Go Through

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Dubbed the "Queen of Quartet" by her industry contemporaries, Evelyn Turrentine Agee is the real deal. Performing over 100 concert dates per year, her music has birthed several number # 1 radio songs, including "God Did It" and "It’s Already Done". In 2005, Traditional Female Vocalist Of The Year Stellar Award winner Agee teams up with veteran gospel producer Alexander "Asaph" Ward (Twinkie Clark, Smokie Norful) and an all star band in a live, down home, Detroit Soul recording! This album features 12 new songs that will continue to establish and propel Agee beyond the Quartet Market she currently dominates.

A guest vocal with Blackberry recording artist, Bishop Neal Roberson adds a refreshing spark and brings added flavor!

Tracks:

Toora Loora Looral
Will Ye Go Lassie Go
Spanish Lady
When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
Percy French Medley: Phil The Fluther's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly, The Lay Of The West Clare Reailway, Are Ye Right There Michael?
Amazing Grace
Nearer My God To Thee
Danny Boy
Fields of Athenry
Only The River Runs Free
Molly Malone
Last Rose of Summer
She Moved Through the Fair
Maggie
New Medley (combination of the 2 medleys

Product Description

1. Toora Loora Looral
2. Will Ye Go Lassie Go
3. Spanish Lady
4. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
5. Percy French Medley: Phil The Fluther's Ball, Come Back Paddy Reilly, The Lay Of The West Clare Railway - Are Ye Right There Michael?
6. Amazing Grace
7. Nearer My God To Thee
8. Danny Boy
9. Fields Of Athenry
10. Only The River Runs Free
11. Molly Malone
12. Last Rose Of Summer
13. She Moved Through The Fair
14. Maggie
15. New Medley (Combination of the 2 medleys)

Format: CD

Amazon.com

In the short time since they grouped together a few years ago to form their sensationally successful trio, the Irish Tenors have already put out an impressive array of recordings and DVDs, including some bona fide gooseflesh-inducing live concert performances. So, if you still have the enviable pleasure of discovering these amazing vocalists--or want to turn a friend on to their musical charms--this compilation CD will do the trick nicely. It brings together such classics as "Danny Boy," "Toora Loora Looral," "Last Rose of Summer," and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" (featuring John McDermott)--all rendered with the kind of passionate, heartfelt, and harmonious crooning that is their signature style, whether they're singing as an ensemble or as highlighted soloists. And even if you have the complete Irish Tenors, this anthology includes several numbers not found on their previously released CDs. Hard to think of a sweeter treat for a fan of singing too good to ever go out of fashion. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

Irish at it's best........2007-05-07

This album is really the number two album from this trio. It is very good and well worth the investment. The five star album by The Irish Tenors would have to be Heritage. Both albums rate high in my book.

Irish Magic.......2006-08-21

This is my first CD of the Irish Tenors. And what a joy! I played it as soon as it arrived. I like the blend of their voices,the passion and enthusiasm they bring to this CD. What I find is a real treat is the words to all the songs are in the booklet.I love this CD.

Just got your Kleenex.......2005-12-25

I suggest a box of Kleenex for each person in the room when you play this CD or VHS recording. Mom won't let me play it anymore because she...well, you know what I mean.

Wonderful!.......2005-12-12

When it's cold and frightful here, I play The BOYZ!

So wonderful. So much fun.

Up here in backwash Maine, there ain't much, believe me. But these guys are great. Sincere, care about what they're doing, true artists.

Ah, to go to Ireland again. Well, not unless the price of natural gas recedes!

The Very Best of the Irish Tenors is just that!.......2005-01-22

This recording is wonderful. Ronan's "last Rose of summer" is unique, the Percy French medley shows all three in great voice, Finbar's Maggie is wonderful and the laurels have to go to Anthony for his magnificent rendition of "She moved through the fair", wow!!!!

Well worth buying.

Isaac Chute

Average customer rating:

The Who Classic Masterpiece AS YOU NEVER HEARD BEFORE
A Landmark Classic Now Made Even Better.
A Milestone of Early Rock!
I Love it !
The Who's classic rock opera gets a 35th birthday celebration fit for a king!

Tommy

Manufacturer: Geffen Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Supergroups | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Who's Next (Deluxe Edition)
Live At Leeds [Deluxe Edition]
My Generation (Dlx) (Dig)
Avalon
Quick One (Happy Jack)

ASIN: B0000DJZAH
Release Date: 2003-10-28

Tracks:

Overture
It's A Boy
1921
Amazing Journey
Sparks
Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker)
Christmas
Cousin Kevin
The Acid Queen
Underture
Do You Think It's Alright
Fiddle About
Pinball Wizard
There's A Doctor
Go To The Mirror!
Tommy Can You Hear Me?
Smash The Mirror
Sensation
Miracle Cure
Sally Simpson
I'm Free
Welcome
Tommy's Holiday Camp
We're Not Gonna Take It
See Me Feel Me/Listening To You

Tracks:

I Was
Christmas (Out-Take 3)
Cousin Kevin Model Child
Young Man Blues (Version 1)
Tommy Can You Hear Me? (Alternate Version)
Trying To Get Through
Sally Simpson (Out-Takes)
Miss Simpson
Welcome (Take 2)
Tommy's Holiday Camp (Band's Version)
We're Not Gonna Take It (Alternate Version)
Dogs (Part 2)
It's A Boy
Amazing Journey
Christmas
Do You Think It's Alright?
Pinball Wizard

Customer Reviews:

The Who Classic Masterpiece AS YOU NEVER HEARD BEFORE.......2007-06-12

The Album is a masterpiece of all time rock n roll, even if this is "the less Who album" of the Who... but nevermind!
The Sound in both Stereo (from the original master tape discovered in the vault of UMG) and 5.1 (mixed by Pete Townshend himself) is great...
As you put the disc in your player you'll hear the great differences from the 1996 reissue even if you have only a "simple" CD player..
If You're a great Who fan and you a have SACD player buy ABSOLUTELY this album and enjoy it 'til the laser of your player won't work anymore...
The second disc is clearly for fans only but the quality of some track even if are demos or outtakes is very very good!!

A Landmark Classic Now Made Even Better........2006-12-26

One of the most important, groundbreaking amd influential albums in the history of rock and roll, The Who's 1969 magnum opus "Tommy", a rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball, is now better than ever thanks to the brilliance of SACD and DSD remastering techniques.

Every song on the cd sounds like it was recorded just yesterday. It is 100 % crystal clear, perfectly remixed and remastered. It gives you a clearer view of the story as well as a more pleasurable than ever listening experience. Pete Townshend and the people involved in this truly put their hearts into making "Tommy" better than ever.

The bonus disc is also worth it. A lot of awesome raritis. The liner notes are an interesting read, and the album itself is of course a masterpiece nobody should be without.

A Milestone of Early Rock!.......2006-09-29

"Tommy" is beyond question one of the big milestones of early rock. Musically the band were at the peak of their creativity.

All band members were obviously extremely talented musicians and both Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend were/are great singers. Apart from few exceptions like "Cousin Kevin" all songs are outstanding; and it's really great to have the whole story on one CD - compared to the old double vinyl album.

