Arc [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
For those of you who didn't get quite enough feedback, arena reverb, or raw electricity from 1991's live Weld album to suit your tastes, Neil Young thoughtfully compiled this bizarre aural document. Originally included as a bonus disc on early versions of Weld, Arc is 35 minutes of stray guitar explosions, feedback screeches, stage announcements, and drum checks, all edited together to form a continuous (and actually rather compelling) listening experience. Call it Neil's delayed reaction to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music, or think of it as his personal scrapbook of the Ragged Glory tour. Either way, you probably won't play it very often, but it's still a nice oddity to have in your Neil collection. --Dan Epstein

Tracks:

Living In A Dream
Paradise Cafe
Sent By Angels
Sweet Nadine
Good Time
See What Tomorrow Brings
Always Believed In You
The Famous Jane
Spanish Moon
Carry Me On
Shape I'm In
Too Many Ways To Fall

Amazon.com

Concept: Charlie Sexton in dream date with a second killer guitarist/vocalist (Doyle Bramhall II), Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section and producer Little Steven. Result: A can't-fail combo that swings like vintage Stones/Bad Company. --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

Every Texan should own this stellar recording.......2007-03-13

These are songs that were recorded soon after Stevie Ray Vaughan died,and the players on this CD were some of his closest compadres.These fellows were in deep pain from the loss of Stevie,and these songs culled from their ARC sessions are a vivid glimpse into how they worked their way through the pain. Charlie Sexton and Doyle Bramhall II trade vocals and guitar licks,while Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton, aka "Double Trouble", lay down the rythym section. It's a phenomenal CD by all accounts. Every song is very good,and at the price Amazon has this CD for, there is no excuse to not own this.
Texas Blues Rock-
Sexton has recorded and toured with Dylan,and Bramhall has toured with Roger Waters and now works with Eric Clapton.

music lover pleased.......2007-02-20

received the cd and was totally pleased. i know that alot of us just download our cds so that we may upload to another format and i'm no different, the cd works both in digital format as well as on a conventional cd player. i would not hesitate to purchase through you again, thank you.
john t. adams
p.s. oh yeah i saved about $5

Arc Angels Rocked.......2007-02-01

This album is one of the best rock albums of the last 20 years. The Arc Angels fell, but before the fall they had something really special going on. I've read some of the bad reviews here and I have no idea what those dudes are talking about. This is a supergroup to be sure, but not a supergroup in the sense of a bunch of solo artists who happen to be on stage together. The Arc Angels were a real band. And they were an awesome band. I saw many of their shows back in the 90's in Austin and I am here to tell you that they were by far the best rock and roll shows I've ever seen in a club. The sense of excitement at their shows was palpable. They were so good you felt like you were seeing the Stones right before they got famous.

Buy this album. Listen to it. It rocks.

A Great Rock Album.......2007-01-28

Every song rocks. You can put the cd on and listen to it from start to finish without skipping a song. That is the best thing I can say about any album. If you want to rock out, this is your album. I don't care how old this album is--it still sounds modern. That's the mark of a classic.

too much...music at one time.........2007-01-08

I am getting to old...to listen to long to this...still..I know Bramhall in BMD..before the music dies...so cool...a musician of integrity!!!

Caribbean Steeldrums: 20 Famous Tropical Melodies- Calypso, Samba

Average customer rating:

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TO MY EARS
What's with the organ?
So elevator music!
Very relaxing
TIMES TWO!

Caribbean Steeldrums: 20 Famous Tropical Melodies- Calypso, Samba
Steelasophical
Manufacturer: Arc Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Caribbean Steeldrums: 20 Most Popular Melodies
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ASIN: B00004U00V
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

Tropical Surprise
Girl From Ipanema
Summertime
How Insensitive
Soca Salsa
Let It Be Me
Streets Of London
Perfidia
Girl From Japan
Besame Mucho
Valtatee
I Have A Dream
El Cumbanchero
Carnival Sunday Monday
Hotel California
No Matter What
Tico Tico
Bamboleo
Pan Solo
My Way

Customer Reviews:

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TO MY EARS.......2007-05-14

THIS IS JUST THE PERFECT CD, TO RELAX TO AND JUST LISTEN TO THE FANTASTIC MELODIES.

What's with the organ?.......2007-03-21

Ocean breezes and steel drum music absolutely make my Caribbean vacations, so I was thrilled to find this album to I could bring a taste of the tropics to my own backyard.

I was so disappointed when I received this album...the sound of the steel drums are completely ruined by the addition of one of those old organs everybody's goofy uncle had in the 60s and 70s. You know the ones...they let you put a samba, bossa nova or fox trot beat over every Billy Joel song you tried to play.

It's a shame, because it is a nice selection of songs, but it turns the beautiful tropical music into a kitschy tiki lounge experience instead.

So elevator music!.......2007-01-10

Bought this CD for a Caribbean themed party I was hosting. The music is great if you want to put everyone to sleep! Its like that background music you hear in the elevator! It wasnt as lively as I was looking for! So if you like it soft and mello... then this is for you! If you want lively...try a different one!

Very relaxing.......2005-10-20

I love this cd. It is great to listen to and reminds me of being in a warmer climate!

