Love and Pain

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Chanteuse Morris is both English and classically trained, facts that may not be readily apparent in her adventurously disparate takes on traditional American soul and R&B forms. Bolstered with feminist zeal from the opening bars of "Mad Woman Blues," yet illuminated with a clear-eyed humanism that's not above gentle jabs of self-deprecation, Morris gives refreshing, clear-eyed spins to the album's titular concerns. Her voice impressively morphs from gritty blues and the sass of "Blind Old Friends" and "A Horse Named Janis Joplin" through jazzy sophistication ("Arms of an Angel"), weary cabaret detachment ("Innocence") to the breathy club-cool of "Nothing Comes From Nothing." Just as rewarding are the accomplished production and adventurous musical touches (that span gospel and folk to nervous electro-club and savory world beats) she's framed the collection's songs with. Rich, often surprising--and including everything from African chants to electric sitar--those disparate elements are integrated into a spare, less-is-more sophistication that illuminates much of Morris's masterfully understated gem of an album. --Jerry McCulley

Tracks:

Once In A Lifetime
Shine
I Told You So
I Can't Stop Loving You
Won't Let You Down
Faster Car
Stupid Boy
Used To The Pain
Raise The Barn (featuring Ronnie Dunn)
God Made Woman
Tu Compania
Everybody
Got It Right This Time

Amazon.com

It's tempting to read these songs--many about hope in the face of potential heartbreak--as an adjunct to Keith Urban's own tabloid-fodder life, which lately reads "ex-junkie country star marries Nicole Kidman, enters rehab." But his three previous albums have similar dark undertones. That would also be an underestimation of Urban's creative powers, which are broad enough to balance assembly-line Nashville pop with emotionally fine-tuned artistry. Breezy rockers like "Faster Car," sweet hooky ballads like "Shine," and readymade big-chorus hits like "Once in a Lifetime" rub elbows with more complex numbers like "I Can't Stop Loving You"--an essay about sad courage that starts with an acoustic guitar and adds instrumental textures as it unfolds--and "Stupid Boy," a tale of loss and self-discovery. It's no coincidence that both those songs climax with Urban's own crying guitar solos. As a player, his bold, midrange-heavy tone complements his most nuanced vocal performances. Another highlight is "Raise the Barn," which Urban co-wrote and sings with Ronnie Dunn. The cheerful tune, inspired by the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, is a tribute to the durability of the human spirit--a subject Urban seems to know more than a little about. --Ted Drozdowski

More Keith Urban

Be Here
Golden Road
Keith Urban

Customer Reviews:

Awesome.......2007-06-28

I have to say, for not being a huge fan of most of what i have heard on the radio, this album has definately changed my mind about this guy. It is Great!

Great voice...but.......2007-06-27

I love Keith Urban, but this is the first album I've purchased of his. I love "Stupid Boy" along with a number of others, however some of the songs just didn't really do much for me. I was just a tad disappointed. It was a good album but not a great one.

Aussome Keith!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-19

Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy thing is a great album. There are love songs filled with the emotions that I can relate too. There are sad songs and there are silly songs. Its is a true compilation of the emotions that we all feel every day put to great tunes. I personally feel that Keith's poetry is beautiful. He is the whole package. The passion that he feels for life and his music come thru loud and clear. Love his look, love his voice, love his talent. Can't go wrong with this album whether you are a country music lover or rocker.......its all here. Rock on Keith and keep sharing your love, pain and crazy things :)

Love this guy!.......2007-06-08

He can do no wrong! I love most all of the songs on this CD. Can't stop listening to them!

This Pretty Boy Country Rock moves this Cowboy.......2007-06-01

Now I'm a hardscrabble, no holds barred, put up or shut up kind of dude. So, I didn't think these poignant ballads and mid-tempo rockers would agree with my aggressive and in-your-face attitude. Boy was I wrong!

By the end of this CD, I was just twirling round the room thinking about how my life would have been different, if I hadn't been too proud to take that drama class I wanted to. So yes, there is some regret. I think I could have been a powerful performer along the lines of Rob Lowe in St. Elmo's Fire or Freddy Prinze Jr. in the ABC smash hit sitcom, "Freddie."