Though the storyline may seem a little weird today ( to me it always did ), there is so much great music on this album.

The second bonus CD gives a very interesting insight in the developement of some of the songs. Though the sound quality is exellent CD 2 will mainly be of interest to hard-core Who fans. None of these alternate versions are better than the ones chosen for the album, though a few come close. The studio version of "Young Man Blues" which did not appear on the original album is a nice addition too!

I Love it !.......2006-09-06

I was so blind-sided by this reissue - really. I have looked at this for a few years now, but I never picked it up. My impression of this was that it had some very good music along with some dated sounding tracks, so it wasn't a high priority. I'd been having very good luck buying hybrid SACD's even though I don't own a SACD player; the CD layers benefit greatly from the DSD mastering, making them stand head and shoulders above the latest PCM remasters (there are a few exceptions), so I decided to take the plunge.

The CD layer is stunning. I must have been sitting there with my mouth open after "Overture" began. I experienced emotion that wasn't there on previous listens to this on CD and vinyl. Yes, some of the tracks still sound dated, but most of this album is very good indeed, and this remaster is so incredible. If you own a great stereo rig, I highly recommend buying this - in fact, even if you don't have a great rig, I recommend it!

The Who's classic rock opera gets a 35th birthday celebration fit for a king!.......2006-08-13

The Who's fourth studio(and fifth overall) album Tommy was released in May of 1969.
The Tommy album by The Who was the make or break for the group because if Tommy had failed, The Who would have probably disbanded due to lack of funds despite their concerts selling out based on Pete Townshend's guitar smashing and Keith Moon's drum kit demolishing at the end of each gig.
Guitarist Pete Townshend, under the gun after I Can See For Miles failed as a single in the UK(although it was their biggest ever hit here in the US) came up with a rock opera about a deaf, dumb and blind kid named Tommy whom becomes those aforementioned things after witnessing an event as a child that traumatized him(his father killing his step-father whom he considered his father).
Originally considered to be a single length album, the band felt it didn't make sense so they expanded it into a double album and the result is one of rock's Top 10 greatest double studio albums in history(alongside other classic double albums like the then-already released Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland and The Beatles' White album and would help pave the way for more classics like The Rolling Stones' 1972 masterwork Exile on Main Street, The Who's 1973 release Quadrophenia, Elton John's 1973 classic Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Genesis' 1974 masterwork The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Led Zeppelin's 1975 classic Physical Graffiti, Pink Floyd's 1979 masterpiece The Wall and Bruce Springsteen's 1980 classic The River among many others).
Alot of classics appear on this album like the Overture, the classic Top 20 hit Pinball Wizard, Amazing Journey, the Underture(best instrumental on here which is basically a repeat of the album's other instrumental Sparks), Go to the Mirror, I'm Free, Cousin Kevin(one of bass player John Entwistle's greatest compositions), Fiddle About(about the perverted Uncle Ernie), Tommy's Holiday Camp(another excellent ditty written by drummer Keith Moon whom did an excellent rendition in the film version of Tommy in 1975) and the classic finale We're Not Gonna Take It/See Me Feel Me.
The other tracks on the album It's a Boy, 1921(You Didn't Hear It), Eyesight to the Blind, Christmas, The Acid Queen, Do You Think It's Alright, There's a Doctor I've Found, Tommy Can You Hear Me?, Smash the Mirror, Sensation, Miracle Cure, Sally Simpson and Welcome are all great pieces as well though tend to be overlooked.
The album made The Who legends for good and peaked at #4 on the Billboard chart and was their first Gold seller(eventually Platinum).
In 1996, the album was re-released as a remastered CD but used different masters for the remixed reissue.
In October of 2003(just in time for Tommy's 35th Anniversary), Geffen Records(formerly known as MCA) re-released the album as a 2-disc Hybrid SACD with the original mix on the CD layer and a killer 5.1 mix on the SACD layer and this version uses the very original tapes that were found in Universal's vault after being said that the original tapes were destroyed by Kit Lambert in a fire. As a result of the discovery of the original tapes, the sound quality is amazing on here.
Disc two has great outtakes and demos like I Was, The Who trying to record Sally Simpson with hilarious results and instrumental versions of Tommy Can You Hear Me and Tommy's Holiday Camp among many other rarities plus a cool booklet with rare photos.
Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

LOVE IN ANY LANGUAGE
A serene peaceful album of children's songs and lullabies

Love Is Spoken Here

Manufacturer: Mormon Tabernacle
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Peace Like a River
Consider the Lilies
Sing, Choirs of Angels!
Showtime! Music of Broadway and Hollywood
Choose Something Like a Star

ASIN: B000AE8G5M
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Love is Spoken Here
For the Beauty of the Earth
I Feel My Savior's Love
Our Savior's Love
All through the Night
Homeward Bound
Home Is a Special Kind of Feeling
I Am a Child of God
A Child's Prayer
Suo-gan
Oh, What Songs of the Heart
I Often Go Walking
Simple Gifts
I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus
My Heavenly Father Loves Me
Turn Around
Where Love Is
Love at Home
May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You

Product Description

Songs of heart and home set the tone for the newest album by the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The album features beloved Primary songs such as "I Feel My Savior's Love," "I Am a Child of God," "Where Love Is," and "My Heavenly Father Loves Me." Favorite hymns such as "Love at Home," "Our Savior's Love," and "O What Songs of the Heart" are also included, along with familiar classics such as "May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You" and "Turn Around (Where Are You Going, My Little One?)" With many new arrangements by associate director Mack Wilberg, Love Is Spoken Here is destined to become another bestseller.

Customer Reviews:

LOVE IN ANY LANGUAGE.......2006-12-26

I bought this CD for the song "Love Is Spoken Here" which was sung at my father's funeral, to celebrate his life and love of music, especially Church music. Our soloist was a friend whose voice warmed our breaking hearts. But when I saw that I could also get the Mormon Tabernacle Choir version along with many other beautiful American songs, I ordered this. I highly recommend MTC if you are seeking choir music to lift your spirit.

A serene peaceful album of children's songs and lullabies.......2005-09-13

Average customer rating:

not to great
Not so bad, 100 tunes for 4$
You get what you pay for.
Now I know why there were no song samples to listen to ...

