Oh Mercy [Hybrid SACD] [Original recording remastered] [SACD]

Track Listings

1. Political World

2. Where Teardrops Fall

3. Everything Is Broken

4. Ring Them Bells

5. Man in the Long Black Coat

6. Most of the Time

7. What Good Am I?

8. Disease of Conceit

9. What Was It You Wanted

10. Shooting Star

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The '80s was a particularly shifting, uncertain decade for Bob Dylan's creative voice. But he capped it off with his first album of all-original material in several years and his best since Infidels. A lot of the credit for Oh Mercy's distinctive appeal has been given to producer/musician Daniel Lanois (who backs Dylan on all but one cut), and there's no denying the effect of his magnetic, fog-thick sound sculpturing here. Overlays of lap steel, dobro, and mercy keys along with a slithering subterranean bass evoke a complete sonic climate, and the synergy between Lanois and Dylan would have a huge payoff with 1997's devastating Time out of Mind. But however tightly produced, Oh Mercy also displays Dylan at the peak of his songwriting craft, fracturing words and phrases for the things-fall-apart jeremiads of "Political World" and "Everything is Broken" and stringing images together for the noirish ballad "Man in the Long Black Coat." There's the usual dichotomy between Dylan's slashing accusatory mode ("What Was It You Wanted") and the self-effacement of "What Good Am I?" Aside from the miscalculated, sappy "Where Teardrops Fall" (the disc's sore thumb), this album has the classic staying power of Dylan's finest efforts. --Thomas May

Tracks:

Political World
Where Teardrops Fall
Everything Is Broken
Ring Them Bells
Man In The Long Black Coat
Most Of The Time
What Good Am I?
Disease Of Conceit
What Was It You Wanted
Shooting Star

Amazon.com

The '80s was a particularly shifting, uncertain decade for Bob Dylan's creative voice. But he capped it off with his first album of all-original material in several years and his best since Infidels. A lot of the credit for Oh Mercy's distinctive appeal has been given to producer/musician Daniel Lanois (who backs Dylan on all but one cut), and there's no denying the effect of his magnetic, fog-thick sound sculpturing here. Overlays of lap steel, dobro, and mercy keys along with a slithering subterranean bass evoke a complete sonic climate, and the synergy between Lanois and Dylan would have a huge payoff with 1997's devastating Time out of Mind. But however tightly produced, Oh Mercy also displays Dylan at the peak of his songwriting craft, fracturing words and phrases for the things-fall-apart jeremiads of "Political World" and "Everything is Broken" and stringing images together for the noirish ballad "Man in the Long Black Coat." There's the usual dichotomy between Dylan's slashing accusatory mode ("What Was It You Wanted") and the self-effacement of "What Good Am I?" Aside from the miscalculated, sappy "Where Teardrops Fall" (the disc's sore thumb), this album has the classic staying power of Dylan's finest efforts. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Bob Dylan: Oh Mercy.......2007-06-26

Oh Mercy is not my favorite Bob Dylan album, but it was for a while, right after I first got it--and I already had 20+ Dylan albums by that point. After letting myself cool off about it a bit, I think I can now analyze what I liked so much about it. The whole thing is good, and Daniel Lanois gives it a production that is not so much good as *consistent*: the whole album is of one sound. If I had to sum up the sound, I'd say it's 'murky.' Lanois is a former producer of 80's U2 albums, and that's very much what this album sounds like. My point is that Oh Mercy has a continuity to it and really works well as a whole album.

Nonetheless, it is possible to pick out the highlights. The reason for my original infatuation with this album comes down to just two songs: "Man In The Long Black Coat," which has some of the best and most intriguing imagery Dylan has ever conjured from that mind of his, and "Most Of The Time," a straight-up Dylan classic on which he uses his typical style of ending each verse with the same line (usually the title line) and taking the listener along as the profound meaning of that line is further brought out by each verse. ANY Dylan fan needs to own both of these songs, and I've never seen either one on a compilation--"Political World" and "Ring Them Bells" (both good songs) have been more likely to get anthologized. For these two songs alone, the purchase of Oh Mercy is well worth it.

However, as I said before, the album sets a mood and you will enjoy the whole thing. Even lyrical low points like "Disease of Conceit" are enjoyable in the context of the entire album.

Tuneful and stirring.......2007-05-01

Produced by Daniel Lanois, this graceful work was Dylan's final statement of the 1980s. The uptempo Political World delivers a profound message over an urgent rolling rhythm whilst the poignant Where Teardrops Fall is melancholy and uplifting at the same time, very much like Leonard Cohen.

Since this album was released in 1989, the song Everything Is Broken now seems to be prophetic and truer than ever. The arrangement stands out, as well as the impressive instrumental textures. With its appealing organ touches, the slow song Ring Them Bells has an anthemic quality and gospel undertones.

The atmospheric story-song Man In The Long Black Coat is followed by the introspective Most Of The Time, a reflection upon lost love and lingering memories. What Good Am I is similarly sad and reflective with thought-provoking lyrics, and the same goes for Disease Of Conceit.

I love the appearance of the harmonica on some of the songs like Shooting Star; it reminds me of his legendary 1960s work. With its heavenly melodies, evocative imagery and inspired production by Lanois, Oh Mercy is Dylan at his very best.