Not sure why a film star of Prinze's magnitude would take a sitcom role, but what do I know. I'm just a rough cat from the badlands of Brentwood.

Anyway, I want to thank Mr. Urban for giving me the courage to see that my life has been a waste. It's time for me to take that drama class. Look out Mr. Lowe!

Average customer rating:

Lovin This CD
Left alot to be desired
BANGING
Hmm, not much here
Welcome Back Tank!

Sex Love & Pain
Tank
Manufacturer: Blackground Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

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Double Up
Ain't Nothin' Like Me
Special Occasion
Because Of You
Luvanmusiq

ASIN: B000P6R822
Release Date: 2007-05-15

Tracks:

Coldest
I'm Coming Home
My Body
Please Don't Go
I Hate You
Heartbreaker
Who Dat
When
Wedding Song
My Heart
I Love You
I Love Them Girls

Amazon.com

Tank, on Sex, Love & Pain, is like Luther Vandross only slightly lewder: He'll be the first to admit, as he does on the three-part opening track "Coldest," that he's "somewhat of a hustler out here on the street... occasional strip clubs and shots of Hennessy." That doesn't stop him from laying his heart on the line, though. Repeatedly. Midtempo grooves like "I'm Coming Home," a hopeful reunion song, and "Heartbreaker," a limber-voiced lament that outlines a crumbled relationship, show Tank's tender side and take the romantically inclined places more real-seeming than Luther's songs. Throughout the long lineup of love-gone-wrong tracks, the brawny guy with the tattooed back doesn't forget his playful side, either. Before Timbaland sidles up and gets closing track "I Love Them Girls" all trademark-sizzly, Tank does some titillating of his own via the sexed-up steamer "My Body." --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews:

Lovin This CD.......2007-07-13

This cd stays in constant rotation in my player at work and home. I love the whole cd, especially "My Body" and "Who Dat". Tank out did himself on this one.

Left alot to be desired.......2007-07-04

Anticipated this album so much, but it turned out to be a let down. Most of the songs sounded the same, you would think he would write himself a lot of #1 hits as he has done for others but it just wasn't the case here. I really gave it a 3 because I still think he is so sexy.

BANGING.......2007-07-03

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST AND BANGING CD I HAVE PURCHASED. I AM LOOKING FOR TO THE NEW CD FROM TANK, TYRESE AND GUIWINE. SORRY IF I SPELLED SOMETHING WRONG. I LISTEN TO THIS EACH AND EVERYDAY. GOOD JOB TANK

Hmm, not much here.......2007-06-30

I'm so sorry but this album did nothing for me. I keep buying his albums and he keeps having like a good 3 songs on each album that I totally love. I dubbed a copy and sold the orginal.
There may be someone out there that likes this album but it just wasn't working for me.
Sorry.

Welcome Back Tank!.......2007-06-27

I have always been a huge fan of Tank and now it's official! Tank is what the world of R&B needs right now! My favorite songs on this CD are:

3. My Body
4. Please Don't Go
7. Who Dat
11. I Love U

I would have given this CD 5 stars but I'm not crazy about the songs Wedding Song and My Heart. But I would recommend this CD to anyone who is a fan of real R&B music!

Average customer rating:

pain is pain
Ja Rule - Pain Is Love
Let There Be Ja Rule!
Pain is when he keeps making albums, love is when he quits the game
good cd

Pain Is Love
Ja Rule
Manufacturer: Def Jam
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

East Coast | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Gangsta & Hardcore | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
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Rule 3:36
The Last Temptation
R.U.L.E.
Venni Vetti Vecci
Blood in My Eye

ASIN: B00005ONMT
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

Pain Is Love (Skit)
Dial M For Murder
Livin' It Up
The Inc.
Always On Time
Down A** B**ch
Never Again
Worldwide Gangsta
Leo (Skit)
I'm Real (Murder Remix)
Smokin And Ridin
X
Big Remo (Skit)
Lost Little Girl
So Much Pain
Pain Is Love