100 Favorite Patriotic Songs

Manufacturer: Bci / Eclipse Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

United We Stand: Songs for America
America's Favorite Patriotic Songs
America's Bugle Calls
American Pride: Sixteen Stirring Patriotic Themes
Patriotic Country

ASIN: B0000A1HT8
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

America the Beautiful
All Quiet on the Potomac Tonight
Ballad of the Green Berets
On Top of Old Smokey
Coyote Warrior
Semper Fidelis
Breeze from Alabama
Onward Christian Soldiers
Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
Patriot
Sweet Betsy from Pike
Marines' Hymn
America Is
When Johnny Comes Marchin' Home
Happy the Soldier
American Trilogy
Home Sweet Home
Washington Post March
Enraptured I Gaze
Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair
Yellow Rose of Texas
Over There
Simple Gifts
Liberty Bell
Star Spangled Banner

Tracks:

God Bless the USA
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Katy Cruel
I Vow to Thee My Country
King Cotton
Beautiful Dreamer
America
American Patrol
Mine Eyes Have Seen the Beauty
Mohican Dream
Red, White and Blue
Some Folks
Liberty Song
Pomp and Circumstance
Hail to the Chief
Bennington Rifles
Peace on the Battlefield
I've Been Working on the Railroad
Under the Double Eagle
Red River Valley
My Country 'Tis of Thee
Camptown Races
Wild Blue Yonder
Hands Across the Sea
Fanfare for the Common Man

Tracks:

Stars and Stripes Forever
Living in America
Home on the Range
Old Colony Times
Clementine
Invincible Eagle
Ring Ring de Banjo
Yankee Doodle
Largo from "The New World"
To a Wild Rose
Hail Columbia
Alexander's Ragtime Band
Gettysburg
Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
Capitan
Prairie Daughter
Little Brown Jug
Marching Through Georgia
Entertainer
Steamboat Around the Bend
Revolutionary Tea
Cassions Keep Rollin' Along
Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier
Amazing Grace
Grand Old Flag

Tracks:

God Bless America
National Emblem
Soldier, Soldier Won't You Marry Me
Anchors Away
Oh, Susannah
Tramp, Tramp, Tramp
Toast
Dixie
St. Louis Blues
Appalachian Spring
Bonnie Blue Flag
Old Hundreth
Swanee River
Battle Cry of Freedom
U. S Field Artillery
Sidewalks of New York
Chester
Auld Lang Syne
Kingdom Come
My Old Kentucky Home
Hail to the Spirit of Liberty
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Shenandoah
Abraham's Daughter
This Land Is Your Land

Customer Reviews:

not to great.......2007-04-04

We were disappointed with this CD, but for the price I guess we can't expect much. I didn't care for the new style presentation of the songs. I like a more traditional rendering.

Not so bad, 100 tunes for 4$.......2005-06-22

I red the comments of two other people who have bought this 4 CD BOX SET and it is not really so bad. I will even add that there are some excellent tunes. However, I must agree with the fact that few tunes seem to have been recorded 40 or 50 years ago, mainly when you hear the scratches of an old turntable but it is just 2 or 3 tunes. Furthermore, if you do not know American music, it is a good BOX SET to buy if you consider that you received 4 CD for 4$ including 100 tunes. On these 4 CD, I have heard some orchestration that I have never heard before and I consider that they are different but interesting. Any way, after hearing these 100 tunes, you will say to yourself that you like this tune, this other tune, this other tune and so on and you will be able to buy a more expensive CD with the tunes that you like. However, I have bought many CDs in the last few weeks and as you know, there are always some tunes that you like and some tunes that you do not like on every CD that you will buy. So, don't buy it at 25$ but at 4 or 5$ dollars, it is a very good choice for 100 tunes.

You get what you pay for........2004-07-04

You get what you pay for. The singers put their own spin on the singing of each song. If you didn't hear the words you would not recognize some of them. Even some of the music sounds like a bad recording of music played on a turntable. Definitely not worth the price.

Now I know why there were no song samples to listen to ..........2004-07-04

I wish this review had been here when I was thinking of purchasing it. I guess you get what you pay for. If you are thinking of buying this, you are better off recording your own CDs (or at least buying one that you can listen to a sampling of the songs). This album includes songs that were mere recordings of the songs playing on an old record player. It's almost so unbelievable that it is funny.

Land of My Fathers: 100 Great Welsh Choir Favourites

Average customer rating:

Land of My Fathers: 100 Great Welsh Choir Favourites

Manufacturer: Castle Pulse
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General | International | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

International | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Favourite Welsh Choirs
Land of Song Welsh Choral Classics
Welsh Choirs: Wonderful Welsh Choirs
Bryn Terfel - We'll Keep a Welcome
Traditional Songs of Wales

ASIN: B0009SOFXG
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Tracks:

Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer (CWM Rhondda) - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Land of My Fathers - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Dies Irae
Men of Harlech
You'll Never Walk Alone
Cadwyn O Emyn Donau Cymreig: Joanna (Trad./Elfion Wyn)/Crugybar (Trad.
Old Folks at Home
Il Liza Jane
Faust/Soldier's Chorus - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Vergine Degli Angeli
Ballard of Rourke's Drift - Cwt-Y-Collen Choir
My Hero
God Bless the Prince of Wales - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
German Mass/Gloria
German Mass/Sanctus
Misbles/Master of the House/On My Own/Drink with Me/Empty Chairs at
All Through the Night - Caerphilly Make Voice Choir
Arwelfa
Invictus
Softly as I Leave You

Tracks:

Diolch l'R L
Hine E Hine (Maori Lullaby)
Pererin Wyf (Amazing Grace)
Tribute to the USA: America the Beautiful (Ward/Bates)/God Bless ...
Memories of Martha
I Lombardi/The Crusaders' Chorus - Treorchy Male Choir
Myfanwy - Treorchy Male Choir
Tales of Hoffman/Barcarolle
Creation's Hymn
In the Spirit!
Shall We Gather at the River
Nos a Bore
Very Best Time of Year
Soon Ah Will Be Done
Thanks Be to God
Flower That Shattered the Stone
Rhys - Treorchy Male Choir
Where Shall I Be?
Bywyd y Bugail
Lord's Prayer

Tracks:

Ave Maria
Pearl Fishers/Divine Brahma
She Was Beautiful (Cavatina) - Treorchy Male Choir
Cymru Fach
Nidaros
Jacob's Ladder - Treorchy Male Choir
Watching the Wheat
Pan Ddaw y Saint (When the Saints Go Marching In)
Misbles/Stars
Rachie
Pirates of Penzance/With Cat-Like Tread - Treorchy Male Choir
There Is a Balm in Gilead
Rise Up Shepherd and Foller
My Lord, What a Mornin'
Bryn Myrddin
Jesus Christ Superstar/Medley: Jesus Christ Superstar/Hosanna/The Last
Finnish Forest (Suomen Salossa)
Nabucco/The Glory of Israel
Ride the Chariot
Tydi a Roddaist - Treorchy Male Choir

Tracks:

Y Nefoedd
Phantom of the Opera/Think of Me
Morte Christe (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
By Babylon's Wave
I'm Gonna Sing
Where Could I Go But to the Lord?
Holy City - Treorchy Male Choir
Mefistofele: Ave Signor, Degli Angeli
Senzenina (Zulu Chant)
That's All I Want from You
Deep Harmony - Treorchy Male Choir
Give Me Jesus
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
My Wish for You
Jeptha/Waft Her Angels
Mose in Egitto/Prayer
Be Still My Soul (Finlandia Hymn)
God's Choir in the Sky
Floral Dance - Treorchy Male Choir
Smilin' Through

Tracks:

Calon Lan
True Love
Mor Fawr Wyt Ti (How Great Thou Art)
Aberystwyth
Comrades in Arms
Cats/Memory
They Led My Lord Away
State Fair/It's a Grand Night for Singing
When I Fall in Love
Let's Face the Music and Dance
Windmills of Your Mind
How Soon
Non Nobis Domine
Rhythm of Life
Kalinka
Sound an Alarm
Neapolitan Trilogy: It's Now or Never (Di Capua/Schroeder/Gold)/Mo ...
Turandot/Nessun Dorma
Christus Redemptor
Ann Evening's Pastorale

Album Details

Choirs Include the Morriston Orpheus Choir, the Pontadrddulais Male Voice Choir, the Caerphilly Male Voice Choir, the Cwrt-y-gollen Choir, the Treorchy Male Choir and the Lucknow Male Voice Choir.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!
Simple and sweet songs
Marvellous cd, enchanting music
Good if you want to sing from the book but can't read music
Didn't like the voice.

