afro Celt's second album - "Release" - moves them much closer to the club area but, while good, loses a lot of the melodic intricacy & instrumental interplay that made "Sound Magic" such a success; better to go for their third outing - "Further in Time" - which more effectively combines the inspired enthusiasm of their early tracks with the driving club beats of "Release".

Better still, check-out their virtually unknown UK contemporaries, Elephant Talk, whose difficult to find albums follow a similarly infectious, more jazz tinged club/world "fusion" formula with more consistently upbeat and enjoyable results. Check out Amazon.co.uk for Elephant Talk's first two albums, "In a Big Sea" and the even better "Head", and the group's own web site at http://www.infrasound.co.uk/index2.htm for their quite brilliant last release "Leap". You won't be disappointed but you may be left wondering how such equally innovative and exciting music can remain so little known.

Ditto.......2004-05-20

Five stars to all four of the albums put out by these grand folks. I do not need to offer a description as other reviewers have done a perfect job; but if it's helpful to you to see an emphatic "ditto to that" as a review, then here it is.

This, along with Enya, is truly my above all, favorite music across the board. Beats all my other faves in every other music category.

A true merger of Celtic and African styles........2003-07-09

Imagine Irish jigs and reels powered by a heavy jungle beat, African jazz supported by Irish pipes, whistles and fiddles, songs of prayer combined with high-kicking dance tunes, delicate harp melodies with synthesized accents -- all linked together by driving African percussion and an electric rock sensibility. That's the Afro Celt Sound System, but it doesn't begin to cover their sound.

The Afro Celt Sound System isn't a band so much as a cooperative of musicians intrigued by an idea. United under the umbrella of Peter Gabriel's Real World label, nearly two dozen musicians added their personal touch to make the idea a reality.

The initial product of their joining is Volume 1: Sound Magic. It cannot be described as Celtic or African in nature; yet, both styles are evident in spades. Sound Magic is a true union of two completely dissimilar musical genres.

Excellent!.......2003-06-26

This is quite simply a highly essential album from an extremely unique group who fuse seamingly opposite cultures together: Celtic strings & African drums! This album started it all. The music is very traditional and has little of the electronic mayhem of their following albums. "Sure-As-Knot" is absolutely haunting and enchanting!

Although there isn't exactly any filler on here, I'm not so much into the final track but that's just because it doesn't quite rank up there with the others. Still, it's pretty good, just the others are better.

Although not exactly up there with latter albums, This CD is nonetheless a need! Go out and buy it!

Average customer rating: Haven't I heard this before? a beautiful score A Beautiful Mind Haunting, lovely, majestic Dark

A Beautiful Mind: Original Motion Picture Score James Horner Manufacturer: Decca U.S. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Film Scores | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Legends Of The Fall: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Beautiful Mind (Score) (Sl) Apollo 13: Music From The Motion Picture Road to Perdition (Score) A Beautiful Mind (Widescreen Awards Edition) ASIN: B00005TPFV Release Date: 2001-12-11

Tracks:

1. A Kaleidoscope Of Mathematics
2. Playing A Game Of 'Go!'
3. Looking For The Next Great Idea
4. Creating 'Governing Dynamics'
5. Cracking The Russian Codes
6. Nash Descends Into Parcher's World
7. First Drop Off. First Kiss
8. The Car Chase
9. Alicia Discovers Nash's Dark World
10. Real Or Imagined?
11. Of One Heart, Of One Mind
12. Saying Goodbye To Those You So Love
13. Teaching Mathematics Again
14. Prize of One's Life... The Prize of One's Mind
15. All Love Can Be - Charlotte Church
16. Closing Credits

Amazon.com

This Ron Howard film parlays the troubled story of Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash Jr., a gifted Princeton mathematics professor tormented for decades by paranoid schizophrenia, into something considerably richer than typical Hollywood triumph-against-all-odds fare. Howard has teamed here again with frequent collaborator James Horner, and it's the composer who deftly shades the film's difficult emotional landscape and helps impart a compelling humanity. Horner's first task is not inconsiderable: musically portraying the arcane realm of mathematical theorems that are the story's backdrop. In doing so, the composer leans heavily on modern minimalist technique, bright flourishes that recur briefly throughout an orchestral score that increasingly reflects Nash's bleak inner landscape in its quietly somber and brooding tones. And while Horner has frequently been accused of excessively repeating himself in his scores, the neo-minimalist gambit employed on this reflectively pastoral, postmodernist soundscape neatly nips such criticism in the bud. Nash's triumph is ultimately an intensely personal one, well reflected in Welsh soprano Charlotte Church's lilting performance of the Horner/Will Jennings ballad "All Love Can Be." This enhanced CD also features notes by the director and composer, as well as exclusive photos and the film's trailer. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Haven't I heard this before?.......2007-06-20

As other reviewers will tell you yes this is another Horner machine made soundtrack. But it still sounds good! If you are a Horner fan by all means buy it otherwise "at your own risk"!

And another thing that gets me is no one even bothered to mention "Alicia Discovers Nash's Dark World" I happened to like this one this is the song that plays when he is in the hospital.

a beautiful score.......2007-02-09

James Horner's soundtrack for A BEAUTIFUL MIND is as psychologically intense as the film it so effectively embellishes.

