In the Upper Room

Track Listings

1. In the Upper Room

2. Hands of God

3. Said He Would

4. Silent Night

5. I Bow on My Knees

6. Didn't It Rain

7. Walk With Me

8. What Then?

9. It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)

10. Jesus Is With Me

11. How I Got Over

12. I'm Glad Salvation Is Free

13. Go Tell It on the Mountain

14. He's My Light

15. It's Real

16. Get Away Jordan

17. Run All the Way

18. I Gave up Everything to Follow Him

19. Nobody Knows

Tracks:

Glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks
In The Upper Room
In The Upper Room
In The Upper Room
In The Upper Room
In The Upper Room

Customer Reviews:

He works magic in film........2007-03-25

Perhaps it is true that the work of Phillip Glass has been of ambiguous nature; many different subconsciousness that would be drawn to his music and many alike would be pulled back in similiar impact or just simply stand in plain confusion. His music works perfect for the medium of film, not because there is another medium 'filling up the void' in his style, but it's the commentary that it makes on the story while the film runs on its own. This music leaves much to the imagination of those filled with it, to tell their own story. It can handle almost anything one throws at it; irony, contradiction, pain, relief, comedic, anything, it will almost seem to work out well perfectly for certain individuals. Minimalism is a common label on this music, however it is precisely minimalism that leaves the mind to explore on its own. Classical greats like Bach, although in a similiar vein, still lay down the scenery in a more conspicuous manner than Glass. After all, this is contemporary art; and it will not work out well for those who do not have the audacity to create their own mental scenes but rather rely more on music for a more solid comprehension to come through.

Glassworks is an amazing album.......2006-11-12

Although I'd heard of Philip Glass I was quite unaware of his music until I attended a performance of The Upper Room by the Washington Ballet in October 2006. The music is by Philip Glass and the choreography by Twyla Tharp. It was one of the most memorable artistic experiences of my life. It was incredible.

I subsequently purchased Glassworks and find the music to be extremely powerful. I recommend this album absolutely. I find most of the pieces on the album to be profoundly moving. The last movement from "The Upper Room" is especially powerful and significant.

Great experiment of questionable musical value.......2006-01-30

Yes, arpeggios are great! Thank you, Philip. That is called harmony. But there also exists such thing as melody, you know. Maybe, you've heard of it. It's what some composers are famous for. I see that you know what it is. But you should definitely use it more often!

Let's start again... I absolutely love Opening. It's emotional, it's haunting, it's beautiful, and it's atmospheric. But what follows next... Really, Philip Glass could be a great etude composer. When I'm playing piano etudes, I'm always reminded of Glass' music. Some people say it's atmospheric, I say it's repetitive and boring. Hints of melody and style pierce the arpeggiated clouds on Island and Facades. But that's it.

If you want some good atmospheric minimalism, listen to Harold Budd or Brian Eno. If you want good post-modern influenced compositions, buy James Newton Howard's The Village score. You may want to buy Philip Glass' Glassworks if you can't live without the opening theme or want to find out what his music is about. I've found out. But right now I don't want to go any further...

Love - Hate Relationship.......2006-01-17

Simply, the question is of the following: Is P. Glass one of the 20th century's most creative artists, lending a sublte poignancy to his pieces; or, on the other hand, is Glass merely the most overrated hack in classical music today, utilizing almost endlessly repeating arpeggios to the chagrin of the listener's ear (not to mention, patience)?

From my rating, I clearly fall into the first camp. However, the pleasure you will derive from this CD is undoubtedly personal and subjective, based upon both experience and taste. No doubt, the arguments on both side of the question are passionate and entrenched. I suggest, instead, that you listen to the tracks that Amazon provides. This will give you a sense as to whether you will love or hate the music.

As for my experience with the music, I agree with several fellow reviewers: Glass's methodology is wholeheartedly expressive, providing the composer with ample space to slowly build and play on different moods within the work, making the listener conscious of individual notes, instruments, and rhythms within the ensemble. The only thing I can think to compare this with is, perhaps, flavors. Either you can eat a piece of chocolate hurriedly and grasp the totality of its flavor; or you may calmly savor it and, perhaps, find a nice caramal center, unmask the interplay of various textures, and discover satisfaction in its simplicity.