Time Out of Mind

Acadie by Daniel Lanois

WISH I'D BOUGHT IT IN '89.......2007-02-25

I kinda lost track of Bob after the SAVED album came out. I had EVERY album he made prior to SAVED.
Then recently after reading "Down The Highway" by Howard Sounes, I went out and bought OH MERCY and a buncha the later albums. This one was at the bottom of the pile of 5 Dylans that I bought. I decided to play it last night as there was nuthin' much a-happenin....and MAN......I nearly fell out of my computer chair. This was like the OLD Bobby DYLAN from "New Morning" and that era. It blew my socks off. I've been listening to it continuously now. Lanios got a real good sound going here. Call me crazy, but as far as I'm concerned FIVE STARS.

Good Dylan, but a tad overrated...........2006-08-11

I know I'm in the minority here when I say this is a good, but not great, album. It's certainly better than Dylan's previous 2 albums (Knocked Out Loaded and Down in the Groove), but I always found the album wanting. The songs are way too short, for one thing. There's really only one lengthy track on the whole album, What Was It You Wanted?. While the album has great songs (Political World, Everything is Broken, Man in the Long Black Coat), it just doesn't have that epic quality that many Dylan albums have. Luckily, he reteamed with producer Daniel Lanois later for a real Dylan masterpiece, Time Out of Mind.

Smoothed out for easy digestion, but still ok.......2006-05-31

The production is pretty lush for a Dylan album. Maybe too lush for most. I like the tunes though, I'd like to hear a [...] kickin' live version of "Everything is Broken." I bought this on vinyl (!) but only recently got the CD version. I'm glad I did. It's a keeper.

The Collection: Oh, Mercy/Time Out of Mind/Love and Theft

Average customer rating:

Excellent Combo for an Aging Ageless Wonder
The Collection: Oh, Mercy/Time Out of Mind/Love and Theft
The New Dylan...
Three Stellar Records in One Collection
He's Older Now, but as Good, Maybe Better than Ever

The Collection: Oh, Mercy/Time Out of Mind/Love and Theft
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AAIXT0
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Political World
Where Teardrops Fall
Everything Is Broken
Ring Them Bells
Man in the Long Black Coat
Most of the Time
What Good Am I?
Disease of Conceit
What Was It You Wanted
Shooting Star

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'Til I Fell in Love with You
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Cry a While
Sugar Baby

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Combo for an Aging Ageless Wonder.......2006-09-02

Because of the long section in Chronicles on Dylan's perspective on Oh, Mercy, I wanted to check it out. I had Time Out of Mind on cassette from when it first came out, and I had Love and Theft on CD--but the under $20 price for all three made me get this set, with the idea that I would give my second wrapped copy of Love and Theft to someone as a present. (Each of the 3 CD's is wrapped as new--in the light cardboard box which has no additional extras at all.)
Anyway, Oh, Mercy is really excellent. Each song entices your involvement and interest. I am glad to finally catch up with it.
Time Out of Mind is a genius work. From my cassette version of 10 years ago, I knew it was an older guy singing about aging, the perspective from the mature end of relationships,and sounding like a person who had seen and experienced much. Personally, I think it is his best overall work since Blood on the Tracks.
Love and Theft is another story. The first two CD's would easily get 5 stars, but this one seems too simple minded. It is not lighthearted sounding with purity (as I think of Nashville Skyline) but rather just somewhat superficial. I have played it a number of times, and I keep hoping that I missed something-because when it came out, the critics were saying how wonderful and special it was, but I think it is just ok. It is way above something like Selfportrait or Dylan, but it would not make the upper echelon of Bob Dylan albums.
Overall, the package of the 3 is a great deal, and well worth the price.

The Collection: Oh, Mercy/Time Out of Mind/Love and Theft.......2006-08-31

more super stuff from Dylan. prompt service from amazon

The New Dylan..........2006-01-05

That would've been a good name for this set.
This is a coupling of albums that really makes sense. If you're a Dylan fan from days of yore, this would be a good way to bring yourself up to speed. None of these albums ever really qualified as a comeback in the literal sense; Dylan wrote plenty of good songs in the 80's, he just scattered them across a few too many albums. I guess 1997's _Time Out of Mind_ comes closest; it had been been six years since his last all-new record (the unfortunate post-Wilbury hangover known as _Under the Red Sky_, thankfully omitted from this set). But even then, he'd been burning it up onstage for two years prior, and had made two offbeat but charming albums of accoustic folk/blues interpretations. Really what sets the three records here apart is that they forced even the sometimes inattentive general public to sit up and take notice. That tells you something about how good they are.

The one thing that would have improved this set would be if they'd found a way to include the three essential non-album tracks that came out during this time period ("Series of Dreams", a spare part from _Oh Mercy_, "Dignity", from _Greatest Hits Vol. 3_, and "Things Have Changed" from the _Wonder Boys_ soundtrack).

The remastered version of _Oh Mercy_, included here, is a nice sonic upgrade from the old version.

Three Stellar Records in One Collection.......2005-10-30

Here are three records from late in Dylan's body of work, the three best ones of his latter period, if Dylan can be said to have periods. Many break his career up into bits and pieces. You know the folk and protest period, the folk rock period and so on and so on, while others, myself included, just appreciate his albums each and every one.

Oh Mercy - Eerie Haunting Sound You Can't Get Out of Your Mind

Many people thought this album was a comeback for Dylan, many others, myself included, never thought he went away. However, I must admit Daniel Lanois' production sort of brings one back to the Dylan of old, you know, before he signed on the girl backup singers. Their is an artistic sound to this record reminiscent of a smoothed out Blonde on Blonde sound. So I can see how one would think they were getting the Dylan of the Sixties back again.