Lullabies: A Songbook Companion

Manufacturer: Essay
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Lullabies | Children's Music | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook
Lullabies and Poems for Children (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)
A Treasury of Children's Songs: Forty Favorites to Sing and Play
Go In and Out the Window: An Illustrated Songbook For Children
The Library of Children's Song Classics

ASIN: B00000083Z
Release Date: 1997-11-18

Tracks:

All Through The Night
All The Pretty Little Horses
All Night, All Day
Armenian Lullaby
Baby's Bed's A Silver Moon
Baloo, Baleerie
Brahms' Lullaby
Brezairola
Traumerei, Op. 15, No. 1
Can Ye Sew Cushions
By'm Bye
Bye, Baby Bunting - Golden Slumbers
Dance To Your Daddy - Dance, Little Baby
Fais Dodo
Good Night To You All
Jocelyn: Berceuse
Hush, Little Baby
Kumbayah
Little Boy Blue
Suo Gan
Matthew, Mark, Luke, And John
Mozart's Lullaby
Chanson de Nuit, Op. 15, No. 1
Now The Day Is Over - Raindrops
Raisins And Almonds
Rock-A-Bye, Baby
Rocking - The Sandman
Tales Of Hoffman: O Bell Nuit - Bacarolle
Skidamarink
Sleep, Baby, Sleep
Sweet And Low
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Toora, Loora, Loora
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: Twinkel, Twinkel, Little Star
When At Night I Go To Sleep

Amazon.com

Released as a companion piece to the award-winning book Lullabies: An Illustrated Songbook, this hour-plus of music is a wonderful mix of stately classical themes and child-friendly vocals. The selections range from "All the Pretty Little Horses" to a global spread of lullabies drawn from classical and folk traditions. The music is spare, with Kapp on piano, Julianne Baird and Kapp's daughter Madeline on vocals, and Mela Tenenbaum on violin, viola, and occasional vocals. Most of the classical selections (from Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Edmund Elgar, W.A. Mozart, et al.) get a straight-ahead, accomplished treatment. Lest you think the project stuffy, each of the melodies is in the one- to two-minute range, which effectively mandates a stronger sense of flow than most children's collections. Kapp, who managed to create a visual and poetic flow in the Lullabies book, keeps things nicely in a groove here, knowing enough to segue into silly tracks about halfway through the CD to provide a wider emotional range. This album every bit as accomplished as the book. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!.......2007-02-14

I love this CD. It's very well-done, and the approach is different than most children's CDs - very refined, yet soothing. I don't get tired of listening to it the way I do others -- which is important when trying to get a little one to sleep! I highly recommend it and the companion book.

Simple and sweet songs.......2006-04-02

With just piano, violin and vocals, this is a simple and heartfelt album. Ms. Baird's voice conveys the full emotions that a mother feels for her new baby with clean and open singing. The first track in particular, "All Through The Night," still makes me teary. I played this in the hospital when my son was born, and we use it as part of our wind-down ritual. I do agree that some of the songs are a little upbeat for bedtime. We just skip those in the evening (using iTunes).

Marvellous cd, enchanting music.......2005-10-18

Our whole family loves this cd. I am continually charmed and refreshed by the subtlety, taste and musicianship that has gone into these arrangements of well- and lesser-known gems. Apart from the joy of the simple yet perfect chordal progressions, listen to the warm, caressing tone imparted by the low bass notes in the piano in many of the tracks. The pace is so wonderfully leisurely, there is time to savour each song or piece, and yet each lasts only two or three minutes. The three diverse yet complementary singers, each with a tender and gentle presence suiting the subject matter, give a sense of a 19th century family musical evening. Magical.

Good if you want to sing from the book but can't read music.......2004-02-10

I bought this solely because I have the book and wanted to sing the lullabies to my kids, but I can't read music. For this purpose it is fine. The songs are not in the same order as in the book but I can deal. As a stand-alone lullaby CD I wouldn't really recommend it--the songs are not sung in a soothing manner, there's lots of variety in tempo and volume, some are even sung up-beat. The voices are not pitched high enough for babies either. That being said, I am back on Amazon today to buy it for my sister who is due any day now with her 3rd kid--we both like to sing and have the book, and songs (in book or music form) are a great present that the baby won't grow out of for a long time, and helps you bond with your little one too.

Didn't like the voice........2002-12-11

I bought this cd to go with the book and it is very frustrating because the songs on this cd are not even in the same order as the book. The singing voice fluctuates too much, it will be really soft and then it gets really high pitch. And if you have the volume set at a lower level for some songs then you can't hear other songs. I think there are better cds to buy than this one.

Average customer rating:

Loved this CD
I LOVE this CD!
Costello Partners with Hubris and Yields Variable Results
what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?
No life in her (pop) art

For the Stars
Anne Sofie von Otter , and Elvis Costello
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Anne Sofie von Otter - Speak Low ~ Songs by Kurt Weill / Gardiner
North
The Juliet Letters
When I Was Cruel
Deep Dead Blue, Live at Meltdown

ASIN: B00005A46I
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Tracks:

No Wonder
Baby Plays Around
Go Leave
Rope
Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
Broken Bicycles / Junk
The Other Woman
Like An Angel Passing Through My Room
Green Song
April After All
You Still Believe In Me
I Want To Vanish
For No One
Shamed Into Love
Just A Curio
This House Is Empty Now
Take It With Me
For The Stars

Amazon.com

At a time when popular music has been micro-marketed to the far side of ad nauseam, Declan MacManus, a.k.a. Elvis Costello, has traded on his reputation as the brightest songwriter to emerge from the new wave era to foster any number of delightful, cross-genre/generation musical surprises, including soundtracks and collaborations with the Brodsky Quartet, Paul McCartney, jazz artist Roy Nathanson, and songwriting legend Burt Bacharach. The latest fruit of that generous, insatiably curious artistic spirit is this elegant partnership with Swedish mezzo-soprano Anne-Sofie von Otter. Though an admitted pop novice, Otter couldn't have picked a better confederate than Costello, an artist whose taste in songs has seldom been tainted by trend.