Bear in mind, however, I approached Philip Glass after having a large exposure to Ravi Shankar and 'classical Indian' music. Some, not all, of the music is rhythmically repetitive. This experience, I think, predisposed me to liking Glass's compositions.

A Few Words on Glassworks.......2005-12-21

In a joke email about the Mozart effect that a friend of mine recieved, the effect of several other composers' music on children was discussed as if it had an effect on the children like Mozart's music does. In "The Glass Effect", "a child tends to repeat him or herself over and over and over and over and over and over and over again." This is true, Glass's music, "Glassworks" in particular, is alarmingly repetitive. The reason that most people knock this set of pieces is because they are totally missing the point. Glass's music has been categorized in the realm of "minimalism." The point of minimalism is to do as much as possible with the least amount of music. Glass executes this agenda quite well with "Glassworks." Most people don't exactly realize what Glass is doing by repeating himself over and over again.

First of all people have to realize a few things about this music. Philip Glass did not intend on having this music being played in the background at your next dinner party. Leave that up to Bach and Mozart. What Glass did want with this piece was for mature listeners to realize what he has done with texture and simplicity. Also, Glass's works are not about melody. They are about texture and mood and atmosphere. Each piece has its own shape little additions keep the piece from becoming overly monotonous. I think that Glass has made a great musical statement with his set of pieces that should be carefully digested with an open mind.

For the most part, Glass's concept works. However, the second movement "Floe" could probably be axed or revised. This is the only movement that seems to get unbelivably monotonous. It's also a lot to digest at the beginning of the suite. If it came more towards the end before the closing as opposed to after the opening where it functions as more of a rhythmic pie in the face. Some of the movements could also stand to use a little more variation but for the most part, Glass keeps the pieces interesting.

I cannot say much about the other work, "In the Other Room" that appears on this album, because I own the original Glassworks album. I just wanted to clear up some of the misconceptions that many have about this different music. It's hard to say whether or not Glass's music will stand up to the same test of time as the music of the greats like Mozart's and Bach's, but things are not looking good for Glass, not because the music isn't good, but becuase too many ignorant people immediately dismiss it as garbage. It seems that if people openly knock this music like they do, the same people that put those parental advisory stickers on CDs might want to instigate a separate rating system. This one should be stickered with: "CDMA: Mature Audiences Only."

A Proper Introduction to Mahalia Jackson: In the Upper Room

Average customer rating:

A Proper Introduction to Mahalia Jackson: In the Upper Room
Mahalia Jackson
Manufacturer: Proper Introduction
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Blues | Styles | Music

Traditional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

Christian & Gospel | Imports | Stores | Music

R&B | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0002Z9Y7S
Release Date: 2004-09-20

Tracks:

I'm Going to Tell God
What Could I Do?
Move on Up a Little Higher, Pt. 1
Move on Up a Little Higher, Pt. 2
Even Me
Dig a Little Deeper
Amazing Grace
I Can Put My Trust in Jesus
Get Away Jordan
Prayer Changes Things
Just Over the Hill, Pt. 1
Just Over the Hill, Pt. 2
These Are They
Silent Night, Holy Night
Lord's Prayer
How I Got Over
Just as I Am
His Eye Is on the Sparrow
In the Upper Room, Pts. 1-2
Consider Me
What Then?
No Matter How You Pray
Walking to Jerusalem

Album Description

Import exclusive compilation features comprehensive liner notes, photographs, & discographies. Proper. 2004.

Album Details

General Critical Consensus Holds Mahalia Jackson as the Greatest Gospel Singer Ever to Live; A Major Crossover Success Whose Popularity Extended Across Racial Divides, She was Gospel's First Superstar, and Even Decades after her Death Remains for Many Listeners a Defining Symbol of the Music's Transcendent Power. Comes with a Fully Illustrated Booklet featuring Comprehensive Liner Notes, Photographs and Discographies.