I've heard it said that this record has not stood the test of time as say, Highway 61 has, but I'd have to disagree. I play this record often, actually more than Highway 61, so I guess by my lights, the record still has pretty strong legs. The imagery in "Man With a Long Black Coat" is as powerful as anything Dylan has done. "Shooting Star" is every bit as good a song as "She Belongs to Me" for example and "Political World" is just as meaningful now as when Ronald Reagan was President, some, myself included, would say more so. And who hasn't suffered from the "Disease of Conceit" a song that could be about us all.

It is hard, out of such a body of work to pick out an album you like best, actually impossible, but for me this one is right up there near the top.

Time Out of Mind - Eerie, Haunting, Dark and Searing

When TOOM (Time Out Of Mind) came out it had been seven years since Dylan had done an album of original songs. Was TOOM worth the wait? I'd say so. For me this record harkens all the way back to "Blood on the Tracks" with Dylan delivering searing songs full of hurt, heartbreak and emotion. This album is bittersweat and dark. This album is great. This album stands near the top of a superb body of work.

And yet again, when this record came out it was hearlded as a comeback for Dylan. I swear this man has had more comebacks than Carter's got pills. Mr. Dylan never left. He has always been here, always making music, just sometimes some of his records don't etch their way into your soul the way others do. Some of his records are merely outstanding, some others, like this one, blaze like a firey comet streaking across the desert sky, burning their way into your conscious.

I suppose every five years or so Dylan has to put out a record like this just to remind us all what a real poet is all about.

Love and Theft - Kind of a Playful, Jazzy, Crooning and Rocking Bob Dylan

Still again, after a long hiatus of no albums with original tunes, many people hailed "Time Out of Mind" as still another comeback for Dylan with this record, delivered four years later in 2001, building upon said comeback. Only this time he isn't as eerie, haunting and dark as he was on "Time". In fact at times it seems Mr. Dylan has turned downright playful with his music. We have Dylan kind of crooning on some of the songs in this set of very good rock and roll songs, many of which have kind of a jazzy inflection to them.

In my opinion Dylan's gravely voice works well with this set and the songs blend into each other making a whole that is much better than the sum of its parts. I play this record quite a bit, but then I play most of his good records quite a bit. Some have said, my Gal Sara, for instance that perhaps I play Mr. Dylan's music a bit too much. Thank goodness I've got an iPod, so that when I'm up alone at night working on the computer or trying to hammer out words on paper with pen or pencil, I can listen to this record as loud as I want. My hearing may be going though, but so what, it's worth it.

Jack Priest, Writer from the Darkside

He's Older Now, but as Good, Maybe Better than Ever.......2005-10-30

He was good when he was a kid, he was good when he was in his fourties and his fifties. He's old now, but he's better than ever. Read on:

"Oh Mercy" is easily one of my favorite Dylan albums, and if it's not in the top five, it's certainly in the top ten. A lot of people, who had written off Mr. D's relevance, were taken aback when this record came out. There was a lot of, "Dylan's back." or "I knew he had it in him." kind of comments going around after folks gave this record a listen too. Folks in the biz, those in the know, started calling "Oh Mercy" Dylan's comeback record. But then there were those who had been faithful fans, listening and appreciating his music all along. For them, Dylan had never really gone anywhere to come back from. That said, this record does harkens back to those Dylan albums of yesteryear, with those story songs that are so wonderful. This is most certainly a five star album and one you absolutely must own.

"Time Out of Mind" is considered a comeback album by many. These people think that just because Bob Dylan put out a couple Christian Records, or A couple records with a gang of Gospel singers, or a couple records of old blues and public domain songs, that he'd lost it, forgotten how to do rock and roll, forgotten how to write. So when these so called comeback albums come out, they raise their hands, look to the heavens and shout out "Praise the Lord, Dylan's back." How silly, Mr. D's always been around and God willing will still be giving us these comeback records every three years or so thirty years from now. That said, "Time Out of Mind," has a dark feel to it. It pulls you in with a combination of Dylan's mournful voice and mournful lyrics. It's different than anything he's done before.

I've heard it said that Bob Dylan said of "Love & Theft" that it's like "a greatest hits without the hits." Well, when you listen to this masterpiece, that's exactly the kind of feel you get for this album. It's like each of the songs is an old friend, like we've heard them all before. How did Dylan do that? Maybe it's because he recorded "Love and Theft" with his touring band and they were all so used to playing with each other. It shows. In a way this album reminds me of "Blood on the Tracks" the album that I consider Mr. Ds best. Every song on "The Tracks" belongs there, an integral part of the whole. Sure every song stands alone, but together they make a masterpiece. That's the way it is with "Love and Theft." I don't know if this is the best album Mr. D has ever done, cuz I still listen "The Tracks," all the time, but if it's not the best, it's certainly number two. And who knows, after listening to it for another year or so, I may reevaluate that, but for now all I have to say is this CD is so good it'll make you cry.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

Average customer rating:

(3.5 stars) Smooth recovery
Dylan closes out the 80's in style
A Record to Reflect On
One of Bob Dylan's Best
Personal and Wonderful

Oh Mercy
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000C8AV2
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Tracks:

Political World
Where Teardrops Fall
Everything Is Broken
Ring Them Bells
Man in the Long Black Coat
Most of the Time
What Good Am I?
Disease of Conceit
What Was It You Wanted
Shooting Star

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

(3.5 stars) Smooth recovery.......2007-02-11

After Down in the Groove and Knocked Out Loaded, pretty much everyone thought Dylan was over the hill. Then he saved his career with Oh Mercy, a big step up from those two debacles. No, this will never compare to his '60's work: with the exception of the lovelorn Shooting Star, everything on Side 2 should be skipped. But he makes up for it with great blues-rock (Everything Is Broken; Political World) and two downbeat ballads (Ring them Bells, which literally took a year to grow on me, but I now love it; When Teardrops Fall), so this is far from a failiure.

