So Good!

Track Listings

1. Send Your Latter Rain

2. So Good

3. At the Cross

4. He Takes Care of His Own

5. Yes, He Loves Me

6. Press

7. God Said Not So

8. Holy, Holy, Holy

9. God Will Surely Answer Prayer

10. Bless His Holy Name

11. Stir up '98

Tracks:

Summer Of '69
Straight From The Heart
It's Only Love
Can't Stop This Thing We Started
Do I Have To Say The Words?
This Time
Run To You
Heaven
Cuts Like A Knife
(Everything I Do) I Do It For You
Somebody
Kids Wanna Rock
Heat Of The Night
Please Forgive Me

Amazon.com

So Far So Good offers up 13 of his previous hits plus a new song, "Please Forgive Me," a gooey, Michael Bolton-like ballad. The album starts out with "Summer of '69," the appealing autobiographical song about the 10-year-old Adams learning to play his first guitar in Ontario, and includes "(Everything I Do) I Do for You," the synth-laced ballad that wound up in the Guinness Book of World Records after topping the British singles charts for 16 weeks. With its over-the-top, gravelly vocals, So Far So Good reminds one of Rod Stewart's 1980s work when he was coasting on past achievements. Unfortunately, Adams has never had a period like Stewart's glory years in the '70s. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Bryan Adams - So Far So Good.......2007-07-03

The quintessential Bryan Adams album. His music, his voice, his style. Like Sting and Rod Stewart, what makes him unique is that voice - but his music is this! This album.

Canada can rock.......2007-05-25

This is a good Bryan Adams compilation and will please any fan. It's got his good rock stuff from the 80s. You know, strong vocals and a strong guitar. Definitely rock, but not heavy metal. Good music to have on the car radio as you're cruising along. The ballads he did back then, which are on here too, were good. Bryan's later stuff doesn't measure up. This is the heart of his music.

Gravel-Voiced Canadian's Best.......2007-03-20

I'm sure that the '05 release, "Anthology," covers more of his career, but for folks like myself who enjoyed Bryan Adams' career in the 80's and early 90's, "So Far, So Good" is probably the best compilation out there. Adams takes a lot of heat for his music and, frankly, I don't understand why. He's a very talented musician as his multiple hit songs can attest to, so I see very little room for major criticism. If you don't like him, don't listen to him.

I like him and have to say that this disc is one of my favorites when I want to remember the good ol' days. The disc starts off with "Summer of '69" and then rolls right into "Straight From The Heart." From there we are treated to a nice helping of Adams' best rockers and ballads. Personal favorites include "Cuts Like A Knife," "Run To You," "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" and "Heaven. It also has "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You," which many consider the beginning of the end for Adams. He went on to release a few other soundtrack tunes and moderately popular hits like "The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me (Is You)" after the release of this hits compilation and they are included on the later "Best Of Me." Hardcore fans may want to pick up that title or the aforemetioned "Anthology."

For those of us who only want the bulk of Adams' biggest tunes, stick with "So Far, So Good." It won't let you down.

A 'How To' On Writing Great Songs.......2007-02-12

Let the critics say what they want,Bryan Adams knows how to write a great hook filled song! This CD is one of the few in my vast collection that I give a perfect '5' star rating to and it earns every star

I'm a metal head,I grew up on Dio,Motley Crue,Poison,Kiss etc.. so why am I raving about Bryan Adams? Because he's that good.
If you look music of any kind from heavy to country to romantic ballads,any kind of music you will find something you can love in his music,it's timeless and his voice is never going to be considered the best of the best but that's okay because it fits this music perfectly,he sounds like the every day guy next door that lives and breathes these experiences

The CD starts off with 'Summer Of '69' which is just about the ultimate driving song ever written (the only competition is Don Henley's 'Boys of summer),it is perfect and I'm sure makes just about everyone out there remember their own favorite summer,from there it goes to 'Straight From The Heart' a beautiful love song,from there is one of my personal favs,"It's Only Love" a duet with himself and Tina Turner,this song rocks,it really overflows with feeling and fun,from there the only song on the CD that I feel was overplayed 'Can't Stop This Thing We Started' it is a great song but the radio over played it (it's not Bryan's fault his songwriting is so good that radio over did it),then another beautiful love song 'Do I have To Say The Words' and this and every ballad has a different feel and emotion which is rare in this musical climate,after that is 'This Time' which is about as much fun you can have with a song and still be legal,then 'Run To You' which has atmosphere and such emotion in the lyrics that you just know he (or someone he knows) has lived through that experience...then my favorite Bryan Adams ballad 'HEaven' which they used to play at my middle school dances so it will live forever in a special place in my heart,and then 'Cuts Like A Knife' which was one of the very first videos I ever saw on MTV,they played it a lot but it never got old,great song and still sounds as fresh today as when it first came out,then 'Everything I do,I do it for you' another beautiful ballad with a beautiful message,personally I always think of Robin Hood the movie when I hear this song (the arrow going into the tree is a visual that will forever go with this song),another great fun rocking song follows 'Somebody' and then right into 'Kids Wanna Rock' it's almost impossible to not smile when you hear these songs,and it's followed with a true gem 'Heat Of The Night' which is the absolute perfect atmosphere song (right alongside 'Def Leppard's "foolin")...my only criticism of this perfect CD is why would they choose to end such a fun CD with a ballad...'Please Forgive Me' is a beautiful song but should have been in the middle,they should have ended it with 'Heat Of The Night' let it end on a rocking note..but that aside this is what rock and roll and songwriting in general should be....it should be noted that Bryan has released a few other greatest hits packages over the years but don't be fooled this is the best of the best,his next attempt 'The Best Of Me' is very weighted down with ballads and almost ignores his rocking side...this is a perfectly balanced CD that will appeal to any fan of fun rock and roll

The Upside - This is how to write songs...Bryan is an expert...and it is also proof of why producers are so important to an artist,Mutt Lange is a genius (as his track record proves) the songs sound perfect,warm and yet crisp..there are no show off moments,just great singing and musicians that above all highlight the songwriting,what can I say other then perfection

The Downside - There is none

The Bottom Line - If you are a songwriter,or want to be,buy this CD to learn how it should be done...This CD is everything that is missing in almost all modern music and it can be summed up in one 3 letter word - FUN! This CD is fun ....run out to buy this,especially at this price,donutman says so!!!