Together, they weave material from disparate sources--including a slate of compelling Costello material, a pair of Brian Wilson's evocative "Pet Sounds" confessionals, a Tom Waits song from Francis Ford Coppola's One from the Heart (oddly, though effectively, coupled in medley with McCartney's "Junk"), an Abba song, and the Beatles' "For No One"--into a musical tapestry of stately power and grace. Costello sparingly uses his voice as seasoning throughout, though his masterful touch is everywhere. Otter's novice pop singing reveals an easy knack for jazz phrasing that should tempt further explorations and a warmth that belies the rigidity that's so often a byproduct of classical training. Most gratifying of all, this album ultimately achieves what's become one of the loftiest plateaus in Pop music: common ground. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Loved this CD .......2006-06-13

Who would pair Costello and an opera singer?? Elvis, and somehow it works. I really love the tone and moodiness of it and lyrics that talk about love and life, failure and success. It's soulful, in a contemplative way, music for those tucked away, rainy days .

I LOVE this CD!.......2005-09-01

Finally, an opera singer who knows how to channel her Classical training into a sound that is, as one critic aptly described it, "what pop singers would sound like if they could actually sing"! Although Elvis Costello does not join Ms. von Otter very often in the vocals, when he does they harmonize beautifully. With great melodies (some beautiful, some catchy) and sensitive (but not sappy) lyrics, this album makes a fine addition to any CD collection.

Costello Partners with Hubris and Yields Variable Results.......2005-05-08

Having just heard Elvis Costello's masterful collaboration with Burt Bacharach, "Painted from Memory", for the first time this past month, I had high hopes for this equally unusual partnership with mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter released in 2001. This time, however, Costello acts as arranger and producer, and it is von Otter who is front and center on vocals. She is among the most revered of singers on the opera and recital stages, and she has impressed me in the past, in particular, with her Dejanira in the 2002 Marc Minkowski-led performance of Handel's "Hercules", among many other roles she has embodied. Here she is called upon to be a pop chanteuse, and while the beauty of her voice is inarguable in any setting, her ability to interpret the diverse lyrics in these songs is far more debatable. This is where a Marianne Faithfull, a Blossom Dearie or even a Joni Mitchell could capture more of the underlying feeling with a fraction of the vocal power von Otter can provide but with twice the nuance. There is a rather sterile sameness to the performances here, somewhat jazz-inflected in a cocktail lounge manner at times and at other times, rather morose and dirge-like.

Take, for example, her rendition of Brian Wilson's "Don't Ask (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" from the legendary "Pet Sounds" album. It moves so glacially that it actually extricates the romantic subtext almost surgically. The same can be said for Jessie Mae Robinson's "The Other Woman", which has at least Magnus Persson's vibraphone to provide relief from the tedium. She's better on the other "Pet Sounds" classic, "You Still Believe in Me", where she cannily soars with the chorus, though Costello damages it by adding some odd, muffled rapping in the background. Ironically, it is on the Costello compositions where the recording most noticeably flails. The opener "No Wonder" starts as a "Greensleeves"-like madrigal and then turns into Beatlesque pop; "Baby Plays Around" seems to suffer from exhaustion by all parties; the two Fleshquartet collaborations, "Rope" and "Just a Curio", sound somewhat like extraterrestrial hymns done in a series of minor keys; and the closing title track, "For the Stars" includes peppy, Beach Boys-sounding harmonies which escape her grasp. In fact, "Just a Curio" would have been a more appropriate title for this entire recording.

On the other hand, the Gallic flavor of Benny Andersson's accordion effectively informs her rendition of Tom Waits' "Broken Bicycles", which melds perfectly with Costello's vocal on Paul McCartney's "Junk". Speaking of Andersson, a fellow Scandinavian, von Otter admirably covers a piano-led ABBA ballad, "Like an Angel Passing Through My Room". She also displays a meticulously casual bounce on Lennon-McCartney's "For No One", though it stops rather abruptly. Von Otter acquits herself surprisingly well on the jazzy "Shamed into Love", written by another unlikely duo, Costello and Rubén Blades, and performed as almost a smokier variation of Bacharach's "Alfie". And speaking of Bacharach, she does a nice turn on the lovely "This House Is Empty Now" from the 1998 Bacharach-Costello disc. Costello and von Otter are masters of their craft, but I think some of the collaborations reflect simply irreconcilable differences. While Costello seems to have an insatiable desire to expand musically, his hubris here appears to constrain the often preternatural vocal skill von Otter displays on the opera and recital stage. Consequently, what we have here is a nice album, a generous one with eighteen tracks, that doesn't seem to capitalize on either contributor's talent fully.

what's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?.......2004-04-22

Nothing's funny about this boring duo. I picked this up FREE at my library and it didn't take me too many tracks to see why it was donated. The musical arrangements are hapless and dull, and her voice is Dion without the Vegas power finale. Come to think of it, the lyrics remind me of Dion; they are as saccharine as anything Dion has ever sung. I wasted a blank CD on this limp, sleepy pairing of two otherwise good artists.

No life in her (pop) art.......2004-03-15

I am a big fan of both artists and wanted very much for this combination to work. It avoids the traditional trap of "oversinging" the pop material. But a few years after its release, in these American Idol era, is that really such a terror for pop music any more? So-called oversinging seems pretty popular these days!

The big problem is that von Otter has not found a way to communicate any emotion in this scaled-down form of singing. All her classical techniques are stripped away, and there's nothing to replace them. Sure, her voice is gorgeous, but it sounds exactly the same no matter what the lyrical content. The songs could have been made up of nonsense syllables for all the emotional life she communicates.

Tracks:

Jesus Christ Superstar: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's Alright - Yvonne Elliman/Murray Head/Ian Gilllan
Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman
Jesus Christ Superstar: Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say) - Steve Balsamo
Jesus Christ Superstar: Superstar - Murray Head
Evita: Oh What A Circus/Sing You Fools - Antonio Banderas
Evita: I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You - Elaine Paige/Joss Ackland
Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall - Barbara Dickson
Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
Evita: High Flying, Adored - Mandy Patinkin/Patti LuPone
Cats: The Jellicle Ball - Andrew Lloyd Weber
Cats: Memory - Elaine Paige
Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat - Susan Jane Tanner/John Mills
Cats: Mr Mistoffelees - Paul Nicholas
Song And Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face - Marti Webb
Song And Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday - Marti Webb
Song And Dance: Unexpected Song - Sarah Brightman
Song And Dance: Nothing Like You've Ever Known - Sarah Brightman
Song And Dance: Introduction - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Song And Dance: Variations 1 -4 - Andrew Lloyd Webber

Tracks:

Starlight Express: Starlight Express - El Debarge
Starlight Express: Crazy - Greg Ellis/Reva Rice/Caron Cardelle/Samantha Lane/Voyd
Starlight Express: Next Time You Fall In Love - Reva Rice/Greg Ellis
Starlight Express: I Am The Starlight - Lon Satton/Ray Shell
Starlight Express: Light At The End Of The Tunnel - The Company
Requiem: Hosanna - Placido Domingo
Requiem: Pie jesu - Sarah Brightman/Paul Miles-Kingston
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera - Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford
The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Steve Barton
The Phantom Of The Opera: Entr'acte - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom Of The Opera: Masquerade - The Company
The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Sarah Brightman
Aspects Of Love: Aspects Of Aspects - Orchester Der Vereinigten Buehnen Wien
Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Aspects Of Love: Seeing Is Believing - Michael Ball/Ann Crumb
Aspects Of Love: The First Man You Remember - Kevin Colson/Diana Morrison
Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely - Sarah Brightman
Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'Enfance - Sarah Brightman