Amazon.com

Like rapper DMX, Ja Rule's scratchy vocal delivery is an acquired taste. But given the success of his Lil' Mo-aided hits "Put It on Me" and "I Cry," it's no surprise that his third album follows the same formula as its predecessor, as midtempo grooves mix with thugged-out beats and rhymes. On "Lost Little Girl," a coming-of-age tale that charts the struggles of an urban hottie, Rule's gift for storytelling shines bright. While "I'm Real (Murder Remix)," featuring Jennifer Lopez, is almost worth the purchase price alone, one must conclude that Rule is best appreciated in small doses. On "So Much Pain" Rule apes 2Pac's flow, rhyme patterns, and introspection to an annoying T. Likewise, "Down Ass Bitch" sadly sounds like another thematic take-off on Apache's "Gangsta Bitch" anthem. At least "Livin' It Up" doesn't bastardize Stevie Wonder's gem "Do I Do" too much, and the beats cooked up on "Pain Is Love" and the guitar-fuelled "Always on Time" saves this release from losing all of those cool points he's earned for being a great writer. This one's strictly for the Ja Rule-initiated. --Dalton Higgins

Customer Reviews:

pain is pain.......2006-12-11

This man has been accused of ripping off 2pac,and its a fair shout to be bluntly honest.They are both similair in rhymestyle,in lyrics,in the fashion stakes,in image etc etc,except pac did it so much better.The music adopts the same formula throughout,rap a few bars then an r and b chorus x 3 to fade.There are 1 or 2 bright moments but as im writing this ive forgotten them already.Pain is excruiciating.Im not a ja hater,infact i thought his first cd showed promise but if you want an example of a crossover cock up congratulations you've found it

Ja Rule - Pain Is Love.......2006-10-19

After Ja Rule burst out onto the rap scene in the '99 with his debut album, "Venni Vetti Vecci," the streets were heating up thinking he was the best new cat out of New York. But after his disasterous follow-up, "Rule 3:36," almost all hope was lost considering that almost the whole album was filled with pop-rap. Now another years goes by and another album from Ja gets released, this time with "Pain Is Love." Can Ja bring it back to the grimey street style of his first album or will this be another bow to his rap career?

1. Pain Is Love (Intro) - No Rating

2. Dial M for Murder - 4.5/5

3. Livin' It Up (Featuring Case) - 4/5

4. The Inc. (Featuring Caddillac Tah, Black Child & Ashanti) - 4/5

5. Always on Time (Featuring Ashanti) - 3/5

6. Down A** B**** (Featuring Charli Baltimore) - 3.5/5

7. Never Again - 4/5

8. Worldwide Gangsta (Featuring Caddillac Tah, Black Child, Boo & Gotti) - 4/5

9. Leo (Skit) - No Rating

10. I'm Real [Murder Remix] (Featuring Jennifer Lopez) - 3.5/5

11. Smokin and Ridin (Featuring Jody Mack & O-1) - 4.5/5

12. X (Featuring Missy Elliot & Tweet) - 4/5

13. Big Remo (Skit) - No Rating

14. Lost Little Girl - 4/5

15. So Much Pain (Featuring 2Pac) - 5/5

16. Pain Is Love - 3/5

Overall:

52/65

4 Stars

"Pain Is Love" is a border-line positive effort from Ja Rule. He didn't change much since his last album, on some tracks he's actually gotten worse. There's way too much singing and pop style songs, I don't see how most of this got past the production stage. Anyway there are some good tracks though, Ja kept it street on some tracks but not many. Check it out if you like what's on the radio, Ja Rule, Ashanti or Murder Inc, if not this one's not for you.

Let There Be Ja Rule!.......2006-07-09

I never liked Ja Rule's rap, until this album surfaced. This album can be played from beginning to end, no skipping required. It's Explosive! The best album I have purchased since Chronic 2001...Give this man his props, this album was worth all the money I put into it, and then some!