Bryan Adams CD.......2006-02-22

So Far So Good is an excellent mix of Bryan Adams music, with several of his best songs on it.

Average customer rating:

CD Case
Doesn't it though......
Feels Sorta Good
Chuck's my 1st introduction of Jazz
Feels So Good!!!!!!!!

Feels So Good
Chuck Mangione
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Children of Sanchez
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ASIN: B000002GB6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Feels So Good
Maui-Waui
Theme From 'Side Street'
Hide & Seek (Ready Or Not Here I Come)
Last Dance
The XIth Commandment

Customer Reviews:

CD Case.......2006-03-15

The plastic case for the CD was damaged; the CD was undamaged but part of the purchase is a CD Case to protect the CD.

Doesn't it though.............2005-10-07

I remember hearing the song "Feels so Good" every once and a while as a child in the late 70s/early 80s, and it's one of those songs that simply stays with you. Fast forward a couple decades (holy cow! almost thirty years!!!), it sounds as good today as it did so many years ago. The entire cd is outstanding. I just wish the Theme from "Side Street" was a few minutes longer. Definitely a must have.

Feels Sorta Good.......2005-10-04

The only problem I've ever had with Chuck Mangione is that he plays sharp all the time. Other than that- I love his stuff. I also agree that the title track is fab, but especially the guitar solo is stellar. He, unfortunately, gets cut off right as he's starting to cook. Quite frustrating!

Chuck's my 1st introduction of Jazz.......2005-01-15

This is definitely my favorite albums and the first jazz album I got inspire and influenced in jazz. Chuck Mangione was the first jazz endeavor I ever experienced when I was a child. I actually love his playing and love how he sounds. He does his men playing along with him Grant Geissman, Charles Meeks, James Bradley Jr. and Chris Vadala. they all sound great knahmmean.

I luv every song that he did on this album and this is definitely going into the Jazz Hall of Fame or the Top List of Jazz Albums.

I recommend the following albums:

1. Miles Davis- Kind of Blue

2. Maynard Ferguson- Conquistador

3. Herb Alpert- Rise

4. Freddie Hubbard- The Best of Freddie Hubbard, First Light, Above & Beyond, Hub-Tones, Straight Life, Life Flight, etc.

5. Chet Baker- The Best Thing for You/You Can't Go Home Again

6. Grover Washington, Jr.- Winelight, Come Morning, Mister Magic, The Best of Grover Washington, Jr.

7. Marvin Gaye- The Best of Marvin Gaye (Motown Anthology Series)

8. Miles Davis- Live Around the World, Tutu, Doo-Bop, Aura, The Man with the Horn, Bitches Brew, etc.

9. Marvin Gaye- Dream of a Lifetime, Romantically Yours, Vulnerable (3 great final releases from the legendary Marvin Gaye)

10. Barry White- All-Time Greatest Hits, The Ultimate Collection, Can't Get Enough, The Icon is Love, The Man is Back, etc.

Just to name a few list I can recommend to this album. He sounds a bit like Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Chet Baker, Donald Byrd, Art Farmer whom I listen to the most.

Feels So Good!!!!!!!!.......2004-10-30

This album is the most famous Chuck Mangione album, and one of his best. His beautiful flugelhorn playing, his magnificent leadership, and his brilliant song writing skills all make this album a true masterpiece. Everything in this album flows! Mangione clearly knew how to write music with feeling, and boy could he play! His band, sure had something to do with the magic of this album.
Chris Vadala:
On tenor and soprano saxophones, alto, and c flutes, and piccolo. He is without a doubt, one of the best reedists Mangione ever had in his band lineup. Gerry Neiwood was the other master! Chris Vadala's playing is so unique and his sound is extraudinary, and soulful. His magic adds so much more to the music of this album. His solo on Feels So Good is magnificent. I still find myself humming it over and over, hours after I've played it.
Grant Geissman:
On acoustic, electric, classical, and 12 string guitars, Grant Geissman, just might of played one of the greatest guitar solos in jazz history. Yes, you guessed it; the solo on Feels So Good. It's a wonder, he didn't spend hours and hours working it out, since it's so melodic.
Charles Meeks:
Funky, "Meet Man" Meeks. One of the grooviest bass players ever! He adds some hippness to the album.
James Bradley Jr:
Every drummer should learn from this master. Although some might not call him a master at this time, because he was only 18 years old. Well accomplished, who had a role in Cool Hand Luke when he was 7, was a child prodigy on the drums. He cools it down a little bit, on this album, but makes up for it, in color. Some nice conga playing on 11th Commandment.
The first song, Feels So Good, is Mangione's classic! Still, after 25 years, it's still loved by pop and jazz fans alike.
Here, the way it originally was issued, the full 9 minute version. With the edited version, so much magic was lost, and until this day, gone forever. Next up, Maui Waui. One of the most melodic songs ever; Chris Vadala's flute playing adds to the warmth and beauty of the piece. Theme From Side Street, is one of the greatest songs by Mangione, ever! The melody, the hook, the groove, it's all there. Number 4 is, Hide And Seek. Another classic. Great solos by all! I particularly love Vadala's soprano solo, and Geissman's guitar solo. Last Dance, is another pretty piece. It has a beautiful acoutsic guitar solo, by Grant Geissman. The last piece, 11th Commandment; another classic. Charles Meeks, and James Bradley Jr. are featured soloists here. Meeks's bass solo is really blusey and down to earth. After some splap bass by Meeks, the piece picks up. James Bradley Jr's solo is perfect for this particular piece. Not too over powering, not at all, boring, just right! This is a classic album, and is still enjoyed by many. This album put Mangione on the map, and if you enjoy any fusion, or early contemporary jazz, you'll love Mangione's music!

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully American
A Gersh-winner
Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter
Gershwin's playing overated
The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!

Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Gershwin Plays Gershwin: The Piano Rolls, Vol. 2
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George Gershwin: Greatest Hits

ASIN: B000005J1I
Release Date: 1993-11-09

Tracks:

Sweet And Lowdown
Novelette In Fourths
That Certain Feeling
So Am I
Rhapsody In Blue
Swanee
When You Want 'Em, You Can't Get 'Em...
Kickin' The Clouds Away
Idol Dreams
On My Mind The Whole Night Long
Scandal Walk
An American In Paris

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully American.......2007-05-14

I've had a copy of this CD for years and love it. The power and optimism of the music is really quite remarkable... regardless of who or what is actually playing here. The arrangement of Swanee is light but rich with major chord trains like you just want to go marching around the room. And American In Paris leads you on a swaying, dischordy journey the deeper you go, as the narrative begins to trade delicacy for passion. (and I love renditions where you can hear the MUSIC and the instruments don't get in the way, like four-voice midi versions of Bach which reveal the eloquence).

When I listen to this CD now, and which is most surpring to me, I hear a profound pride in America - back "before." I play it when I have people over and we put burgers on the grill. This CD is the song of sitting in my back yard with the clouds blowing by and for the moment things feel OK.

"Before" - OK, there is no old perfect Amercia; but I'm thinking of the time before we learned to distill petroleum into toxic pollution, before pride meant vanity and thuggery, before hate-filled invective became public amusement, and before presidents went to war because it was good for business.

A Gersh-winner.......2007-01-07

George Gershwin had a long association with the mechanical device known as the player piano. At the age of ten, Gershwin used a neighbor's pianola to teach himself how to play, by very slowly pumping the foot pedal that advanced the hole-punched rolls, and placing his fingers on the depressed keys. His parents were so impressed by his abilities they enrolled the boy in formal piano studies when he turned 13. Thus, an American genius was born.

The existing films of Gershwin (who died of a brain tumor at age 38 in 1937) show him to be a virtuoso at his instrument. His 1924 acoustic recording of Rhapsody In Blue (with the Paul Whiteman orchestra) is further evidence of this. But no film or recording has what is contained within the album GERSHWIN PLAYS GERSHWIN: THE PIANO ROLLS, and that is-- full fidelity range.

The CD comes in a standard jewel case packaged in a heavy paper slipcover. Biographical liner notes are included along with details on the rolls. The earliest performance in this set is from 1916, made when Gershwin was an 18-year-old song plugger. My favorites here are "Swanee," from 1920, and "An American In Paris," from 1933, which is undoubtedly one of the last significant piano rolls ever made.

Gershwin's dynamic performances are not in the least obscured by the few extra notes added to the piano rolls (such practice was standard in those days). Listening to these recordings is like sitting next to this brilliant man, observing his fingers fly over the keys as he plays some of his best work.

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 60:36

Interesting... but I think I'd prefer a good Gershwin interpreter.......2006-05-14

Composers are not necessarily the best performers of their own work. A songwriter's songwriter like Jules Shear or Jimmy Webb comes to mind -- surely the best representations of their songs are on other artist's albums.

This album is charming in its own way -- a taste of the music and performance style of a bygone era. Someone complained that these rolls were edited. So what? I'm going to review the final product, now how it was made. Do you eat sausage? Ask not what's in it!

I like to listen to this CD in short bits -- a few songs at a time. For some reason I find it to be fatiguing if I listen for more than 20 minutes or so. I'm not absolutely sure why this is so. Possibly the meter is just a little too metronomic on many of the songs. This lends a "mechanical" quality to the performances.

Additionally, I felt that the dynamic range was restricted. The music does get louder and softer, because of the piano rolls themselves and because of the computer programming used to read the piano rolls -- the dynamics were deliberately adjusted by the record producers in some spots, if I read the liner notes correctly. And yet. And yet. Still these songs do not dynamically "breathe" fully in and out the way they ought to. I find this disappointing, but I think it has something to do with inherent limitations in piano roll recording technique. I'm guessing.

Taken for what it is, it is an interesting concept, and the sound quality is very pleasant. The performances are very good for piano rolls, but fall short of what a good interpreter could do. Take, for example, the Rhapsody in Blue from Woody Allen's Manhattan soundtrack. Listen specifically to the piano part -- the dynamics and variations in rhythm. This is not by any means the best performance of Rhapsody, but it is better than the Gershwin rolls.

Gershwin's playing overated.......2006-04-09

After I heard this cd I bought Gershwin plays Gershwin on the naxos label which arn't piano rolls. Any pianist can tell that many of these rolls are heavily edited and can't be played by a pianists with two hands. On the naxos album that has some of these same songs Gershwin's actual playing doesn't sound very good. Many of Gershwins contempories such as James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Luckey Roberts and even Zez Confrey were much better pianists than he was, however they didn't have his melodic gifts as a composer. I would recommend Artis Whodhouse's
transcriptions of Jelly Roll Morton's piano rolls (on the same label) instead because most of those are exactly how he played them and in my opinion Morton was a better musician in every way than Gershwin.

The jazzy Gershwin. What a CD!!!!!!!.......2006-02-23

I got this CD as a gift. I am all for the austrogerman post- romantic music and as imagined Gershwin is not my favourite composer. I know him from his best known works such as the 'Rhapsody", the 'American' and his great songs. This CD is a treasure as mentioned from other reviewers of this site. Gershwin full of passion, his music being jazzy to the very end and that great feeling you get after a great live performance is present all over the length of this 'treasure'. No question about the presence of the music. Not to be missed

Average customer rating:

Yankee Doodle Dandy Review
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Amazing! Wonderful! Just buy it - you won't be sorry!
What a find!!
A Soundtrack Every American Should Own

Yankee Doodle Dandy
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Rhino / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000066RM7
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Tracks:

Main Title: Warner Bros. Signature/Yankee Doodle/Yankee Doodle Boy/Mary's A Grand Old Name/Off The Record - Warner Bros. Orchestra
Early Years Sequence: Columbia The Gem Of The Ocean/The Dancing Master/While Strolling Through The Park One Day/At A Georgia Camp Meeting - Walter Huston
I Was Born In Virginia - Walter Huston
The Warmest Baby In The Bunch - Sally Sweetland
Harrigan - Sally Sweetland
Yankee Doodle Boy - James Cagney
Little Johnny Jones Sequence: The Yankee Doodle Boy/Good Luck Johnny/Little Johnny Jones Special/Finale Special/All Aboard For Old Broadway/Rocket/Give My Regards To Broadway - James Cagney
Medley: Oh, You Wonderful Girl/Blue Skies, Gray Skies/The Belle Of The Barber's Ball - Walter Huston
Mary's A Grand Old Name - Sally Sweetland
Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway - James Cagney
Fay Templeton Medley: Mary's A Grand Old Name/Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway/So Long, Mary - Irene Manning
You're A Grand Old Flag - Walter Huston
Over There - Frances Langford
Medley: In A Kingdom Of Our Own/Love Nest/Nellie Kelly, I Love You/The Man Who Owns Broadway/Molly Malone/Billie - Frances Langford
Off The Record - James Cagney
Finale And End Cast: Over There/Yankee Doodle Boy - James Cagney
You Remind Me Of My Mother (Outtake) - James Cagney
Medley: Oh, You Wonderful Girl/Blue Skies, Gray Skies/The Belle Of The Barber's Ball (Piano Only Version) - Walter Huston
Give My Regards To Broadway (Rehearsal) - James Cagney
You're A Grand Old Flag (Rehearsal) - James Cagney