Tracks:

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do - Jason Donovan
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Joseph's Coat - Maria Friedman/Richard Attenborough/Donny Osmond
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Close Every Door - Donny Osmond
By Jeeves: Travel Hopefully - John Scherer/Martin Jarvis/Don Stephenson
By Jeeves: When Love Arrives - Steven Pacey/Diana Morrison
By Jeeves: Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman
Sunset Boulevard: With One Look - Glenn Close
Sunset Boulevard: New Ways To Dream - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: The Perfect Year - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: Sunser Boulevard - Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: As If We Never Said Goodbye - Glenn Close
Whistle Down The Wind: Whistle Down The Wind - James Graeme/Lottie Mayor
Whistle Down The Wind: Cold - Everly Brothers
Whistle Down The Wind: No Matter What - Children/Adult Chorus
Whistle Down The Wind: The Nature Of The Beast - Marcus Lovett/Lottie Mayor
The Beautiful Game: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Beautiful Game: The Beautiful Game - The Company
The Beautiful Game: Our Kind Of Love - Hannah Waddingham
The Beautiful Game: Dont Like You - Josie Walker/David Shannon
The Beautiful Game: Let Us Love In Peace - Josie Walker/Omagh Youth Community Choir

Tracks:

Oh What A Circus - David Essex
Memory - Betty Buckley
The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman/Steve Harley
All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Cliff Richard
Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Any Dream Will Do - Donny Osmond
Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman/Jose Carreras
As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand
The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll
With One Look - Petula Clark
You Must Love Me - Madonna
The Heart Is Slow To Learn - Kiri Te Kanawa
A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste - The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra
Whistle Down The Wind - Tina Arena
No Matter What - Boyzone
The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones
Try Not To Be Afraid - Boy George
Pie Jesu - Charlotte Church

Tracks:

Make Believe Love - Wes Sands
Down Thru' Summer - Ross Hannaman
I'll Give All My Love To Southend - Ross Hannaman
Believe Me I Will - Sacha Distel
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969 Radio Luxembourg Commercial) - Joseph Consortium/Pete Murray
Try It And See - Rita Pavone
Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You - Time Rice And The Webber Group
Goodbye Seattle - Paul Raven
John 19:41 - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra
What A Line To Go Out On - Yvonne Elliman
Disillusion Me - Gary Band
The Ballad Of Robert And Peter - Tim Rice
Christmas Dream - Maynard Williams
It's Only Your Lover Returning/All Through My Crazy And Wild Days/Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
It's Easy For You (1977 Jungle Room Session Version) - Elvis Presley
Magdalena - Tony Christie
Buenos Aires - The Roja Rockers
Pollicle Dogs And Jellicle Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer (Live At The Sydmonton Festival 1980) - Gemma Craven
I Could Have Given You More - Petula Clark
I've Been In Love Too Long - Marti Webb
Benedicite - The Stephen Hill Singers

Album Description

Disc 1: Selections from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and Song and Dance

Disc 2: Selections from Starlight Express, Requiem, Phantom of the Opera, and Aspects of Love

Disc 3: Selections from Joseph nad the Amaziong Technicolor Dreamcoat, By Jeeves, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, and The Beautiful Game

CD 4: 1. "Oh What a Circus" --David Essex 2. "Memory" - Betty Buckleey 3. "The Phantom of the Opera" -Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley 4. "All I Ask of You" --Sarah Brightman, Cliff Richard 5. "Love Changes Everything"--Michael Ball 6. "Any Dream Will Do"--Donny Osmond 7. "Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)"--Sarah Brightman, Jose Caerras 8. "As if We Never Said Goodbye"--Barbra Streisand 9. "The Perfect Year"--Dina Carroll 10. "With One Look" --Petula Clark 11. "You Must Love Me" 12. "The Heart Is Slow To Learn" --Kiri Te Kanawa 13. "Whistle Down the Wind"--Tina Arena 14. "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing To Waste"--The Metal Philharmonic 15. "No Matter What"--Boyzone 16. "The Vaults of Heaven"--Tom Jones and Sounds of Blackness 17. "Try Not To Be Afraid"--Boy George 18. "Pie Jesu"--Charlotte Church

Disc 5: (All tracks available for the first time) 1. "Make Believe Love"--Wes Sands 2. "Down Thru' Summer"--Ross Hannaman 3. "I'll Give All My Love to Southend"--Ross Hannaman 4. "Believe Me I Will"--Sacha Distel 5. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: 1969 Luxembourg Radio Commercial--The Jospeh Consortium, Pete Murray 6. "Try It and See"--Rita Pavone 7. "Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You"--Tim Rice and the Webber Group 8. "Goodbye Seattle"-- Paul Raven 9. "John 19:41"--The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra 10. "What a Line To Go Out On"--Yvonne Elliman 11. "Disillusion Me" --Gary Bond 12. "The Ballad of Robert and Peter"--Tim Rice 13. "Christmas Dream" --Maynard Williams 14. "It's Only Your Lover Returning/All through My Wild and Crazy Days/Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Julie Covington 15. "It's Easy for You" (1977 Jungle Room Session version)--Elvis Presley 16. "Magdalena"--Tony Christie 17. "Buenos Aires"--The Rioja Rockers 18. "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats"--Andrew Lloyd Webber original demo 19. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" (Live at Sydmonton Festival 1980)-Gemma Craven 20. "I Could Have Given You More"--Petula Clark 21. "I've Been in Love Too Long"--Marti Webb 22. "Benedicte"-- Stephen Hill Singers

Customer Reviews:

I waited for this for five years.......2006-06-30

Between Amazone, Ebay and Napster, I don't usually buy CDs anymore, and I usually wait till I can buy them cheaper "new and used". When this set came out, I was excited, mainly by Disc 5, but wasn't going to spend $70 on it. I waited till it was cheap enough, and got it for Father's day this year.
It was worth the wait.

The concept is great. The packaging is great. The recording is great. Disc five is really cool for an ALW aficionado. There are a few real gems on it; my favorites are Petula Clark's "I Could Have Given You More" and "Benedicite."
I've always thought "Gus the Theatre Cat" made a great medley on the piano with "Unexpected Song" and "I DOn't Know How to Love Him," but wished there was an alternate lyric to match the other two songs. Now that I know there *is*, and it's a good lyric, it's a dream come true.
The melody of "Benedicite" is one of my favorites from _Sunset_ (the book mis-identifies it as "SUrrender"; it's actually "The Lady's Paying" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The lyrics are the canticle from Daniel 3, which comes up every odd Sunday in the Divine Office, so it's nice to have cool music to sing it with.