Pain is when he keeps making albums, love is when he quits the game.......2006-06-09

Ja do you hate me? I sure hate you. I can tell you hate me amongst many others in the world because you keep making these wack pop songs and have the nerve to call it hip hop. This kat is so commercial i wouldn't even consider it rap let alone hip hop. Boycott this clown and support real emcees like krs one, immortal technique, and one be lo.

good cd.......2006-01-19

I see people hating on this cd. Granted this cd is mostly pop-rap love ballads but I like the sound of this cd. This is the only Ja Rule cd that caught my attention and that I own. I love the track with 2Pac.

Average customer rating:

A One-Hit Wonder
Good Music
Club Music.
Club Nouveau
Life Experiences

Life, Love & Pain
Club Nouveau
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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The Collection, Vol. 1
Karyn White
Billboard Hot R&B Hits 1986
Still Standing
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Klymaxx

ASIN: B000002LAU
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Jealousy
Why You Treat Me So Bad
Lean On Me
Promises Promises
Situation #9
Heavy On My Mind
Let Me Go
Pump It Up (Reprise)

Customer Reviews:

A One-Hit Wonder.......2007-06-10

Listening to the samples makes me laugh as I recall my disappointment when I bought this album in the 1980's based on the wonderful rendition of "Lean on Me." While that particular song is still excellent in my opinion, the rest of the album remains sheer misery.

Good Music.......2007-04-24

The vocals on this album are great. I still love all of the songs. "Why you treat me so bad" is a good song- the use of the sample for "I got five on it" by Luniz is why I like that sound.

Good job!

Club Music........2006-07-24

Lots of unremarkable Club music on the album with one very notable exception - Lean on Me. The album is worth buying just for this rendition.

Club Nouveau.......2006-05-12

Lean On Me gets the credit for putting this band upon the map legitimately with previous hits like rumors and their followup being Jealousy. Personally, I prefer Situation #9 as my favorite of the album with Why You Treat Me So Bad a close second.

The only missing for not a perfect 5 star is that only 8 tracks available. No other album comes close to equally their sound at the time of its initial release. Now if only that had made a video....

Life Experiences.......2005-10-30

Life, Love & Pain are the three elements found within this eight song release from Club Nouveau. Produced & written by Jay King, Thomas McElroy & Denzil Foster (two of which contributed to En Vogue's fame) constructed timeless material for any generation to enjoy. "Jealousy" starts off by the rumors being spread and confronting bad talk and lies. Used in a hip-hop / rap sample, "Why You Treat Me So Bad" has the formula of a classic ballad. The remake of the Bill Withers' hit "Lean On Me", the Club made it faster and as stated by the vocals "...we be jammin', we be jammin'..." As another life situation approaches, it seems hard to deal with some and easier with others. "Situation #9" would fall on a scale of 1-10 an eight or nine. Thinking of someone constantly would hence the title, "Heavy On My Mind". The subtle piano and slow drum track created a dark atmosphere for the ballad "Let Me Go" as the woman in the group takes the lead. "Pump It Up (Reprise)" is the instrumental from "Lean On Me" with words and chants to pump the crowd.

Average customer rating:

The Voice
FILLS IN THE BLANK SPACES IN MUSIC!!....3and 1/2
Very well-rounded artist!
Soulfully Put
Queen of old school R&B

Chapter One-Love Pain & Forgiveness
Syleena Johnson
Manufacturer: Jive
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

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Chapter 2: The Voice
Chapter 3: The Flesh
Your Woman
Libra
Flo'Ology

ASIN: B00005AWMY
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Tracks:

The Beginning (Intro)
I Am Your Woman
You Said
Baby, I'm So Confused
Meanwhile... (Interlude)
Everybody Wants Something
You Got Me Spinnin'
Hit On Me
And Then... (Interlude)
He's Gonna Do You In
You Ain't Right
Ain't No Love
One Day
I'd Rather Be Wrong
All Of Me
The End (Outro)