Dylan closes out the 80's in style.......2006-10-10

As our heroes, dressed in pastel colored clothing, of the early 80's fell prey to all, and I mean all, of the vices attached to superstardom, Bob Dylan handed us a masterpiece. Great songs here, one and all. Check out 'Most of the Time'. Bob's at the top of his form from start to finish.

A Record to Reflect On.......2006-05-20

This record again is a new direction for Bob Dylan, or maybe it's another comeback record for him. He's taken so many directions, had so many comebacks on his journey, made so many fine records and this is one of the best, every song one to listen to over and over, to reflect on. How does he do that, keep making records like this? Topical songs like "Political World" and "Man in a Long Black Coat" merged with the dirge like song "Ring Them Bells" mingled in with the words in "Disease of Conceit" and "Most of the Time" lessons for us all. Nobody else could put a group of songs like this and make it work. This is certainly on of Bob Dylan's best records and one everybody who own any Dylan record should own and everybody should own a Dylan record.

One of Bob Dylan's Best.......2006-05-20

It seems to me that Bob Dylan is always stretching forward, while reaching toward the past. Like a man in a hurricane, he swirls toward an uncertain future like a the shooting star he sings about and Jack London wrote about, but he tries, sometimes in vain, to hold on to his past, his roots, like he does so well here with songs like "Political World" and "Man in a Long Black Coat." These are songs fans of Bob Dylan's early work might well like. Songs like "Shooting Star", "Where Teardrops Fall" and "What Good Am I?" seem to come right from the heart. The quiet and understated effect of Daniel Lanois' production, which will be even more understated in "Time Out of Mind", are simply haunting to say the least. Something like thirty years into his career at this point and this is one of his best records yet. But what is simply amazing is that there are more to come.

Personal and Wonderful.......2006-05-20

Bob Dylan and Daniel Lanois work better together, it seems to me, then many of the other people Dylan has worked with. I certainly like the sound of this record better than the stuff Dylan did with Tom Petty, though I like that stuff too. I actually like this record as much as I like "Blood on the Tracks" and often have both of them in my CD changer at the same time (which by the way I never set at random play with a Bob Dylan record, because Dylan records were meant to be played in their entirety, the way Dylan presented them). For me, this record fits nicely between "Tracks" and "Time out of Mind." Sure he did some great stuff in between, but it's these personal songs like "What Good Am I?" that I like so much and, of course, the way Bob Dylan tells a story. There is nobody better.

Average customer rating:

best album since planet waves in 74.this ones from 89
A Record to Reflect On
One of Bob Dylan's Best
Personal and Wonderful
Straight to the Soul

Oh Mercy
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000026UL
Release Date: 1989-09-12

Tracks:

Political World
Where Teardrops Fall
Everything Is Broken
Ring Them Bells
Man In The Long Black Coat
Most Of The Time
What Good Am I?
Disease Of Conceit
What Was It You Wanted
Shooting Star

Amazon.com

The '80s was a particularly shifting, uncertain decade for Bob Dylan's creative voice. But he capped it off with his first album of all-original material in several years and his best since Infidels. A lot of the credit for Oh Mercy's distinctive appeal has been given to producer-musician Daniel Lanois (who backs Dylan on all but one cut), and there's no denying the effect of his magnetic, fog-thick sound sculpturing here. Overlays of lap steel, dobro, and mercy keys along with a slithering subterranean bass evoke a complete sonic climate, and the synergy between Lanois and Dylan would have a huge payoff with 1997's devastating Time Out of Mind. But however tightly produced, Oh Mercy also displays Dylan at the peak of his songwriting craft, fracturing words and phrases for the things-fall-apart jeremiads of "Political World" and "Everything Is Broken" and stringing images together for the noirish ballad "Man in the Long Black Coat." There's the usual dichotomy between Dylan's slashing accusatory mode ("What Was It You Wanted") and the self-effacement of "What Good Am I?" Aside from the miscalculated, sappy "Where Teardrops Fall" (the disc's sore thumb), this album has the classic staying power of Dylan's finest efforts. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

best album since planet waves in 74.this ones from 89.......2006-08-28

finaly!!!!!!!!!!!!!a dylan album with more than 2 really good songs on it!"where teerdrops fall" was exquisete!"everything is broken" was good to,but id wager he wasnt in a very good mood when he wrote it."ring them bells" is a church song i dont reach for the skip button on."what good am i?" continues this depressing decorum.the song "disease of conciet" makes him sound troubled too.perhaps he writes better when hes upset?then,as usual,he ends the album with a love song.this one is called "shooting star".no not the johnny and his guitar one either.a great album.his best in years.

A Record to Reflect On.......2006-04-03

One of Bob Dylan's Best.......2006-04-03

Personal and Wonderful.......2006-04-03

Straight to the Soul.......2006-04-03

It had been a long time since Dylan released an album of original material. A lot of his fans probably thought he was washed up, consigned to singing gospel flavored songs with girl backup singers (which he does quite well by the way) and re-singing his old material, but Dylan proved them wrong with this record. In fact most of the time he surprises, like with this record. There is no denying "Oh Mercy" is a masterpiece. It's quiet and subtle, not at all like the rocker "Infidels" was. For me this record reminds me a lot of "Blood on the Tracks" with it's personal songs. However, there are also songs about the social conditions of the day, delivered in only the way Bob Dylan can deliver them, understated, but straight to the soul.