Average customer rating:

A wonderful first exposure to the works of Philip Glass
The paradox of variety and minimalism
Sort of a disappointment...
Chilling
A wonderful compilation of his compositions used in dance.

Dancepieces

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Dance #1-5
The Photographer
Itaipu
Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters (1985 Film)
Glassworks

ASIN: B00000260W
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

In The Upper Room: Dance l
In The Upper Room: Dance ll
In The Upper Room: Dance V
In The Upper Room: Dance Vlll
In The Upper Room: Dance lX
Glasspiece # 1('Rubric')
Glasspiece # 2 ('Facades')
Glasspiece # 3 ('Funeral' From Akhnaten)

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful first exposure to the works of Philip Glass.......2007-05-19

I have only just recently started exploring the major minimalist composers and found this compilation by Philip Glass to be very interesting and perhaps a little bit more accessible in contrast with early compositions by Terry Riley. In general, the music on this compilation features ostinatos mixed with arpeggios and like most minimalism, the pieces are deeply meditative.

Glasspieces was originally performed in 1983; the nine movement In the Upper Room suite premiered in 1986; and both accompanied a ballet performance. Neither of the pieces on this compilation are presented in their original (complete) form. Specifically, only five of the nine movements (selected by Glass himself) originally included on In the Upper Room are presented on Dancepieces, while only movements 4 and 5 were taken from the original six movement Glassworks (1982). Track eight represents a single movement taken from the Akhnaten suite (1987). Admittedly, the abbreviated version of In the Upper Room does not work very well. Then again, I really did not mind too much because the music is fascinating. Of the two pieces my favorite is the more subdued and gloomy In the Upper Room, which emphasizes "classical" instrumentation.

In large part, the music on this album is very brooding, reflective, and dominated by woodwind, brass and string instruments. There are however, some extremely "rhythmically charged" moments where just percussion and synthesizers are used, e.g. Glasspiece No.3 Funeral from Akhnaten. The technique of the musicians on Glasspiece No. 3 is particularly dazzling. Melodies are also sprinkled throughout and add a lot to the texture of each piece. Total running time of the CD is 45'45" with In the Upper Room clocking in at approximately 23'25" and Glasspieces at 22'18". There are a number of musicians on both pieces and In the Upper Room includes conductor Michael Reisman on piano and synthesizers (it sounds like an Oberheim polyphonic and possibly a Yamaha CS80 polyphonic). Fortunately, the synthesizer tone colors are very warm and do not sound (too) synthetic in a 1980s way. In addition to the keyboardist, there are a number of string, brass, and woodwind players. Synthesizer use is much heavier on Glasspieces, although the second Glasspiece movement is dominated by strings and woodwinds and is very haunting (my personal favorite). Although nearly all instrumental music, the addition of voice (Dora Ohrenstein) on both pieces was a very nice touch.

All in all I found this compilation to be a great introduction to the works of minimalist composer Philip Glass. Although I had objections to the "butchered" version of In the Upper Room it really was not all that bad - in fact I am inspired to seek out the original. Recommended along with works by other minimalist composers including Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Lamonte Young.

The paradox of variety and minimalism.......2006-03-17

This collection gives a narrow but varied sample of Glass's pieces used by noted choreographers. The music is very danceable even for the non-professional and is highly recommended for teachers who want to broaden their dance students' sensibilities beyond stale over-orchestrated bits of "Nutcracker" or bubble gum pop music adored by "dance teams".

Sort of a disappointment..........2000-03-30

This is a collection of works from the early-mid 80s, for ballet performance. However, two of these pieces were previously released on the "Glassworks" collection and as such fit better in their original context. And the cycle "In the Upper Room" is here not presented en toto...which is a major point of irritation, given the extended playing time of CDs. However, this is the only place you can find the ensemble version of the 'Funeral' from "Akhenaten", which was a show-stopper from Glass's ensemble concerts of the mid-80s. So, while this is a plus, the inclusion of the 'recycled' "Glassworks" tracks is annoying, and the chop-up of the "In the Upper Room" cycle should be considered criminal, and someone at CBS needs their head examined for continuing the vinyl sequencing present here. Boo. Hiss.