Amazon.com

When one thinks of musicals from Hollywood's golden age, the initials MGM come almost instantly to mind. Indeed when veteran song-and-dance man George M. Cohan was negotiating a film based on his colorful life story, his first choice was Metro--until a falling out with studio chief Louis B. Mayer. But L.B.'s loss eventually became Warner Brothers'--and film history's--gain when the Burbank studio's Cohan musical became a massive, patriotic hit in the opening months of World War II. As chronicled in this vibrantly restored, first-ever complete soundtrack for the film, it was a compelling twist of fate. James Cagney turns in one of the screen's most ostensibly unlikely--and ultimately indelible--musical performances (netting him his only Best Actor Oscar ^®), teaming with studio music director Roy Heindorf to update Cohan's once-quaint turn-of the-century patriotic ditties ("You're a Grand Old Flag," "Over There," "Yankee Doodle Boy") and infectious vaudevillian chestnuts ("Give My Regards to Broadway," "Harrigan") with bracing dollops of the studio's '40s orchestral sass--and, just months after Pearl Harbor, some crucial historical parallels. Also included are four bonus tracks that remarkably survived the film's preproduction, including an outtake of "You Remind Me of My Mother" and voice-and-piano-only rehearsal versions of "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "You're a Grand Old Flag" that further underscore Cagney's deceptively effortless ability to sell a song despite his limited musical gifts. It's a long overdue showcase for a true American film musical gem. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Yankee Doodle Dandy Review.......2006-11-03

It's an old movie with an old soundtrack, but I loved the movie, I love the music, and I'm very happy with my purchase.

Yankee Doodle Dandy.......2006-06-30

Excellent in black and white and color. James Cagney also got a medal from a President. (President Reagan!} If you like entertainment...this is it!

Amazing! Wonderful! Just buy it - you won't be sorry!.......2005-03-05

I am so very glad I bought this CD. I own the DVD of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and watch it all the time, so I almost didn't buy this, wondering if I really needed yet another CD.

Well, thank God I didn't pay any attention to that dumb idea!

If you love "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and Cagney, you just have to buy this soundtrack. It's like being able to take the movie with you anywhere ... it's not just the songs - as others have said - but also includes bits of Cagney's voice-overs, even the tap-dancing from the end of "Little Johnny Jones." And since the audio system in my car is better than my TV's, it all seemed even bigger, richer and better. (George M. would love that!)

Wonderful, wonderful stuff!

What a find!!.......2003-06-15

I haven't been able to see this movie on TV since Turner bought it (don't get TCM), but if you've seen the movie several tims, as I have, listening to this CD is very nearly as good as watching it all the way through. (I'm so delighted with it that I'm even willing to forgive TCM for putting a paper ad inside with the disc.)

Monumental effort must have gone into this soundtrack, given the age of the original recordings. The tracks here are crisp, clear, and bright, with no evidence of how long ago they were first put down. The editors were also generous in their inclusion of dialogue that ties some of the tracks together (for example, we hear the man tell Johny Jones to watch for the skyrocket, then we hear the skyrocket as it leads into "Give My Regards to Broadway"). There are a couple of places where the endings are slightly abrupt but this is because, in the movie, the music fades into extended dialogue.

The only bit of dialogue I expected to hear in a song, but didn't, is in "Over There" near the very end of the film, when Cagney/Cohan has fallen in step with the soldiers going off to WWII, as they're singing "Over There", when the soldier nearest him says something like, "What's wrong, old timer, don't know the words?" and Cagney says, "Seems to me I do" and starts singing along. That's minor and pales next to how wonderful the rest of this soundtrack is.

One of the biggest treats on this CD is that we get to hear some of Cagney's tapping, notably in "Give My Regards to Broadway", "You're a Grand Old Flag", and - one of my favorite moments in movie history - when he dances down the White House stairs to "Yankee Doodle" near the end).

The outtake is not a humorous one, simply a track they decided not to use. It and the rehearsal tracks are all just the performers voices with piano accompaniment. I especially enjoyed hearing Cagney rehearsing "You're a Grand Old Flag".

If you like Cagney, if you like Cohan's music, if you like movies "the way they used to make them", or if you're not ashamed to get a little choked up with patriotism once in a while, you will not be disappointed in this CD!

A Soundtrack Every American Should Own.......2002-09-23

Finally! If you own that Hollywood Soundstage abomination of the "Yankee Doodle Dandy" soundtrack you can finally pitch it. Here is the real article. Rhino (Turner Classic Movies Music) lovingly restored the music from the beloved "Yankee Doodle Dandy" motion picture starring James Cagney. This soundtrack sounds astonishing considering it's 60 years old. It's very obvious some loving care was taken in it's production for which we all should be greatful. The liner notes also are great with informative text and wonderful photos from the movie. The marvelous George M. Cohan songs gives one goosebumps and bring tears to the eyes. We all need this type of patriotic pep rally, especially in these tough times. As I've said, this soundtrack belongs in every American's home just as much as that "Grand Old Flag"! I believe there are plans to release the movie on DVD, hopefully soon.

Average customer rating:

Hook in Mouth!
Outstanding effort from Megadeth.
So Far...So Good
Not as good as the origional.
An inconsistent album that contains some Megadeth classics. But it's only half a great album.