Average customer rating:

"The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me."
Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative
Absolutely Breathtaking!
A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring.
The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible

Wagner: The Valkyrie

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Act I: Prld - English Nat Opr Orch/Reginald Goodall
Act I, Scene 1: The Storm Drove Me Here - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 1: This House And This Wife - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 1: Evil Fortune's Never Far From Me - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 2: There He Lay, Feeble And Faint - Margaret Curphey/Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 2: Through Field And Forest - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 2: Friedmund No One Could Call Me - Alberto Remedios/Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 2: The Neidings Raided Again - Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 2: So The Norn Who Dealt You This Fate - Clifford Grant/Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 2: I Know A Troublesome Race - Clifford Grant
Act I, Scene 3: A Sword Was Pledged By My Father - Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: Are You Awake? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: My Husband's Kinsmen - Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 3: Yes, Loveliest Bride - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 3: Winter Storms Have Vanished (Siegmund's Spring Song) - Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: You Are The Spring - Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 3: Oh Sweetest Enchantment - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act I, Scene 3: The Stream Has Shown My Reflected Face - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund Call Me, And Siegmund Am I! - Alberto Remedios
Act I, Scene 3: Siegmund, The Walsung, Here You See! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey

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Act II, Scene 1: Go Bridle Your Horse, Warrior Maid! - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Brunnhilde's Battle Cry) - Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 1: The Usual Storm, The Usual Strife - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
Act II, Scene 1: Pretend That You Don't Understand! - Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 1: Now It's Come To Pass! - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 1: So This Is The End Of The Gods And Their Glory - Ann Howard
Act II, Scene 1: You Never Learn What I Would Teach You - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
Act II, Scene 1: What Must I Do? - Norman Bailey/Ann Howard
Act II, Scene 1: Hiaha! Hiaha! Hoyotoho! - Rita Hunter/Ann Howard/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: Fricka Has Won The Fight - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: When Youth's Delightful Pleasures Had Waned - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: She Refused To Reveal More About It - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 2: There's More To Tell - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: Yet One Can Accomplish What I May Not - Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: But The Walsung, Siegmund - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: Then Siegmund Must Fall In His Fight? - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act II, Scene 2: I Give You My Blessing, Nibelung Son! - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 2: No, Have Mercy - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

Act II, Scene 2: So I Obey His Command - Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 3: Rest Here For A While; Stay By My Side! - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act II, Scene 3: Away! Away! - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act II, Scene 3: Where Are You, Siegmund? - Margaret Curphey/Alberto Remedios
Act II, Scene 4: Siegmund! Look At Me! (Announcement Of Death) - Rita Hunter/Alberto Remedios
Act II, Scene 4: And If I Come - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 4: Then Greet For Me Walhall - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 4: Woe! Woe! Sister And Bride - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 4: Two Lives Now Lie In Your Power - Alberto Remedios/Rita Hunter
Act II, Scene 5: Charms Of Sleep Are Sent To Still - Alberto Remedios
Act II, Scene 5: I Hear Your Call - Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey
Act II, Scene 5: Wehwalt! Wehwalt! - Clifford Grant/Alberto Remedios/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey

Tracks:

Act III, Scene 1: Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! (Ride Of The Valkyries) - Katie Clark/Anne Evans/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Shelagh Squires/Anne Conoley
Act III, Scene 1: Shield Me And Help - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
Act III, Scene 1: Hear While I Tell You - Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne Evans/Sarah Walker...
Act III, Scene 1: Pray Suffer No Sorrow For Me - Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen Attfield/Anne...
Act III, Scene 1: Fly Him Swiftly, Away To The East! - Rita Hunter
Act III, Scene 1: O Radiant Wonder! (Parting Salute) - Margaret Curphey
Act III, Scene 1: Stay, Brunnhild! - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
Act III, Scene 2: Where Is Brunnhild? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
Act III, Scene 2: Weak-Spirited, Womanish Brood! - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 2: Here I Am, Father - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 2: No More Will You Ride From Walhall - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
Act III, Scene 2: Did You Not Hear What I Decreed? - Norman Bailey/Margaret Curphey/Rita Hunter/Katie Clarke/Anne Conoley/Elizabeth Connell/Helen...
Act III, Scene 3: Was It So Shameful - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: I Know So Little - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: You, Who This Love Into My Heart Revealed - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: You Indulged Your Love - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: Unworthy Of You This Foolish Maid - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: You Fathered A Glorious Race - Rita Hunter/Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: In Long, Deep Sleep - Norman Bailey/Rita Hunter
Act III, Scene 3: Farewell, My Valiant, Glorious Child! (Wotan's Farewell) - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: These Eyes So Warm And So Bright - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: Loge, Hear! Come At My Call! - Norman Bailey
Act III, Scene 3: Magic Fire Music - Norman Bailey

Customer Reviews:

"The death-doomed alone are destined to look on me.".......2007-06-12

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Levine, Janowski, Goodall, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes

CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.

Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.

Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.

Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: everything is slower than adagio moderato. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.

Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".

Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.

Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.

ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.

Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.

Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act One Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Bohm's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are found in this Ring. I can hear harps in Flight of the Valkyries! The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.

Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.

SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).

Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.

Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".

Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.

Levine: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's Ring.

Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.

-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.

Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).

Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.

Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).

-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm. Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Two exceptions, though: Robert Schunk doesn't sound heroic enough, and Jessye Norman for Levine's Ring doesn't sound young and innocent enough.