Amazon.com

With her full-throated alto and her world-weary tone, newcomer Syleena Johnson conjures up the sort of dyed-in-the-wool, down-home soul that used to be par for the course. She comes by that soul genetically: Her dad is R&B legend Syl Johnson but his baby girl is no retro act. Her been-done-wrong anthems, told as a chapter from a young woman's life, have the sassy attitude of today but are seasoned by a womanliness that is often AWOL from the more hip kid-driven R&B. Working with labelmates R. Kelly and Liberty City, Syleena has made a soulful CD that feels real and sounds lived through. --Amy Linden

Customer Reviews:

The Voice.......2006-01-06

That wonderful Alto voice that sometimes reminds me of Angela Bofill and a soulful rasp that reminds me of Billie Holiday. The album is solid but I really wish that she would get better material because the voice deserves better.
The important thing is that she can sang. One of those Church singers but with lots of control.
If you miss real singers, then you gonna like this.

FILLS IN THE BLANK SPACES IN MUSIC!!....3and 1/2.......2004-09-03

This woman has an amazing voice.Her reaspy alto..she can sing to ma all day and i still wouldn't get tired of listening.This is an album which is average.Her voice is on point but some of the songs are mediocre.The songs..

I Am Your Woman (first video i remember when i first saw her on Midnight Love..i though she could sang...influenced me to buy the album)

Hit On Me (Second video i've seen.This is when i went to buy the album.The message and words are powerful and she sings it with such force.One of the best songs on this CD)

Everybody Wants Something, He's Gonna Do You In, and You Said other good songs...average album but her voice makes up for it...

OVERALL GRADE 79/100 = C+

Very well-rounded artist!.......2004-01-01

Sylenna has a very powerful voice for her age. She is way ahead of her time. I truly appreciate Syleena's diversity and I pray that she gets more airplay because she is definatley underrated.

Soulfully Put.......2003-11-11

Syleena Johnson's album is a mix of neo soul, R&B,rock,and comtemporary gospel all in one album. Syleena's raspy voice and high and low range will leave you spellbound. This is the album that every music loving,free soul should have.

Chp.1 Love,Pain and Forgiveness gives you what you are looking for in a great album. With tear jerking tracks such as "Hit on Me", and "One Day", you'll be holding back all of your emotions. Then there are tracks like "I Am Your Woman", and "You Got Me Spinnin'", that should empower every woman out there.

With songs produced by R.Kelly and lots of other notable artists, this album is the best comtemporary R&B album I'ved heard in a long time.

Queen of old school R&B.......2003-10-11

Syleena is one of those singers that's hard to ignore once you hear her amazingly soulfull voice. This artist is definitely going to be around for a long time. Good luck to you Syleena you have a new fan.

Xena: Warrior Princess, Volume Six : Original Television Soundtrack

Average customer rating:

Great, but no prize
Xena;Warrior Princess volume six
Great Collection
Exceptional
A MIX OF THE BEST, THE WORST AND THE MISSING

Xena: Warrior Princess, Volume Six : Original Television Soundtrack

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Television Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Xena: Warrior Princess, Volume Four - Original Soundtrack
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Xena: Warrior Princess - Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire: Original Television Soundtrack
Xena: Warrior Princess - The Bitter Suite: A Musical Odyssey - Original Television Soundtrack
Xena: Warrior Princess - Original Television Soundtrack, Volume Two

ASIN: B00005LMK2
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Tracks:

With the Angels
Battling Archangles
Go to Them
Body Snatch
Resistence
Gab's Trial
They're Coming
Back from the Dead
She'll Be Here
Callisto in Hell
Way of Pain
Kee Coming
End of Coming
Ring
Valhalla
On a Cow
Up the Rhein
Rhein Maidens
Out of Options
Kiss
Return of the Rheingold
Pas de Deux Femmes
You Will Dance

Tracks:

Sounds of War
To the Rising Sun
Sounds of Life and Death
Snow Falling on Cedars
Burning Higuchi
Die Demon
Reality of Dreams
Xena Vs. Yodishi
Return to Chin
Power of the Book
Secret of the Powder
Haulin' to the North
Mausoleum
It's Over
Love Is a Weapon
United in Love
Joxer the Mighty
Play's the Thing
Woman's a Natural Thing/Miss Known World
Day in the Life
Catching Fish
Up in the Trees
Things in Common
Down the Valley
Neighbor Lady
Smelling Mortality
Chasin' Chickens
Quill Is Mightier
Here Girl
Xena Main Title