Charlotte Church provides an appropriately eerie and largely non-verbal soprano to this remarkable motion picture score, yet one that would seem only quirky were it not so beautifully embedded in a musical stream that draws one inexorably and almost vicariously into the emotional turbulence of the Princeton mathematician John Nash.

There is an angelic nature to the shape and texture of this music, one that is able to turn demonic as the story line requires. Both by brilliance and by dementia, Nash seems the object of external forces, rising with supreme heroism (at least in the film's version of events) to conquer. The music is there at each score, coaxing the viewer into empathic solidarity with this deeply troubled man and his long-suffering and preternaturally beautiful wife.

This is mood music of the deeply engaging variety. Its lush tonal landscape is achieved under the baton of the composer himself. The score's vast range of volume and expression would certainly have made it a joy to watch in performance.

Alas, we don't have that.

But we have this.

An ethereal, compelling, even gripping tone poem. Buy it.

A Beautiful Mind.......2006-08-09

Absolutely gorgeous - my husband keeps it in his car and listens to it whenever he's driving.

Haunting, lovely, majestic.......2006-04-04

The sound track for "A Beautiful Mind" stayed with me long after the movie. The CD has all the themes that made the movie so emotionally powerfull. James Horner, composer and conductor, perfectly matches the excitement of genius and the terror of mental disability. Charlotte Church's clear and gentle voice compliments the music and used instrumentally creates a haunting refrain. I loved the movie and this music is wonderful.

Dark.......2006-02-20

This is one of the darkest and most emotional soundtrack, and yet it is filled with more inspiring songs.
Best soundtrack ive ever heard.

Average customer rating: Higher Ground Great Album -- not just for Gospel fans! Great Album The other senses do get stronger The Blind Boys weave their voices in spiritual fervor

Higher Ground Blind Boys of Alabama Manufacturer: Real World ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music $8.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $8.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Spirit of the Century Amazing Grace Go Tell It on the Mountain Atom Bomb There Will Be a Light ASIN: B00006AO77 Release Date: 2002-08-27

Tracks:

1. People Get Ready
2. Spirit in the Dark
3. Wade in the Water
4. Stand by Me
5. The Cross
6. Many Rivers to Cross
7. Higher Ground
8. Freedom Road
9. I May Not Can See
10. You and your Folks/23rd Psalm
11. I Shall Not Walk Alone
12. Precious Lord

Amazon.com

On the follow-up to their Grammy-winning album Spirit of the Century, the three gospel-singing septuagenarians celebrate the holy side of secular songs in hopes of connecting with "the generations that are behind us," as founding member Clarence Fountain put it. Always alert to the potent message of God's mightiness, they exuberantly spiritualize the Stevie Wonder title track and Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready," as well as choice picks from the songbooks of Prince ("The Cross"), George Clinton ("You and Your Folks," grafted onto the 23rd Psalm!), Ben Harper ("I Shall Not Walk Alone"), and others (Harper guests on three tracks). A few uplifting traditional gospel numbers turn up, too. Throughout the program, Blind Boy Jimmy Carter's stirring tenor voice is a minor miracle. And "sacred steel" guitarist Robert Randolph and his Family Band are important to the success of the album, supplying genuine fervor to grooves that complement the elders' heaven-bound vocals. --Frank-John Hadley

Customer Reviews:

Higher Ground.......2006-12-27

Purchased this CD for my son from his Christmas wish list -- but I also have enjoyed it very much. It was shipped and received exactly as promised with no problems.

Great Album -- not just for Gospel fans! .......2005-02-17

I've been more a blues and rock fan, but after hearing the Blind Boys of Alabama on their "There Will Be a Light" CD with Ben Harper I decided to buy "Higher Ground". What a great CD and what moving music. Every cut is superb. I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes great music.

Great Album.......2003-09-24

I love this album! They all have great soulful voices and a really great back-up band. Nice variety of songs from slow ballads to rocking blues.

The other senses do get stronger.......2003-09-07

Glad they weren't the Deaf Boys of Alabama. My first listen was off Peter Gabriel's latest album which features the Blind Boys in a couple tracks. Great harmonies brought me to this album, and after accidentally running into a concert of theirs during the Montreal Jazz Festival a night before I was to see Peter Gabriel in concert, I was only disappointed that they didn't show up to perform at the last concert of Gabriel's tour the next night. However, I was in awe! The presence, the power and they rocked the house. I wished I was able to find a rockin baptist church so I could hear this kind of live musical power on a weekly basis. You won't be disappointed in this CD.

The Blind Boys weave their voices in spiritual fervor.......2003-02-26

Though they have gospel origins, the Blind Boys of Alabama have garnered world-wide secular acclaim with the raw passion of their singing and harmonizing. They've been together for so many decades that they have all blended their vocal skills together to form a spiritual orchestra that moves you through not just spiritual classics but some original versions of popular contemporary hits as well.

International Music:

1. Reflexo Condicionado [Import]
2. Release [CD-single] [Import]
3. RoseGarden
4. Silvio Caldas [Import]
5. Songbook Chico Barque V.1 [Import]
6. Songbook Chico Buarque V.2 [Import]
7. Songbook Chico Buarque V.3 [Import]
8. Stolen Generation [Import]
9. Stress, Depressao E O Sindrome Do Panico [Import]
10. Sunrise

International Music

International Music