-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.

Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.

Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.

Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. I don't know Levine should've chose Kollo when he recorded his Ring.

-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").

Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.

Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.

Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.

Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.

Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.

Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.

Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent mime. He is equal to Schreier when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.

-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on in the Ring.

Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Still, it's satisfactory, and his "Ihrem ende eilen sie zu" gives great foreshadowing.

Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.

Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt depends only on imagination and deviousness, Stolze only vengeance and deviousness, and Windgassen only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.

Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Schreier. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.

-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings (maybe not in Swarowsky's version). Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm and Goodall. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.

CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the calculated Janowski, the relaxed Levine, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.

Sir Georg Solti: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti

Karl Bohm: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

Herbert von Karajan: Der Ring des Nibelungen / Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic

Goodall: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Rhinegold (Part 1): Wagner: The Rhinegold
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Marek Janowski: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

James Levine: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

Wolfgang Sawllisch: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sawallisch, Bayerischer Staatsoper

Breathtaking, powerful, accessible, not just an alternative.......2005-05-03

This is one of three Walkure's in my collection: the very underrated Leinsdorf, the thrilling Boehm and this one with Goodall. I believe Goodall is right up there with the best of them. Remedios, Hunter and Bailey sing beautifully and with sufficient drama. I'll go out on a musical limb and say I believe Bailey is one of the finest Wotan's on disc. Many will disagree but I think he has the measure of the role, the power to pull it off and a burnished timber that never becomes coarse under powerful climaxes... Remedios may well be the star of the trilogy along with Hunter and Bailey. His Siegmund is beautifully sung and his Siegfried by the way, is no mean stint either. Would that we had tenors that could sing Siegfried without sounding stretched beyond their limits. I am continually puzzled by the bad reviews that the orchestra playing receives from ARG, Classics Today and a few others. The ENO is not a Concertgebouw or Vienna Philharmonic but I think they play beautifully, a few clinkers notwithstanding. For a live show, they do a pretty d..... good job. THe sound from both orchestra and singers is exceptionally fine. This set belong in your collection if you like Wagner and, Die Walkure, in particular. If I had been at the performance in the 1970's I would have come home very happy, satisfied and richer for the experience.

Absolutely Breathtaking!.......2002-09-13

I had long cringed at the thought of this magnificant masterpiece recorded in English. Even after reading several rave reviews on this cylce that I've read by authoritive Wagnerites and critics, I was still skeptical. Finally, I decided to add Goodall's 'Ring' as my third complete cycle (after Solti & Bohm) for one reason: because it was in English and I felt it would enhance my understand of 'The Ring.' In fact, after achieving that "higher understanding" I was planning on selling this set on Ebay. That was, of course, before I heard this magnificant recording.

During the course of my research on 'The Goodall Ring' most of the praised seemed to heighten around 'Siegfried,' which is my absolute favorite of the cycle. That also helped to seal the deal. As the critics said, 'Siegfried' under Goodall is excellent, but not as monumental as Solti's reading, which IMHO is the greatest recording of 'Siegfried.'

The set that stands out, to me, in 'The Goodall Ring' is this recording; The Valkyrie. It is absolutely breathtaking. Not only is it my favorite of this set, it is my favorite Valkyrie recording period (I am very familiar with Boehm's, Solti's, Karajan's, Furthwanglers, Levines, and others). Alberto Remedios (Siegmund here and Siegfried in the last two operas) is truly magnificant. It is the best Siegmund I have heard on disc (and his Siegfried rivals Windgassen). Coupled with Margaret Curphey (Sieglinde), you get the most beautiful and moving duo I have heard on record. The duet in Act I is simply glorious. You also get the bonus of Norman Bailey's triumphant Wotan (and Wanderer too). He has such command and prescene. He sounds like a God. Throw in Rita Hunter, who holds her own as Brunnhilde, Goodall's miraculous conducting, and excellent playing by the orchestra and it all adds up to a stunning recording.

I can only say that in a way it's a shame this set is in English. Were it not, I believe Goodall's 'Ring' would be one of the most talked about, popular, and sought after complete recordings of the cycle. I can only say that I am so happy that I finally opened up to opera recorded in a different language than written.

I have fallen completely in love with Goodall's entire cycle. And, I have fallen in love with 'The Ring' all over again.

A powerful reading of the most moving opera in the Ring........2001-08-30

This performance of *Die Valkure,* the second and most popular opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle, is musically splendid. Its special significance, however, is that it is sung in English. An English performance of the Ring is perhaps more important than that of any other opera(s), because Wagner's libretti are suffused with his ideas about society, fate, justice, and love. Even if (at times) you need to read along to understand what the singers are saying, *hearing* the lyrics in English is truly stirring in a way that performances in your non-native language cannot match.
A particular stand-out on this recording is the Wotan. His timbre, diction, and delivery perfectly embody the troubled god who tries desperately, and in vain, to keep the world under his control. His angst and wrath are utterly convincing.

The power of Wagner's music drama is now fully accessible.......2001-01-30

I have never been a fan of opera in translation, but I must say that Andrew Porter's rendering of The Ring in English is amazing. He uses modern, not archaic, English, and the word choice is so very earthy and Germanic that the noble yet somewhat severe atmosphere of the Teutonic myths is conveyed perfectly. The sound, in other words, is an elegantly Germanic, and totally appropriate for the music and the Story it tells. It is not true that you can't understand the English anyway, because you can understand if you care to pay any attention at all. The translation is lucid, and so it the marvelous singing that conveys it.