I haven't bought _By Jeeves_ or _THe Beautiful Game_ yet, to it was great to sample them.

There are other parts of the CD taht aren't found in my collection. I like CD 4 "The Hits."

But the selections on CDs 1-3 don't make sense.

First, any self-respecting ALW fan has the Original London Cast of _Phantom_, so six tracks are totally useless. Why not draw from the Canadian cast with Colm Wilkinson? Or pull out some obscure recordings never published.

Why two different tracks with Michael Ball singing "Love Changes Everything", yet they're hardly any different?

On Disc 5 is "It's Only Your Lover Returning," sung by Julie Covington. It's an early draft of the song (Lloyd Webber and Rice went through several suggested titles) and quite nice. The very thing one expects on a Boxed Set.
So why have the Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me" on disc 1?? The only difference is a few words, but it's otherwise identical. Why not Elaine Paige or Patti Lupone or Madonna?

The _Evita_ section is otherwise the best, choosing a sample from each major recording, though I'd have chosen slightly differently (as above).

There is a great selection of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the Sydmonton festival, using the original music that was changed when _Cats_ went to Broadway_. It would have been nice if they'd included more recordings from Sydmonton, like the original lyric of "All I Ask of You" shown on the second DVD to the _Phantom_ movie.

With so many great actress-singers who've played Norma Desmond, why does the collection beat us over the head with Glenn Close?

Paul Miles Kingston must be set for life in royalties, for the number of albums the original recording of "Pie Jesu" has appeared on. "Amigos Para Siempre" is nice, but it reminds me of Shari Lewis's "The Song that Doesn't End," especially when it's been used on so many compilations.

In short, this is a great collection for the obscure material, if you can get it cheap. But for a boxed set, it's a poor sampling, drawn mostly from the most familiar recordings.

Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE! .......2006-01-10

Please beware they made a mistake on this. It's actually the shortened Ray Shell version of STARLIGHT EXPRESS from the original 1984 London cast - NOT the El Debarge single from 1987 like it says on the box. I don't know how they let that goof pass. Sorry to Ray Shell. Having said that, this is an outstanding compilation of Lloyd Webber's greatest hits.

ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS.......2005-03-21

Regardless of the fact that some of his latest efforts (most notably, The Woman in White) are disappointing, there can be little doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the greatest composers ever to work in the musical theatre. Ever since his "Jesus Christ Superstar" hit the stage in the early 70-is, it was clear that the conception and perception of musicals are never going to be the same again. Many of his songs became standards not only in the theatre history, but also as tops on the charts. Even though he's British, his influence on the shape of the modern musical theatre expanded over the West End boundaries long ago and has thus made an enormous impact on Broadway. Two of his shows ("Cats" and "The phantom of the opera") hold the record as two the longest running shows in the history of Broadway. He has also been the only composer to have three of his shows running at Broadway concurrently. Some of his awards include three Grammies, a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a bunch of Tony awards. But perhaps most of all, Lloyd Webber is responsible for bringing the musicals and the theatre appealing to the wide audiences, who in different circumstances would not consider seeing a musical. The secret of his success is probably the mixture of beautiful and catchy melodies, interesting subject matter (though some, like Starlight Express, are too thin) and grandiose staging.

Over the years many compilations of his work have emerged. In the late 80-is and early 90-is it was the "Encore" series and lately the one-disc collection called "Gold". The one in question here can be considered one of the best currently on the market. First, it includes a 3-disc selections from all of his shows, minus the latest one, i.e., "The Woman in White", which, considering the triviality of the score, is no great lost. The fourth disc covers some of his most known songs sung by the famous artists. Then, there is the fifth disc with previously unreleased material, most of which are the songs ALW wrote with Tim Rice for various artists during the 70-is. The disks are all neatly packed in a hardcover book that features 67 pages of pictures and text with information about each of ALW's shows. One of the other assets here is the perfect sound quality, since all of the tracks have been digitally remastered.

Here are my basic impressions and comments regarding the material on the discs:

* Disc #1 has the selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", "Cats" and "Song & Dance". The Superstar material mostly comes from the Concept Recording. Although the songs sound beautiful as always, their orchestration is a bit dated now. Only Steve Balsamo's "Gethsemane" from the 1996 revival cast has a modern rock sound. "Evita" comes with the material from all of the major recordings: London, Broadway and the movie productions, as well as the Concept album. No objections here; since this is one of ALW's most satisfying works, every song is just perfect, although Patti LuPone, the Broadway and overall the best Evita, is left with only a couple of lines. With the selections from "Cats", however, I have some doubts. A plus to the choice of the "Jellicle ball" impressive orchestral sequence from the 1998 movie version and "Mister Mistoffelees" from the 1981 London cast. One of the best known ALW's songs, "Memory", also comes from that album. It's a pretty version and Elaine Paige's rendition cannot be matched, but why include this when the definite version, featuring an 80-piece orchestra and Elaine Paige with much better interpretation, can be found in the same movie version. Thusly, one has to buy Elaine Paige's latest 2-disc compilation "Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige" to get that one. And "Gus the theatre cat" is more a recital than a song, so there was not much point in including that. Marti Webb brings her vocal charm to the "Song & Dance" sequence, Sarah Brightman sings "Unexpected song" with her famous soprano, but as much as I like her version, Bernadette Peters, who was in this show on Broadway is strangely left out here.

* Disc # 2 starts with "Starlight Express". This was never one of my favorite ALW's shows; the plot is even lighter than in "Cats" and the 1984 original cast recording is terribly dated. Yet, here we have one terrific duet, "I am starlight" from the original together with three songs from the later revivals and it seems that fresh orchestrations were just the thing Starlight needed. My favorite remains a touchy ballad, "Next time you fall in love". "Requiem" is the most solemn of all ALW's compositions, written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. Placido Domingo's tenor rides together with the chorus all the way through the strong "Hosanna", only to be joined by Sarah Brightman in the final moments of this song. She then gives an echoing deliverance of "Pie Jesu". What can be said of ALW's next show, "The Phantom of the Opera"? A phenomenon in its own right, it's easy to see from the six numbers included here why this is one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time. The cast, the music, the story - everything is perfect. Although "Aspects of love" was never a popular hit, it does have some of the most beautiful love melodies ALW has ever written. "Love changes everything" sung by Michael Ball is probably one of the best tunes ever about love. The rest of the selected material here has a dreamy love flavor and the melodies find their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way.