So Far, So Good...So What!
Megadeth
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?
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ASIN: B0002EXH4A
Release Date: 2004-07-27

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Into The Lungs Of Hell
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In My Darkest Hour (Paul Lani Mix) - previously unreleased

Customer Reviews:

Hook in Mouth!.......2007-07-11

The album between the two Megadeth's biggest classics "Peace Sells..." and "Rust in Peace" can't be that bad...or can it? Well, at least the intro is quite good and "Set the World Afire" is one of their heaviest songs..."No survivors...set the world afire..."...one of their best songs at least lyrically. "Anarchy in UK" is the cover from Sex Pistols. I like Megadeth's version more...maybe because I like more Dave Mustaine's voice. "Mary Jane" and "In My Darkest Hour" are both quite sad songs lyrically and musically. "In My Darkest Hour" is a popular live track too. "Mary Jane" was released as a single like "Anarchy in UK" was too. "502" and "Liar" are quite fast songs too. "Hook in Mouth" is my favourite..it has the lyrics against the goverment and it is kinda rebellious and violent. "F is for fighting, R is for red..." FREEDOM is an important thing and there's never too many songs about it. I would say that ideas of the songs are excellent and the quality is awesome! Megadeth rocks!
Stars: Hook in Mouth, Set the World Afire, In My Darkest Hour, 502, Into the Lungs of Hell

Outstanding effort from Megadeth........2007-03-30

So Far, So Good...So What! has been drastically improved upon since the original had a slightly dissapointing low production, on this re-mastered version the sound quality is very high. Anyway this album is considered a dissapointing followup to Peace Sells among Megadeth fans which I personaly don't understand since this album was excellent and quite good with great aggresive and highly thrashing songs I don't see why anyone would be upset with this. This is still a definitive album from Megadeth, the lineup was changed for some reason it seemed like guitarist Chris Polland and drummer Gar Samuelson were both fired and replaced by Jeff Young and Chuck Behler and it also seemed like Mustain was going through alot of drug problems that effected the writting of this album especially with the silly lyrics for 502 even though it wasn't really a bad song. There are very few flaws in this album but I still consider this to be an underrated masterpiece the album starts of with the brilliant instrumental song Into the lungs of hell with a loud explosion sound effect then the song Set the world afire which is a technicaly fast and speedy track and is one of my favorites, its the first song Dave Mustain wrote after he was kicked out of Metallica. Anarchy in the U.K. is the only bad song on this album and the one that I thought was a dissapointing cover of the original done by The Sex Pistols, it almost ruins the flow and continuity of the album then theres the song called Mary Jane which has a very nice melody to it and the riffs were terrific its very catchy and you would probably know what this songs about from the title.

502 wasn't so bad except for the silly lyrics about a high speed chase with a bunch of cops but the following song In my darkest hour is probably the highlight of this album and is one of the greatest Megadeth songs ever, a song inspired by the tragic death of his friend and fellow Metallica bandmate Cliff Burton and presented here with an improved accoustic intro I would describe this song as a ballad that increases with speed and then becomes more intense towards the end which is amazing then theres the song called Liar another good track which seems to be an attack towards a former member of Megadeth (I think its maybe towards Chris Poland I'm not so sure). The closing song Hook in mouth was an incendiary assualt on the PMRC at the time and an overall attack on censorship in the media, but then again who cares since its a great thrash song. If you ask any Megadeth fan and they will tell that this album has some of the best songs Megadeth ever recorded despite all of the problems Dave was going through you he still managed to pull of this great masterpiece of thrash metal, you cannot call yourself a true Megadeth fan without owning this album.

So Far...So Good.......2007-03-26

So Far So good, but not their best, Being 8 tracks long this album still spawned classic megadeth tracks such as Set the world afire and in my darkest hour. The former being Mustaine's first composition after leaving metallica, was done with the intent of being faster and harder than his former band could achieve, and also gave rise to the band's name. The opening track (into the lungs of hell) is also killer, and is fashioned after the poem 'the charge of the light brigade' which is work based on St. Michael's offensive on hell after lucifer's exile from heaven. Other notable tracks include Mary Jane, Anarchy in The UK (a sex pistols cover), and Hook In Mouth which is a catchy tune aimed at music censorship.

Not as good as the origional........2007-03-08

So Far, So Good...So What! (in it's origional form) used to conjure feeling. The remastered edition sounds like a group of studio musicians tried to remake the album and just didn't quite hit the nail on the head. If you bought this album on cassette when it came out in the late 80s, get your hands on that version.

An inconsistent album that contains some Megadeth classics. But it's only half a great album........2006-10-08

This album has split fans for nearly 20 years. There are some out there that claim this as their favourite Megadeth release. Then there are those that see it as a blemish on the band's record, a separator between two undoubtedly classic albums in "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?" and "Rust in Peace". So where do I stand? I'm going to be ultra boring and sit on the fence.

While "So Far So Good...So What?" in my opinion is not as good as either of the other two aforementioned albums, it certainly has some value for any thrash fan. The problem with the album is a lack of consistency. Things start out tremendously promising with the instrumental "Into the Lungs of Hell" kicking things off in fine style. Straight away, it's obvious that the musicianship is still of the highest quality even if the production is slightly lacking. "Set the World Afire" continues the good work, its shredding riffs making up for rather pedestrian drumming by newcomer Chuck Behler.

But here's where the problem starts. Just as on the previous two albums, the band recorded a cover version of a celebrated track. I really do feel that in each case ("These Boots" may be an exception but only just) the cover songs are the tracks that I dislike the most on each release. This time around, Megadeth recorded a version of the Sex Pistols "Anarchy in the UK". It's completely out of place and in particular as track 3 on the album. Some fans claim to like this cover but most criticise its existence in general, its punk attitude not sitting well alongside some of the more sophisticated tracks.

Yet the inconsistencies don't end there. "Mary Jane" is another brilliant track with it's ballad like qualities and fantastic lead guitar making it one of the highlights of the album. But then it's followed by the truly atrocious "502" which once again stalls the flow of the album. I'm sure the guys thought it was funny writing this track based on speeding in cars and avoiding the cops, but its silliness wears thin awfully quickly and I find it very hard to enjoy these days. And so the album runs on with a few great moments broken up by bad decisions and a few cringe-worthy songs.

I don't hate "So Far So Good...So What?" as a whole, but I do find it really difficult to enjoy about half of it. Whereas the album before it and even more so the one after it are filled to the brim with talent and quality, this one ends up being comparatively average.

