Fascination [Import] [Limited Edition]

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Japanese version featuring a limited LP style sleeve cover.

Tracks:

Clavelitos
Espana Cani
Cielito Lindo
Seventh Heaven Of Love
Carmen: Ov
Hava Nagila
Tea For Two
Moulin Rouge/Paris Canaille
Sirtaki (Zorba's Dance)
Fascination
The Gipsy Princess Medley: Love, Love, Love!/The Swallow Song/How Could I Know?/Love, Love, Love!
William Tell: Ov
Jalousie
The Canals Of Amsterdam
Let's Go To Varasdin
Chianti-Lied
La Vie En Rose/Padam Padam/Sous Les Ponts De Paris
Funiculi Funicula
Auld Lang Syne

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous.......2005-10-23

This DVD is spectacular. Andre Rieu is absolutely fascinating to listen to and the costumes of the orchestra as gorgeous. Well worth every penny.

Andre Rieu "Fiesta".......2005-09-20

This CD is absolutely fantastic. There is no musician quite like Andre Rieu. His music does indeed lift the spirit.

Fiesta.......2005-09-12

The music lifts my spirits! It is fun and lighthearted. I sincerely recommend this CD by Andre Rieu.

Not the best versions available.......2002-02-12

First of all, why call this recording
"Fiesta"? only for the first four latin-american
works? because the rest of the cd is of
German music.I you want a real "Fiesta"
disc, I recomendation is that disc
of Keith Lockhart, is much more fun and
much more in a fiesta spirit than this one.

This is a great album!.......2002-01-02

I highly recommend this album. Andre Rieu is a great violinist. If you buy this album you will not be dissappointed. I'd give it ten stars if I could.

Sons & Fascination / Sister Feelings Call

Average customer rating:

Their very best record -- still new, even now.
Before they sold-out
Truly fascinating and original
Cool Updated Collection From These Electro-Rock Pioneers
The "Not Ready For Prime Time" Songs..... But Pretty Good

Sons & Fascination / Sister Feelings Call
Simple Minds
Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Empires & Dance
New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
Sparkle in the Rain
Reel to Real Cacophony
Life in a Day

ASIN: B0000793Z8
Release Date: 2006-05-08

Tracks:

In Trance As Mission
Sweat In Bullet
70 Cities As Love Brings The Fall
Boys From Brazil
Love Song
This Earth That You Walk Upon
Sons And Fascination
Seeing Out The Angel
Theme For Great Cities
The American
20th Century Promised Land
Wonderful In Young Life
League Of Nations
Careful In Career
Sound In 70 Cities

Album Description

Import only reissue of 1981 album. 13 tracks including 'In Trance As Mission', 'Love Song', 'The American' & 'Boys From Brazil'.

Customer Reviews:

Their very best record -- still new, even now........2007-04-13

Sometimes one generation's vision of what is new and strange seems quaint thirty years on. This music, which is a picture of the strangeness of the modern world of 1980-something, is as vivid now as it was when it was first released.

Part of this is that the sound is so intelligently structured and presented -- the production is a model of clarity. Partly it's the strange palette of tone colors that combine so well with Jim Kerr's rich yet hollow voice.

But most of all, I think, this is because there is something haunting and mysterious about the combined clarity, intelligence, and color that is so perfectly set off by the propulsive bass and drums that drive track after track and that sustain this record over the long haul. The contrast is what makes Sons and Fascination's vision of modernity fresh and evocative even if it is so clearly a thing of its time.

Their later music tends, I think, to sound like Chicken Soup for the New Wave Soul, and their older music seems almost to document Simple Minds groping their way towards this record. If you are a fan of the later stuff for the sake of the allusive qualities that remain in it, you may just find there is more of that here, and better.

Before they sold-out.......2007-03-29

Long before The Breakfast Club came along and ruined a great band, Simple Minds were making great records. There are 4 CDs that deserve a place in any collection: Empires & Dance, Sons & Fascination / Sister Feelings Call, New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) and Sparkle in the Rain.