* ALW's first musical, "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was more successful in its revival form than the original from the 70-is. The three songs included here are sung by the show stars, Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. Maria Friedman was not a lucky choice to play the narrator, as the track from the 1998 movie version shows. "By Jeeves" was ALW's only big flop when it came to the stage in the 70-is. The 1995 revival sounds much better though, full of funny numbers in the best manner of the musical comedy. "Travel hopefully" remains one of the show's highlights on this compilation. "Sunset Boulevard" comes next. "Sunset" remains for me one of Webber's best scores; lush and beautiful. I listen to the original cast recording with Patti LuPone all the time. However, here most of the songs are performed by Glenn Close. A big mistake. If you've ever listened the American premiere recording with her, you'll know what I am talking about. She may have a strong stage presence, but her vocal abilities are too limited, and her aggressive approach to the role lacks any subtlety. Therefore, the two big numbers from this show, "With one look" and "As if we never said goodbye" are ruined by the fact she can't sing. The same goes for the American Joe Gillis, who was played by Alan Campbell. Luckily, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson, the original Norma and Joe from the London production, make their brief entrance here with the "Perfect year"; enough to show how better they are. The funny thing is, on the jacket and inside of it, Glenn Close and Alan Campbell are credited as performers in this song as well. If this was a mistake on ALW's part, it was a good one. The next ALW's show, "Whistle down the wind" was never a critic's dear and yet the audiences rushed in to see it in London. The score brings back ALW to his rock and roll roots of the seventies and the story is quite interesting. But the selections here are not the happiest, since the cast recording boasts with much better songs. And finally, "The Beautiful Game". Again, we have one of those ALW's shows that is worth in its individual parts rather than as a whole. "Our kind of love" and "Let us love in peace" are two catchy ballads. The latter is a nice amalgam version not available elsewhere. The two other tracks here I could live without.

* Disc # 4 has the songs from all the above shows performed by different artists. The assembled tracks have their pros and cons. For example, we have some previously unreleased stuff, like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's operettic rendition of "The heart is slow to learn", or a stunning and epic "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" from "Whistle down the wind", performed by The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra. Then again, what was the point in including almost identical tracks as the ones on the previous disks? So we have Michael Ball again singing "Love changes everything" with only a bit different orchestration; Sarah Brightman comes out again with the same Phantom duets, but only with the different male singers. It would be much more appropriate to include tracks from the Toronto Cast of the Phantom, with Colm Wilkinson. Other pop deliverances (Tina Arena's "Whistle down the wind", Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said goodbye", Boyzone's "No matter what" and many more) were wisely chosen. Patti LuPone is again nowhere to be found and Petula Clark's "With one look" sounds too worn-out.

* The last disc is probably the one that will be of most interest to Lloyd Webber aficionados. It consists of entirely previously unreleased material ALW for the most part wrote for various artists during his early years, with Tim Rice. Some of these tunes, not successful as a singles, were later used in his shows. Thus "Down thru' summer" became "Buenos Aires"in Evita, "Try it and see", an unsuccessful attempt for the Eurovision was used for "King Herod's song" in "Superstar" and so on. Some of these songs are nicely made pop songs: "Make believe love", ALW's first recorded composition, for which he provided the lyrics; "Goodbye Seattle", sung by Paul Raven, who later became Gary Glitter; "Come back Richard, your country needs you", from a never made musical, sung here by Tim Rice, or Latin flavored "Magdalena", with Tony Christie singing. My all time favorite here is a song called "It's easy for you", sung by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Lloyd Webber and Rice sent him a demo recording that he accepted and recorded this live version a couple of weeks before he died. It's amazing to hear how his voice remained in the perfect shape. Also, there is a track of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing "Policle dogs and Jellicle cats" while plying the piano. His voice doesn't sound bad at all.

Taken as a whole, this compilation makes a perfect birthday or Christmas present to any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, or just anybody interested in some of the best tunes from the modern era of the musical theatre; despite the flaws I mentioned above. To the former, it may just be the final addition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber collection.

SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!.......2003-01-19

"Evita." "Sunset Blvd." "Starlight Express." "Jesus Christ Superstar." "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." "Requiem." "Aspects of Love." The man who is the most recognized composer in the history of the musical theatre, the man who has won more Tonys than any other composer, the man who boasts the best-selling show of all time ("The Phantom of the
Opera") and the longest-running show of all time ("Cats"), the man whose homes are filled with three Grammys, five Oliviers, a Golden Globe, and Oscar and too many other honors and hosannas to mention, the man knighted in 1992 certainly doesn't need an introduction. Now Decca Broadway pays tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with "Now and Forever," a spectacular 5-CD set compiled and produced by Sir Andy himself. It's cheaper than a
ticket to "The Producers" ... and more much exciting. This treasure trove contains highlights from all of Webber's shows, and a bonus disc of tunes sung by Betty Buckley, Barbara
Streisand, Jose Carreras, Boy George, Charlotte Church, Madonna, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, even Elvis! A must for lovers of theatre---and good music.

A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans.......2002-05-21

This five-CD collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber's career is fantastic. It leaves virtually no stone unturned. I have no doubt that diehard Webber fans will love this, especially for the 5th disc entitled "From the Vaults." This disc alone is worth the price as it contains tunes never before heard by the typical fan. Who knew Elvis did a Lloyd Webber tune?!? I didn't! Also the tune "Benedictine" which the composer wrote for his most recent marriage is not only pretty, but it has the same medley as "The Lady's Paying" from "Sunset Blvd." which I found highly enjoyable. Another great track is the composer himself singing a cut song from "Cats" entitled "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats" which has the same tune as "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats," but to hear Sir Andrew sing is a blast...he sounds a lot like Al "Year of the Cat" Stewart.
The cuts from the musicals are great but are likely owned by ALW fans as they are on the original cast albums. And I'm glad that there were tunes included from the composers most recent efforts which have yet to make it beyond London (Whistle Down the Wind, Beautiful Game).
My only complaint is the inclusion of way too many tracks by Sarah Brightman. She must've received a great divorce settlement that included having tunes on any ALW collection until the end of time!! Her interpretations of some of the tunes were limp and uninspired. I would've much rather heard casts from around the world rather than yet another song by this disdainful soprano! How about Colm Wilkinson's version of "Music of the Night" from the original Canadian cast of "Phantom"? Or Michael Crawford's version of "Unexpected Song"? What? No Betty Buckley from "Sunset Blvd."? And of course there are songs you KNOW are going to be on the collection before you even listen to it as they have been on EVERY ALW collection for the past decade or so.
A great collection but too much Sarah Brightman!

Average customer rating:

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Peace

Happy Baby Series: For the New Arrival

Manufacturer: Valley
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Compilations | Children's Music | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00000JSBP
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

Au Clair De La Lune
Ich Liebe Dich So Wie Du Mich
All The Pretty Little Horses
Wiegenlied
Hush-A-Bye Baby
Waltz In E
Oh Shenandoah
Rondo Op.51
Greensleeves
Ave Maria
Go To Sleep
All Through The Night

Product Description

1. Au Clair De La Lune
2. Ich Liebe Dich So Wie Du Mich
3. All The Pretty Little Horses
4. Wiegenlied
5. Hush-a-bye Baby
6. Waltz In E
7. Oh Shenandoah
8. Rondo Op. 51
9. Greensleeves
10. Ave Maria
11. Go To Sleep
12. All Through The Night

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh Peace.......2007-03-09

I bought this originally for my new nephew/Godson and my brother says he uses it a lot when Mason's mommy is catching a break and a distraction is needed. I listened to it and bought a second copy for myself (7 months pregnant) I don't know how much my baby likes it but I find it extremely relaxing and comforting. Even if it doesn't settle my babe after birth, I will still use it !!!