Customer Reviews:

Great, but no prize.......2002-03-31

The selections from the Ring trilogy, Friends in need and Fallen Angel were excellent, however, some of the special request such as joxer the mighty, seemed a little bit rushed. Wasn't that song on Volume 2 already? Where was M'Lila's song from Destiny, or the music played During the first Kiss in "The Quest"
The cd has its good points, personally "It's Over" from "THAB" with its haunting melodies portraying the consequences of war.

Xena;Warrior Princess volume six.......2002-01-09

I am so happy that the last and final cd has come out, now my collection is complete. I am very sad for the show ending, but I am glad to still collect things.

Great Collection.......2001-12-25

Well, I have them all by now, but this last one is a great collection, with the added bonus of the music from A Friend In Need.
Just another fine addition to my Xena collection!

Exceptional.......2001-11-30

I am a fanatic and devoted Xenite.I have a huge problem:i can't stop listening to that cd,since the first time i listened to it,which means 1 month!That cd is really exceptional and i think that every true and genuine Xenite should buy it!It's really good!I was moved when i heard the Fallen Angel part.I was passioned when i heard the Ring Trilogy!I was astonishing when i heard the bonus cues that were included,especially the cue from The Quill Is Mightier(fishin part),oh,i was completely satisfied!
Though,there is a complain:i can't understand,why after 6 cd's,the producers don't do a cd including cues like:M'laila's song,the cues from the Bacchaen festival,music from Deja Vou All Over Again,where in the end,Gabrielle says to Xena those wonderful words,or even the scene of the kiss in The Quest!That,i can't understand it!
Last, i believe that whoever likes LoDuca's music style,should buy this cd.
Pay attention to the 22 cue:Pas De Deux Femmes.It is one of a something and whoever remembers what's the scene of this song,will agree with me!Mmmm!

A MIX OF THE BEST, THE WORST AND THE MISSING.......2001-11-29

To all truly Xena fans this CD is a must-have but have some lacks... Fun (comedy episodes music) scores destroy the the great combination of FALLEN ANGEL, THE RHEINGOLD TRILOGY AND I FRIEND IN NEED. In the first selections LoDuca creates spectacular high level music good enough to be played in a Symphony orchestra concert. The others selections have easy-to-fill-space western cowboy music instead of put M'Lilas song of DESTINY, Amazon's climbing trees of ADVENTURES IN THE SIN TRADE and NAJARA vs XENA music that would be gladly accepted by us. I doubt the company will launch a next CD but if they'll do this track and another valuable more must be there and the adittion of some famous characters quotes like "I have many skills" from Xena.

Average customer rating:

Great vocal virtuosity
Confuzzled
An American Composer of Art Song
more German than Rorem
delightful art songs

Ned Rorem: Selected Songs
Ned Rorem , and Carole Farley
Manufacturer: Naxos American
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The Complete Songs of Charles Ives, Vol. 1

ASIN: B00005QISU
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

The Waking
Root Cellar
My Papa's Waltz
I Strolled Across An Open Field
Memory
Orchids
The Serpent
Night Crow
Snake
Lilltel Elegy
The Nightingale
Nantucket
Lullaby Of The Woman Of The Mountain
Love In A Life
What If Some Little Pain...
Visits To St. Elizabeth's
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Spring
See How They Love Me
Now Sleeps The Crimson Petal
I Am Rose
Ask Me No More
Far-Far-Away
Early In The Morning
Alleluia
Such Beauty As Hurts To Behold
Sally's Smile
Youth, Day, Old Age, And Night
O You Whom I Often And Silently Come
Full Of Life Now
As Adam Early In The Morning
Are You The New Person?