This CD is actually 2 albums in one. Sons and Fascination and Sister Feelings Call. They were released simultaneously and both are presented completely here. Excellent euro post-punk. Jim Kerr's song writing was at it's best during this period and the band is excellent, especially bass player Derek Forbes.

Truly fascinating and original.......2007-03-03

Simple Minds made some truly fresh, invigorating music in their early days. The band's evolution was so fast and dramatic. This double album was recorded just before the band made their mainstream push, and consequently very little of it sounds commercial. Whilst I feel their follow-up (New Gold Dream) is their best, it's perhaps this record that contains the most challenging yet accessible soundscapes of the Simple Minds catalogue. I can't stress enough how unique and uncategoriseable this record is. It's not mainstream pop music because none of this would ever have gotten much airplay. It isn't progressive rock because of its accessibility. Considering the unconventional rhythms and textures, maybe we can call this industrial pop, but it really doesn't need a label.

The album opens with my favourite, "In Trance as Mission." It's got a driving, insistent 6/4 beat with a killer bassline. Layers of synthesizers propel the song over seven uplifting minutes. Jim Kerr's lyrics are non-sensical yet compelling: "In dream a dream a / courage of dreams / in trance as mission / trans-american / moving on." The darkness from previous albums was left behind on this incredible opener.

Next up are two of my least favourite Simple Minds tracks, "Sweat in Bullet" and "70 Cities." These two tracks exemplify the sometimes overbusy arrangements in the band's more experimental work. Each of these songs have too much going on. They also have some seriously annoying keyboard melodies. Fast forward.

"Boys From Brazil" gets back on track in a big way with pounding drums and more synth layers. Like a lot of their early songs, there isn't a definite, simple, strong melody, but various elements including bass and vocals come together to create a clear picture. Again, the lyrics don't tell a story ("Babies can't manage crocodiles?"), but they fit so well with the abstract network of pulsating sounds behind them.

"Love Song" is anything but. A high-energy, rocking track with a subtle disco backbeat, it could nevertheless have been made in 2007. This is a high point on the record. More great, weird lyrics: "Flesh of heart / heart of steel / so well so well / I cut my hair / paint my face / break a finger / tell a lie / so well so well." The electronics point towards their next album. And the decidedly low-tech tambourine adds a perfect touch.

Sons & Fascination winds down with three slower, darker tracks. "This Earth That You Walk Upon" is a bit lighter on lyrics but dense on musical texture. Processed guitars blend with finger snaps and breathy yelps to create a completely original sound. The title track is a bit more nimble, but retains the darker tone. The rhythm is similar to "Boys From Brazil." Dig some more abstract lyrics: "Summer rains are here / Savaged beauty life / Falling here from grace."

Finally we come to "Seeing Out the Angel," a lengthy, menacing track. The heavy, mechanical composition is the result of a brooding synth line and sparse, robotic drums. This is about as scary as Simple Minds ever got, with the possible exception of a couple songs on Empires & Dance. The eerie music bonds perfectly with the dreamlike lyrics: "Rescue by the first light / Receiving us with these tears / Feeling your gaze in the back of my eyes / Leaving worlds this way." On what planet do you suppose this sequence of alien events transpired? Only deep within the tortured recesses of a nightmare?

Luckily, the second half of the album lightens things considerably. Sister Feelings Call contains what I feel are the (slightly) weaker tracks from this recording session. It opens with the classic instrumental "Theme For Great Cities." This is a fine example of the technical skills each member of the group brought to the studio, in addition to their composing abilities.

Next is "The American," a fan favourite, but really one of the weakest tracks here. The vocals tend towards the bombastic and silly. "20th Century Promised Land" is another weird little song. Better than the previous track, but still skip-worthy. The keyboards are out front too much in the arrangement and the sometimes-painful melody is reminiscent of "Sweat in Bullet." Skip it.