Chilling.......1999-05-21

Even though the entire album is one of his best, the first Glasspience is absolutely amazing. It is quite haunting yet beautiful at the same time

A wonderful compilation of his compositions used in dance........1998-07-06

This inspiring assortment of Glass compositions gives this listener an understanding of how dance and movement work together. The pieces used Tharp's classic choreography to "The Upper Room" build to an ecstatic climax. This work is not to be missed.

Average customer rating:

A Fine Sampling of the Great Gospel Voice

In the Upper Room
Mahalia Jackson
Manufacturer: 601 Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000058WU
Release Date: 1997-09-23

Tracks:

Amazing Grace
In The Upper Room (Part 1)
Nobody Knows
Go Tell It On The Mountain
Get Away Jordan
His Eye Is On The Sparrow
Run All The Way
Come To Jesus
I'm On My Way To Canaan
Didn't It Rain

Customer Reviews:

A Fine Sampling of the Great Gospel Voice.......2004-06-13

Born to a poor family in 1911 in New Orleans, Mahalia Jackson grew up singing in her father's church--and soaking up the blues and jazz for which that city is so famous. By the late 1920s she was in Chicago, where her distinctly jazz and blues-inflected singing style nearly got her thrown out of the Greater Salem Baptist Church. But Mahalia persevered, and in the early 1950s a series of radio and television broadcasts launched her first to national and then international acclaim. Some thirty years after her death in 1972, she is still considered the single greatest gospel singer America has ever produced.

At present, there are numerous Jackson compilations on the market. IN THE UPPER ROOM consists largely of songs available on other releases, but it does include several harder-to-find selections that make this particular CD worth seeking out--"Hands of God," "I Bow on My Knees," and "Walk With Me" to name but three. But regardless of the particular song, Jackson's voice is always first rate. I can only describe it by saying that it reaches out and rings you like a great bell with a vibration that runs from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. If ever there was a voice lifted in praise of God, surely this is it.

Although the audio integrity of these selections are limited by the technology of their time, Mahalia Jackson's gifts easily transcends every issue, and the sheer number of selections is also very good. Overall the collection offers a truly fine sampling of her work. Recommended!

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring Six Bonus Tracks

Average customer rating:

Eastertide: Gregorian Chant

Manufacturer: Solesmes
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003XGY
Release Date: 1996-03-19

Average customer rating:

In the Upper Room

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000HD0Y6A
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Average customer rating:

Return

Manufacturer: Bradley Vail Band
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CA6KI4
Release Date: 2004-08-31

Average customer rating:

This Old House
In Christian Company
Manufacturer: Upper Room
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

Southern Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CADVCC
Release Date: 2002-10-29

Tracks:

This Old House
You Are Not Listening to Me
Learning to Fly
Red Camels
Momma's Wings
He Knew My Name
Candle of Your Grace
99
She Ought to Have a Halo
Highest Cloud

Average customer rating:

The Upper Room

Manufacturer: The Orchard
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00003ZAJ1
Release Date: 2000-05-10

Tracks:

When In The End
On All The Earth ( Passage )
With Great Sorrow
At That Time When All Creations Tremble And Quake
Pair Of Brothers
Messiah, The Bridegroom ( Passage )
The Test Of Habel
To Your Home We Came O Lord
My Lord, Draw Me Up
The Voices Of Adam
Let Us Remember
Goodbye
Small And Little
The Funeral Of Christ , Our King
Glory To The Worthy
The Doors Of Paradise
Bonus Track 1
Bonus Track 2
Bonus Track 3

Music:

Music

Music

1. In the Upper Room
2. Hands of God
3. Said He Would
4. Silent Night
5. I Bow on My Knees
6. Didn't It Rain
7. Walk With Me
8. What Then?
9. It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)
10. Jesus Is With Me
11. How I Got Over
12. I'm Glad Salvation Is Free
13. Go Tell It on the Mountain
14. He's My Light
15. It's Real
16. Get Away Jordan
17. Run All the Way
18. I Gave up Everything to Follow Him
19. Nobody Knows