Average customer rating:

To Live Without It = Best.
You can't deny it. Sorry. . .

Denial Feels So Good
The Spill Canvas
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000OYC7AI
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Tracks:

Staplegunned
Gold Dust Woman
To Live Without It
Appreciation and the Bomb
Catch the Wind

Album Description

Honored as one of the 100 Bands To Watch for 2007 by Alternative Press, The Spill Canvas primes the poppunk pump with Denial Feels So Good, an EP preceding the band's full-length major-label debut album expected in the fall. After earning fans from Los Angeles to the U.K. with acclaimed indie albums and emotional live performances, The Spill Canvas is ready to make a big-time splash on the rock scene.

Customer Reviews:

To Live Without It = Best........2007-06-05

To Live Without it MAKES this EP. SUCH A GOOD SONG! Whole EP is great of course, even the covers and the remix, but that song is the best song, like, ever. HIGHLY recommended for fans of Spill Canvas

You can't deny it. Sorry. . ........2007-05-02

If there's one thing wrong with Ep, it's that it's an Ep and not a full-length. Five songs just don't seem to be enough. I was hoping, when I heard about its release, that they'd put "Rock Bottom" on this. Sadly, it is missing, and those who did not get that free download last year, will have to live without it. (Yet another pun. I apologize.) It's a shame really, because five songs seem so short, and one extra song might have rounded it off perfectly.
That being said how are the songs that ARE on the Ep? They're good. Very good. It starts off with a "remix" of their first single off of One Fell Swoop: "Staplegunned." This is so similar to the original that it hardly qualifies as a remix, so if you like the original, you should have no complaints about this remix. Following that is a Fleetwood Mac cover "Gold Dust Woman." I've not heard the original version of this song, I'll admit. Still, it sounds so different from typical Spill Canvas that I have to wonder if they didn't leave it quite the same. It's more blues than I'm used to hearing from this band, but Nick Thomas pulls it off quite well. It's track three that really makes this Ep worth buying. It's the first really new song on the Ep called "To Live Without It." I don't think I've ever heard Nick's vocals sound this good before. This song only makes me want to skip summer so I can get to the release of their full length faster. If you're a fan of their heavier stuff, you should love this song. After that, they slow it down for the rest of the Ep with "Appreciation and the Bomb." Nick's song writing abilities are so amazing. This song is so open, so melancholy. I would say that this song could be his best song ever. The Ep ends with another cover. This time it's of folk-singer Donovan. I'm not a big fan of Donovan, but I have heard the original of this version. I believe TSC pull is off masterfully. It is just a quick little folk song.
So, in short, Denial is perhaps not for a newcomer to The Spill Canvas, but for us fans who have been around since Sunsets, this is a gem. It may not hold off the pangs of longing for another full length, but it will certainly whet the appetite.

Average customer rating:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!
Beginner or Expert
Very Informative and Enjoyable
Frank's view
Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
What to Listen for in Music
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ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

Overture To 'Tannhauser'
Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
Hungarian Dance No.7
The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
Csardas Music
The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
Tzigane
Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
Caprice No.24
The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
The Violin Muted
Clair De Lune
The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
The Pizzicato Violin
Pizzicato Polka
In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
Hungarian Dance No.4
Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
Bolero
Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
Elfenreigen

Tracks:

Introduction To The Viola
Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
Cypresses (No.9)
The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
The 'Period' Viola In Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
Elfentanz, Op.39
Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
The Protecting Veil (Opening)
A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
Flamenco
Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
Symphony No.9 (Finale)
Introduction To The Double-Bass
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
Elegy No.1 In D Major
The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
Capriccio Di Bravura
Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
Sa'Dawi
Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
Chamber Music No.II
The Piccolo - Aptly Named
La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
A Variety Of Techniques
Chamber Music No.II
Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
Naelden, Naelden
The Bachian Oboe
Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
The Swan Of Tuonela
The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
Bolero
The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
...And Quite Low.
Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
Introduction To The Saxophone
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
Bolero
The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
Sax-O-Phun
The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
Bolero
The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
Symphony No.3 (Opening)
The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
The Ceremonial Trumpet
Fanfare For The Common Man
Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
Billy The Kid
The Trumpet As Character Actor
Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
The Birth Of The Trombone
Aenmerckt Nu Hier
The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
Canzon 12 In Double Echo
The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
Hosannah
The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
The Trombone As Caricaturist
Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
The Horn And The Hunt
Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
Walter Music (Minuet 1)
The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
Den Hoboecken Dans
Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
Gymnopedie No.2
The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
The Birth Of The Bongo
Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
Taking Advantage Of Tunability
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
Ravel And The Xylophone
Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
Introducing The Vibraphone
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
Folk Dances
The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
Introducing The Tubular Bells
Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
Carmen Suite (Introduction)
But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Introducing The Celeste
The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
Petrushka (Russian Dance)
The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
Mahler's Sleighbells
Symphony No.4 (Opening)
A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
Nocturnes
Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
The Oboe As Duck
Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
A Thunderstorm In A Million
Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
Octet In F (Mvt 3)
The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
Canzon 28
Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
Symphony No.5 (Finale)
From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
Images (Gigues)
A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

Tracks:

The Sea Lion
Moonstreams
Knucklehead
It Feels So Good
Hydra

Customer Reviews:

Classic GWJ!.......2007-07-07

I paid (what I hope was a respectful) tribute to GWJ when I reviewed his Aria album a few weeks ago. I simply cannot praise the man enough. I'd gladly review all of his albums if only I could find the time. I just had to review this classic barnstormer from 1975 though, after just getting the CD after owning it on vinyl for years.

The album opens with the funky "The Sea Lion" with GWJ on tenor. The moody "Moonstreams" follows with the man on soprano and with some great guitar licks from Eric Gale. The tune got a modern workout when DMX sampled it for his song Slippin' on his 1998 album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. Then it's back to funky for the tenor driven "Knucklehead" and then on to my favourite tune of all, the title tune, also tenor driven (with another cute solo from Gale and one of those songs, like "Masterpiece" and "Black Frost" where GWJ just seems to blow on forever), before the album closes with "Hydra", another funky tune the intro to which I'm pretty sure has been used on another popular hip-hop tune; I just can't recall which one.