Things pick up again with "Wonderful in Young Life." Faster, more industrial. It's got some funky bass. And it's slightly darker with a nice chugging electric guitar. "League of Nations" has a trippy synth beat that was sampled by Dr Atmo for his Sad World album in 1993. More rather menacing sounds play out to very terse lyrics. Stirring, if somewhat repetitive music.

"Careful in Career" is similar to the better tracks from the first half. It retains the darker feel of those and has more distinct drumming and synth arrangements. Another highlight. An instrumental version of "70 Cities" finishes the album.

One thing that strikes me as I listen to this album is the groupwork -- no one is getting drowned in the mix. This is easily the best lineup Simple Minds had. Derek Forbes (b), Charlie Burchill (g), Brian McGee (d), Michael MacNeil (k). Though they would write even better songs in the future, Sons & Fascination is the pinnacle of their pure musical ability. This is an obscure album, and the flow of the songs is somewhat puzzling. It's mainly just a collection of songs. No real sequencing is evident, so there isn't much contrast as one track moves into the next. But these complaints are minor. This is a groundbreaking piece of work even though relatively few people have ever heard it. Though it's now more than 25 years old, it has aged very well. Highly recommended.

Cool Updated Collection From These Electro-Rock Pioneers.......2006-05-28

I love the music here, but I gotta say the packaging over the years has been messy, botched by indecision upon its initial release. Back in the mid-80s I had the original SONS lp (I can't recall if it was imported or what). It had 10 of these selections and some songs also appeared on SISTER FEELINGS CALL.

Before I got this re-release, I had never heard "70 Cities as Love Brings the Fall" which merely adds vocals to "Sound in 70 Cities." I still prefer the vocal-less version, perhaps out of familiarity. It's an upbeat instrumental of old-school U.K. rock augmented by what sounds like a chainsaw. "Seeing Out the Angel" is another new one for me, and it's very good - a sterile, hypnotic piece.

Unfortunately, the weakest track here is the first one. "In Trance As Mission" is a rather awkward song and may have turned off some new listeners before they heard the entire album, the rest of which is excellent. Highlights include: the swaggering rocker "Sweat In Bullet," the meditative "This Earth That You Walk Upon" and the hypnotic yet driving instrumental "Theme for Great Cities."

"The American" may be the best track here. It's very synth heavy and it also rocks. A scorching lick from guitarist Charlie Burchill closes out the song with real intensity. It should also be noted that Derek Forbes (who, after all these years, recently rejoined the band, but only for a short while) laid down some absolutely addictive bass grooves all over these songs.

These guys created some of the most unique, palpable rock atmospheres during their underground electronic period which includes the albums REAL TO REEL CACOPHONY and EMPIRES AND DANCE as well as this one. This new disk collecting SONS and SISTERS might be the best of the bunch.

The "Not Ready For Prime Time" Songs..... But Pretty Good.......2003-09-04

This import CD combines 2 of Simple Minds's early albums, albeit in a slight shortened version to get them on 1 CD (13 songs, 69 min.)

While not attaining the greatness of the "New Gold Dream" CD that would come out 2 years later, this album has some really great tunes. Opener "In Trance as Mission" sets the tone, with a heavy bass. "Sweat in Bullet" has a nice intertwine between synths and guitar. "Boys from Brazil" is reminiscent of XTC-era "Making Plans for Nigel". Other standouts include instrumental "Theme for Great Cities", "20th Century Promised Land", and the best of all "The American", which truly foretells things to come on "New Gold Dream" and "Sparkle in the Rain".

This album is not for the casual Simple Minds fan, who should stick to the pretty inclusive "Best of Simple Minds" 2 CD collection. But for those enchanted by "New Gold Dream" and "Sparkle in the Rain", this is a necessary addition to the collection.

Fascination
Average customer rating:

Fresh and different

good stuff

Monsters are waiting is a hit.

go away monsters are waiting.....

Excellent album from rather unknown group!

Fascination
Monsters Are Waiting
Manufacturer: Retone Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Release Date: 2006-06-06