Customer Reviews:

Great vocal virtuosity.......2005-04-07

This is a great recording, by two great artists. Carole Farley is the ideal singer for Ned Rorem's songs. She spell out every
word and every nuance, giving each song and every poem their full character. The songs are a revelation. I recommend this recording without hesitation.
Christoph (Berlin, Germany)

Confuzzled.......2004-01-03

While these song are GREAT...I cannot get over Carole Farley; her voice is so affected (kind of like a sprechstimme; overly dramatic...). I love the fact that Rorem himself is playing the piano, and as a singer, the catalogue of songs is good to have...but cant say I could ever manage getting over Farley's affectation. There are far superior recordings out there.

An American Composer of Art Song.......2003-04-02

This disc features 32 of Ned Rorem's songs for voice and piano. Soprano Carole Farley is the accomplished singer, and Ned Rorem himself plays the piano. The disc is special because it features settings of the works of American poets. The CD begins with 9 settings of poems by the mid-twentieth century poet, Theodore Roethke, and concludes with settings of 5 poems by Walt Whitman. The disc also includes settings of poems by William Carlos Williams, Gertrude Stein, and Paul Goodman, among others. Thus the disc combines in a special way American creative effort in poetry and in music.

Rorem's songs are declamatory in style. Typically, the voice line delivers the text of the poetry in a sort of chant. The relationship between the voice line and the piano is far from Schubertian. Generally, the piano takes a separate line and accentuates the voice by means of large chords or by runs or by other comments and punctuation on the voice. The texts are well set and the music is effective. There are some unusual harmonies with jazz and blues influences. Rorem's piano accompanyment on this disc gives the recording a sense of authenticity -- we get a good idea of how the composer wants his songs to be conveyed.

The disc includes excellent program notes and texts of all the songs. Naxos has received deservedly high praise for its "American Classics" series which makes much music written by Americans available on CD at a low price. This disc includes some lovely, little-known songs. It is an excellent introduction to the American art song and to the music of Ned Rorem.

more German than Rorem.......2002-07-20

I've been a Rorem fan since hearing a highschool friend perform some of his work in her college recital. His startling, atonal songs were an instant revelation. For years there were few reliable CDs of his vocal work. A scandal considering his reputation rests more on his art songs and chamber music than on his orchestral pieces. This Naxos entry of a wide overview of his best songs is thus quite welcome, due largely to its availability, wide distribution and professional packaging (he's had some shoddy issues before with incorrect liner notes, etc.; the challenge of the low budget).

I can't call myself an unalloyed fan of soprano Carole Farley however. Her delivery here recalls the speak-singing style of German 12-tone composers (a specialty of hers), and can sound melodramatic, especially when she rushes the more delicate passages.

I prefer Rorem's softer, more melodious French side, the one that descends from Impressionism and is more warmly emotive. While Farley loses the shading of some of the more fragile songs, she is well-suited to the longer, more forceful pieces. I've heard many readings of "Early in the Morning" (one of Rorems most popular songs) by male and female vocalists, and its tale of wistful nostalgia is muted by Farley's direct approach. However, she nails "My Papa's Waltz," a fractured setting for a Roethke poem about a frightened child forced to dance with a drunken father. Here her acting skills come to the fore, and she perfectly captures the tipsy madness of the song. Rorem can be quite theatrical himself on occasion. She does almost as well with "See How they love me," a ballad with a regular pace that allows her assertive style to breathe.

At any rate it's great to hear these lovely songs in a recent (2000) recording, accompanied (rather emphatically, but perhaps he's matching his theatrical singer) by Rorem himself.

The similar Susan Graham album is more to my taste, but this is a more than competent bargain set.

delightful art songs.......2002-01-02

rorem's songs are amazing, and naxos has done well
to group them by poet. the complete settings of roethke
are particularly compelling and edgey.

carole farley's voice is lovely, but her phrasing
and willingness to push her voice seems
a big departure from the styling of art songs i've
heard by poulenc and somers.

this takes some getting used to- at least 3 or 4 complete
listen-throughs in my case. her voice is almost jazzy,
kind of like early recordings by holly cole.

anyway, rorem accompanies her on piano so obviously
this reading fits with his intent; his playing is also delightful.