The album is produced by Creed Taylor, and arranged by Bob James with his trademark horn sections which here, included Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis. James also plays piano, electric piano and synthesizer. Also featuring is Eric Gale on guitar, bass is played by Louis Johnson (on "It Feels So Good" and "Hydra") and Gary King (on "Knucklehead", "Moonstreams" and "The Sea Lion"), drums are by Steve Gadd ("The Sea Lion" and "Moonstreams"), Jimmy Madison ("Knucklehead") and Kenneth 'Spider Webb' Rice ("It Feels So Good" and "Hydra"). Ralph McDonald plays percussion.

Bob James provides one composition, "The Sea Lion". "It Feels So Good" is written by Ralph McDonald and William Salter and all the other tunes are written by GWJ himself. Shockingly, the CD provides no information regarding the personnel that played on the album. It doesn't even show who produced it. I'm only able to share this information here because I wrote this review before I passed my old LP (which is still as good as new, by the way) on to a friend who's currently into collecting classic vinyl.

Shame on you, Motown!

feels so good.......2007-05-26

this is classic Grover! I rate this album as one of the best Grover's, vis -a-vis, Mr. Magic. It takes me back to the younger days!

Grover Washington Jr - Feels So Good.......2007-05-13

Classic real fusion; waaaay before easy listening Kenny G stuff (Sorry Kenny). The reproduction is just Ok. But hey the masters are over 30 years old.

Feels So Good..........2007-04-13

It's tough to compare this to "Mister Magic." It just can't be done! On its' own merits - I can honestly say that it's an enjoyable effort by Mr. Washington! Get yourself a copy and enjoy! Four stars!!

AWESOME HOT FUNK!!!!.......2006-09-28

This is probably one of Grover Washington's most creative albums in his brilliant career! Overlooked and under-rated compared to his later (more commercialized) cds, this one was produced by the prolific Creed Taylor and arranged by the multi-talented Bob James. Every song is a full-bodied experience.

Recorded in 1975, this cd went to #1 on the Soul Charts and the Jazz Charts. Amazingly it also went to #10 on the Pop Charts. The title song was played quite often and the opening cut "The Sea Lion" made it to #1 on the Disco Charts. Grover had never been more free-spirited! A must have for Grover fans and/or those who love funky jazz.

Can't Sit Down ... 'Cos It Feels So Good! The Complete Modern Recordings

Average customer rating:

Can't Sit Down ... 'Cos It Feels So Good! The Complete Modern Recordings

Manufacturer: Kent U.K.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Complete BBC Sessions
A Fine Time!: The Southside of Soul Street
KCRW Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project
Dangerous Game
The Pomus & Shuman Story: Double Trouble 1956-1967

ASIN: B000O5917O
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

Can't Sit Down 'Cos I Feel So Good
Fine, Fine, Fine
Don't Feel Sorry For Me
Through With You - Venetta Fields
You Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It Too (Previously Unissued)
I'm So Thankful
You're Trying To Make Me Lose My Mind
Cheater - Venetta Fields
Sally Go Round The Roses
Blue With A Broken Heart - Flora Williams (Previously Unissued
Peaches 'n' Cream
I'm Leaving You - Venetta Fields
Never More Will I Be Lonely For You
The Biggest Players
Camel Walk
Give Me A Chance (Try Me) - Venetta Fields
Not That I Recall
How Come
Your Love Is Mine
You're Still My Baby - Venetta Fields
Nobody Loves Me
It's Been So Long
The Loco-Motion (Previously Unissued Take 11)
Sha La La (Previously Unissued Take 9)
Da Do Ron Ron
Never More Will I Be Lonely For You (Alternate Take 11 Of Modern 1015)
Camel Walk (Previously Unissued Take 1)

Album Description

20 years after the original Kent UK LP...and it's time for an update!

Highlights include two previously unissued songs and several previously unissued takes as well as an alternative take of 'Never More Will I Be Lonely For You'.

Most of the tracks are remastered directly from the original three track tapes and there is some fantastic studio back-chat featured.

The gorgeous booklet has a brand new comprehensive sleeve note that features interviews with all three Ikettes and also many previously unseen pix, including the front cover shot of the correct line up.

This glorious package is a complete overview of the Ikettes Modern recordings and replaces and updates our previous collection, now long out of print.

Album Description

20 years after the original Kent LP and it's time for an update! Highlights include two previously unissued songs and several previously unissued takes and an alternative take of 'Never More Will I Be Lonely For You'.Mostly remastered directly from the original three track tapes and there is some fantastic studio back-chat featured. KENT 2007

Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)

Average customer rating:

Great CD
Simply the Best
Inconsistent, but mostly excellent
"Celebration" is not strong enough a word
A maginificent evening, a magnificent album

Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall (1992 Concert Cast)
Stephen Sondheim , Betty Buckley , Paul Gemignani , Patti LuPone , Liza Minnelli , and Bernadette Peters
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Side By Side By Sondheim (1976 Original London Cast)
Sondheim Evening: A Musical Tribute (1973 Concert Cast)
Send in the Clowns: The Ballads of Stephen Sondheim
Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall
Sondheim, Etc.: Bernadette Peters Live at Carnegie Hall

ASIN: B000003FDW
Release Date: 1993-02-23

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Sweeney Todd--orchestra, Jerry Hadley ("Johanna"), Eugene Perry,Herbert Perry ("Pretty Women")
Evening Introduction--Bill Irwin
Loveland/Getting Married Today--Ensemble, Jeanne Lehman, Mark Jacoby, Madeline Kahn
Waiting for the Girls Upstairs--George Lee Andrews, Michael Jeter, James Naughton/Love, I Hear--Michael Jeter/Live Alone and Like It--James Naughton
Someone Is Waiting--Richard Muenz/Symphonic Sondheim: Barcelona--orchestra
Being Alive--Patti LuPone
Good Thing Going--The Tonics
Losing My Mind/You Could Drive a Person Crazy--Dorothy Loudon
Our Time--Boys Choir of Harlem/Children Will Listen--Betty Buckley
Anyone Can Whistle--Billy Stritch
Water Under the Bridge--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch
Back in Business--Liza Minnellli, Billy Stritch, Ensemble

Tracks:

Symphonic Sondheim: Comedy Tonight--Bill Irwin, orchestra
Sooner or Later--Karen Ziemba
Pretty Lady--Mark Jacoby, Eugene Perry, Herbert Perry
Green Finch and Linnet Bird--Harolyn Blackwell
The Ballad of Booth--Patrick Cassidy, Victor Garber
Broadway Baby--Daisy Eagan
I Never Do Anything Twice--BETTY
With So Little to Be Sure Of--Jerry Hadley, Carolann Page
Not a Day Goes By--Bernadette Peters
Remember?--Ron Baker, Peter Blanchet, Carol Meyer, Bronwyn Thomas, Blythe Walker (Quintet)/A Weekend in the Country--Kevin Anderson, George Lee Andrews, Mark Jacoby, Beverly Lambert, Maureen Moore, Susan Terry, Quintet
Send in the Clowns--Glenn Close
Old Friends--Liza Minnelli
Sunday--Bernadette Peters, Broadway Chorus

Customer Reviews:

Great CD.......2006-08-06

This is a wonderful double CD of fabulous musical numbers performed by theatre greats and directed by a legandary musical director.

Simply the Best.......2005-06-29

First, to the person who criticizes the recording b/c of "Broadway Baby." Daisy Egan (who sings in in this recording) sounds like she's 10 becuase she IS young. She had just appeared on Braodway in Secret Garden and won a Tony for it. It's a joke...Broadway BABY...hello, it's a joke.

In a compilation of songs like this you're always going to have tracks that you prefer over others, but the majority of the renditions in this CD are great. This is simply one of the best collections of Sondheim out there. You get interpretations that span from "classical" (Green Finch), to bordering on insane (Anything Twice). This is to demonstrate how versatile this composer really is.

In my opinion, some of the best renditions are "Not a Day Goes By," "Anyone Can Whistle", "Girls Upstairs Medley," "Losing My Mind/Drive a Person Crazy," and "Weekend inthe Country." Makes me wish I had been there to witness it first hand.

If you love Sondheim and enjoy hearing Broadway performers, get this CD. A great recording.

Inconsistent, but mostly excellent.......2004-03-21

I am sure no knowledgeable person would deny how absolutely perfect all these songs are. However, the performances on this album are extremely inconsistent. It will go from an excellent rendition (Waiting for the Girls medley, Sunday, With So Little To Be Sure Of, Sooner or Later, Green Finch, Send in the Clowns, Pretty Lady) to the weird (I never Do Anything Twice), to the bad (Broadway Baby, Our Time). I still have absolutely no idea how they managed to butcher one of the best songs ever written--Good Thing Going--and turn it into smooth jazz elevator music. Why would they give Broadway Baby to someone who sounds like she's 10? That said, Liza Minelli, Glenn Close, Karen Ziemba, Dorothy Laudon and the "Waiting for the Girls" performers are all very good. And ending with Bernadette Peters and "Sunday" ends the set on a absolutley fabulous note.

"Celebration" is not strong enough a word.......2003-04-30

This review is by Crosley.

I have been a major Sondheim fan for quite some time, and I finally obtained a copy of this album. I was blown away by the excellent cast and phenomenal selection of music. It is obvious how much work went into this production, considering that this is the live recording of a one time show, and it's flawless. The songs cover all of his shows with the exception of "Passion," which was released 3 years after this show. Also, the shows for which he wrote only lyrics are ommited, like West Side Story, Gypsy, etc. Thus, you can find material from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Merrily we Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Assassins.

There are two striking things about this CD (besides the music and performers themselves). First of all, some of the songs are completely stylistically reworked. The most obvious are "Good Thing Going" and "I Never do Anything Twice." Both are traditionally very ballady with a piano accompaniment, but here they have been redone as jazzy tunes. The result is excellent. Such reworkings demonstrate that Sondheim writes music for virtually any style, and in these cases, across several styles. It's a great example of his variety. The other interesting thing is how many songs have overlapping melodies of songs from different shows. Case in point, "Our Time" and "No one is Alone" are sung seperately by the Harlem Boys Choir and Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella in Webber's atrocious "CATS," although Buckley was excellent) respectively, and then combined. Putting these two songs together offer different meanings to each, and the music is only enhanced. Another example, the trio of "Waiting for the Girls Upstairs," "Love, I Hear," and "Live Alone and Like It" are sung in that order, and then the latter two are combined. Again, the meanings of the songs change, this time in an almost narrative style, and offering different takes on love in the same montage. Lastly (at least for this review, there are more), Dorothy Laudon's (the original Ms. Hannigan in Annie) combination of "Losing my Mind" and "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" is brilliant. Those who are familiar with these songs will wonder how exactly they fit, but trust me, they do. She swtiches back and forth between melodies to create a number that starts poignant and beautiful, and soon moves to become uproariously funny. Both the song reworkings and overlapping melodies of unrelated songs are all for the better.

I recommend this recording to anyone wanting to get better acquainted with some of Sondheim's best work, or those already familiar who want to hear a tour de force of phenomenal music. It has been said that Sondheim is a masterful lyricist (which he is), but lacks real talent for music. This CD is the final proof that such critics are wrong. His music may take a few listenings to get into, contrary to Webber or Wildhorn, but unlike those two, he doesn't cater to the audience. He challenges them to think outside of traditional musical theater in a glorious repertoise of shows that reach for a smarter, more sophisticated form.

A maginificent evening, a magnificent album.......2001-12-16

There's something to be said for the first concert you ever see at Carnegie Hall. I was fortunate enough to have this be my first. This entire evening was devoted to his genius and the performers did not disappoint.

This wonderful double CD shows off the best and brightest of the musical theatre composer and it is, as one person put it, "an embarassment of riches." With songs from his finest works done in amazing arrangements (listen to that harmony in "We Had a Good Thing Going"!) combined with fabulous performers this is a Sondheim lovers delight.

My favorite song is, without a doubt, Dorothy Louden and her wonderful medley of "Losing My Mind" into "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" followed very closely by the recently departed Madeline Kahn singing "Getting Married Today."

Music:

Music

Music

1. Send Your Latter Rain
2. So Good
3. At the Cross
4. He Takes Care of His Own
5. Yes, He Loves Me
6. Press
7. God Said Not So
8. Holy, Holy, Holy
9. God Will Surely Answer Prayer
10. Bless His Holy Name
11. Stir up '98