Goodall's sense of music drama is lush, and takes some getting used to after the crash-and-burn Solti set, but after a time or two it seems just right. Goodall is not always slower than the rest, either; for example, the famous Ride of the Valkyries that begins Act III is quicker than Solti's surprisingly slow and heavy account. It is the most exciting that I have heard--and I have heard quite a few--but it is not so fast that the power is lost in favor of urgency.

This is not an urgent Die Walkure, and it is all the better for it. Goodall takes the time to actually tell the story, and is sensitive to the drama's needs over what could be called convention. For example, Wotan's Farewell doesn't thunder out after Brunnhilde's final declamation, like in so many recordings; rather, Goodall's interpretation is more dreamy, mysterious, and appropriately trance-like, in keeping with the action on stage.

I own the complete Solti Ring, but I must say I will be the first in line to get each new installment of this remarakable Ring as soon they hit the shelves. If you are new to Wagner, and are willing to make the plunge into a complete Ring, then start with this one and see if you want to continue. This recording is definitely one of the great Rings, and the superb translation will open up the work in ways that following the libretto just won't. I promise that you won't be able to put this one away easily. Get it!

Oh Mercy
Average customer rating:

A Record to Reflect On

One of Bob Dylan's Best

Straight to the Soul

Personal and Wonderful

Dylan's Back with those Story Songs from Yesteryear

Oh Mercy
Bob Dylan
Manufacturer: Sony Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Another Side of Bob Dylan

ASIN: B0002J54KU
Release Date: 2004-10-04

Tracks:

Political World
Where Teardrops Fall
Everything Is Broken
Ring Them Bells
Man in the Long Black Coat
Most of the Time
What Good Am I?
Disease of Conceit
What Was It You Wanted
Shooting Star

Album Description

Japanese remastered reissue packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. CBS/Sony. 2004.

Album Details

Digitally Remastered Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

A Record to Reflect On.......2006-04-03

One of Bob Dylan's Best.......2006-04-03

Straight to the Soul.......2006-04-03

Personal and Wonderful.......2006-04-03

Dylan's Back with those Story Songs from Yesteryear.......2005-10-30

Easily one of my favorite Dylan albums, and if it's not in the top five, it's certainly in the top ten. A lot of people, who had written off Mr. D's relevance, were taken aback when this record came out. There was a lot of, "Dylan's back." or "I knew he had it in him." kind of comments going around after folks gave this record a listen too. Folks in the biz, those in the know, started calling "Oh Mercy" Dylan's comeback record. But then there were those who had been faithful fans, listening and appreciating his music all along. For them, Dylan had never really gone anywhere to come back from. That said, this record does harkens back to those Dylan albums of yesteryear, with those story songs that are so wonderful. This is most certainly a five star album and one you absolutely must own.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

Great Arias & Ensembles from Your Favorite Operas, Vol. 2

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Great Arias & Ensembles from Your Favorite Operas, Vol. 2

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Great Arias & Ensembles from Your Favorite Operas

ASIN: B00005O6DA
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Tosca: Act II: Life Has Taught Me Singing And Loving - Jane Eaglen/Gregory Yurisich
Julius Caesar: Act I, Scene I: Tyrant, Avoid My Sight - Janet Baker
Rigoletto: Act I, Scene 2: The Old Man Laid His Curse On Me! - John Rawnsley/John Tomlinson
Pagliacci: Act I. Finale: Go On Stage - Dennis O'Neill
Pagliacci: Act I. Finale: Put On Your Costume - Dennis O'Neill
Ernani: Part I: Ernani! Ernani, Rescue Me - Susan Patterson/Helen Williams
Ernani: Part III: Charlemagne Inspire Me - Alan Opie
The Barber Of Seville: Act I, Scene 4: My Poor Heart Is So Full Of Emotion - Bruce Ford/Della Jones/Alan Opie
Eugene Onegin: Act I, Scene 2. Letter Scene: Are You An Angel Sent To Guard Me...? - Kiri Te Kanawa
Eugene Onegin: Act I, Scene 2. Letter Scene: No, Come What May, I'm Now Resolved - Kiri Te Kanawa
Eugene Onegin: Act I, Scene 3: You Wrote A Letter - Thomas Hampson/Kiri Te Kanawa
Eugene Onegin: Act I, Scene 3: Were I The Sort Who Had Intended - Thomas Hampson/Kiri Te Kanawa
Il Trovatore: Part IV, Scene 1. Miserere: Lord, Have Mercy Upon A Soul Departing - Sharon Sweet/Dennis O'Neill/Geoffrey Mitchell Chor
Mary Stuart: Act II: You Murmuring Breezes - Janet Baker/Angela Bostock/ENO Chor
Mary Stuart: Act II: What Tumult! Those Voices! - Janet Baker/Angela Bostock/ENO Chor
Mary Stuart: Act II: In The Peace Of My Gloomy Seclusion - Janet Baker/Angela Bostock/ENO Chor
La Traviata: Act III: Forever I Must Leave Thee - Valerie Masterson
La Boheme: Act I: Lovely Maid In The Moonlight - Dennis O'Neill/Cynthia Haymon
Der Rosenkavalier: Act I: Ah, There He Goes - Yvonne Kenny
Der Rosenkavalier: Act II. Waltz Song: Look For My Glasses There In My Jacket - John Tomlinson/Elizabeth Vaughan
Turandot: Act III: None May Sleep! - Dennis O'Neill
Gianni Schicchi: Oh, My Beloved Father - Yvonne Kenny

Average customer rating:

Divine Harmony / Art Book and CD
Anonymous , Russian Orthodox Chant , Pavel Grigor'yevich Chesnokov , Orthodox Chant , Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky , Christmas Traditional , Greek Traditional , Russian Traditional , Anatoly Grindenko , and Russian Patriachate Choir
Manufacturer: Opus III
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Russian Divine Liturgy
Chants de la Liturgie Slavonne
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants, Vol. 1
Lost in Meditation: Meditative Gregorian Chants

ASIN: B00000I4K3
Release Date: 1998-06-01

Tracks:

Psalm 134: Praise the name of the Lord (16th & 17th Cent. Monastic chant)
O Mild Night and All the Angels Exult
Your Nativity, O Christ our God (16th & 17th Cent. Monastic chant)
Today the Virgin gives birth (16th & 17th Cent. Monastic chant)
Today Christ is born of the Virgin in Bethlehem (16th & 17th Cent. Monastic chant)
O Holy God (Tchaikovsky) Holy God (Suprasl monastery chant)
A Mercy of Peace
Singing the Triumphant Song (Russian Medieval chant)
Eucharistic chant (17th Cent. Russian plainchant)
Praise the Lord (17th Cent. Russian plainchant)
I Shall Take the Cup of Salvation (Russian Medieval chant)
From My Youth
May my prayer rise to Thee (17th Cent. Russian plainchant)
We who represent the Cherubim (Suprasl Monastery chant)
John of Damascus: Thy Resurrection, O Christ (17th Cent. Monastic Chant)
Easter Canon of St. John of Damascus: Thy Resurrection, O Christ (17th Cent. Monastic Chant)
Easter Canon of St. John of Damascus: Christ is Risen from the Dead (17th Cent. Monastic Chant)
Easter Canon of St. John of Damascus: Easter Stikheras (17th Cent. Monastic Chant)

Product Description

This CD & hardbound book combination is a wonderful view into the historic Russian Orthodox faith for the English speaker, the thesis of which builds off the Eastern understanding that an icon represents an invisible spiritual reality, the Church on earth is an icon of the heavenly church and that liturgical chant is an Icon (or image) of the angelic singing. These then, are in "divine harmon" as to how they work together to engage the faithful in the ascent to heaven. The CD is comprised of selections from the series of recordings by Anatoly Grindenko and the Russian Patriarchate Choir, and one portion of the book includes an essay by Anatoly Grindenko, and liner notes and complete hymn text in English. The other portion of the book is written by Russian iconographer Adolf Ovchinnikov, and explains the history and development of icons and their use in the Christian faith. It is comprised of a series of essays that have been translated into English, with copious! full-color icons representing ancient to recent icons, many previously unpublished (from St. Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, The Hermitage, the Byzantine Museum in Athens, and others). Book is 62 pages in length

Russian Chant-A Millenium of Chants and Hymns

Average customer rating:

Russian Chant-A Millenium of Chants and Hymns

Manufacturer: Koch Int'l Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Chants de la Liturgie Slavonne
Russian Easter
Russian Chant for Vespers
Russian Divine Liturgy
Russia's Beautiful Religious Songs

ASIN: B000001SIB
Release Date: 1995-06-20

Tracks:

Peal Of The Bells/All Our Sacred Hymns We Offer/With The Voices Of The Archangels
Behold, The Bridegroom Cometh
Praise The Lord, O My Soul
Thou Art The Joy Of All Who Are Troubled/Festival Peal Of Bells
Come, Let Us Worship
Lord, Have Mercy
Lord, Now Lettest Thou
Irmos Of The 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th, 9th, Odes Of The Canon 'With Waves Of The Sea'
Come, Let Us Praise Joseph And Bless Him
Vespers For Holy Sunday With Verses
Today The Veil Of The Temple Is Rent In Twain
Today Here Hangs The Cross
Today The Lord Of Creation Stands Before Pilate
Thou Who Art Clothed With Light As With Garment
The Angel Spoke To Mary/Peal Of The Bells

Missa Russica-1000 Years of Russian Liturgy

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Excellent performance - but faulty recording

Missa Russica-1000 Years of Russian Liturgy

Manufacturer: Koch Schwann (Germ.)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000001SRS
Release Date: 1994-09-15

Tracks:

Come let us worship (17th Century)
Praise the Lord, o my soul (Greek Hymn)
Lord, have mercy
O gentle light (17th Century)
The Lord is King
Lord, now lettest thou
Hail, Virgin Mother of God
Glory to God in the highest (Rachmaninov)
Praise the name of the Lord (Titov)
For many years
Holy God (17th Century)
The Hymn of the Cherubim
Adoration of the Lamb
The Opening of the Seven Seals
Holy Jerusalem
Lord, save thy people
For many years

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2003-10-13

A passionate, moving, spiritual, uplifting selection of Russian church music presented by a variety of different groups and performers. I was happy with the sound quality. I have listened to this cd many times and always find new pleasures its powerful and joyful content.

Excellent performance - but faulty recording.......2001-05-02

This CD brings us a true superproduction of excellent Russian liturgical music, exquisitely performed by a large choir of men and boys. But unfortunately many of the louder passages are plagued by severe overload distortion which detracts quite a lot from the listening joy. Without this technical flaw, this album would have earned 5 stars.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Political World
2. Where Teardrops Fall
3. Everything Is Broken
4. Ring Them Bells
5. Man in the Long Black Coat
6. Most of the Time
7. What Good Am I?
8. Disease of Conceit
9. What Was It You Wanted
10. Shooting Star