TIMES TWO!.......2005-04-24

If I could give this C.D. 10 stars - I would! This is our favorite summer pool party music. Every track is fabulous! We even play this when it's just the family having hamburgers on the deck. It transports you to a breezy caribbean island with swaying palm trees. Okay, so it's just in your head, but man, this is a fun C.D.

Average customer rating:

We absolutely adore this!!
charming!
Excellent CD, and well worth the price.
Sailing the Seas
Well done and most enjoyable!

Shanties & Songs of the Sea
Johnny Collins
Manufacturer: Arc Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sailors' Songs & Sea Shanties
Blow the Man Down
Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Roast Beef of Old England (Traditional Sailor Songs)
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ASIN: B00001OHA5
Release Date: 1999-09-28

Tracks:

Blow The Man Down (Flying Fish Sailor) (Halyard Shanty)
Haul Boys Haul (Sea Song)
Blood Red Shoes (Halyard Shanty)
South Australia (Pump Shanty)
Leave Her Johnny (Pump Shanty)
Randy Dandy (Capstan Shanty)
Fire Marengo (Hauling Shanty)
Shallow Brown (Halyard Shanty)
Eliza Lee (The Bulgine Run) (Capstan Shanty)
Goodbye Fare Thee Well (Hauling Shanty)
Maui (Sea Song)
Old Billy Riley (Halyard Shanty)
Bold Reilly-O (Halyard Shanty)
Down The Bay To Juliana (Hauling Shanty)
The Wild Goose (Halyard Shanty)
Hard On The Beach Oar (Riverboat Song)
Roll The Wood Pile Down (Capstan Shanty)
Dogger Bank (Sea Song)
Sailor's Prayer (Sea Song)
Farewell Shanty (Sea Song)

Customer Reviews:

We absolutely adore this!!.......2007-01-16

We're weekend sailors with a small craft at the local marina. These shanties have become not only a favorite of ours (to sing along to as we sail along with the CD at full volume) but has become a favorite of the entire marina!! This is a lot of fun!

charming!.......2006-10-13

well recorded-strong voices. Great sound for this genre. Buy it if you like the shanties!

Excellent CD, and well worth the price........2006-02-17

They picked a good selection of shanties for this CD. The recording is crisp and clear, and sounds decently authentic, if a bit too structured. The lack of instruments such as the concertina is an interesting touch, but the tracks sounds good without it. If you're looking to get into shanties, this is a great place to start. Highly recommended.

Sailing the Seas .......2005-10-26

This CD takes you on board with the sailors of old. One can picture them raising the sails and doing other hard labor chores singing these shanties. Some are upbeat and others have a melancholy feel, especially those sung as the sailors head out to sea. Life was hard on these ships, and the sailors' music and shanties helped make life more bearable. It is all so very authentic and done superbly by Johnny Collins and crew, who do not use accompanying music. If you love the sea, buy this CD.

Well done and most enjoyable!.......2005-01-27

100% Pure sea shanty sung with true feeling in a traditional manner! A bunch of familiar halyard, pump, capstan, hauling shanties (`Blow the Man Down', `South Australia', `The Bulgine Run', `Blood Red Roses', `The Wild Goose' and more) along with a well-performed selection of some other sea songs like `Old Maui', `Dogger Bank', `Sailor's Prayer', etc.

This CD offers good, pleasing harmony and solo male vocals throughout, all well recorded and engineered. If you're expecting any instrumental accompaniment you won't find it here but it doesn't detract a whit from these recordings.

If you like traditional sea shanties, add this to your collection.

Average customer rating:

Awesome disc - a Winwood Classic!
Melodious and Mellow Follow-Up
A One of a Kind Recording
A Sleeping Giant
Steve Winwood's Masterpiece

Arc of a Diver
Steve Winwood
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001FSY
Release Date: 1990-08-31

Tracks:

While You See A Chance
Arc Of A Diver
Second-Hand Woman
Slowdown Sundown
Spanish Dancer
Night Train
Dust

Amazon.com

He wasn't Little Stevie, the 16-year-old phenom who set mid- '60s London blazing with his Ray Charles-like vocals, anymore. He was a half-forgotten ex-member of some of rock's most progressive (Traffic) and vilified (Blind Faith) bands, and he was considering leaving show business while recording this--his second album--alone and without a backup band. Arc of a Diver reflects a resigned-to-fate mood. It boasts a synth-heavy, dub-like ambience, with dirge-y tracks like "Spanish Dancer" and the wistful single "While You See a Chance" all but zoning out of your speakers. The fates were kind, though. Recording the single, Winwood inadvertently erased the drum intro. This spacey alteration, together with his catchiest tune since "Paper Sun," catapulted the song onto the charts. In a few years he would be among the top-selling vocalists in the world. His mood was lighter. He could afford to hire engineers that didn't make mistakes. --Don Harrison

Customer Reviews:

Awesome disc - a Winwood Classic!.......2006-08-03

Forget about all of the negative comments appearing here, this is one great collection of music! Of course it is keyboard heavy, but that's what Steve Winwood does best!

The title track is just incredible and "While You see a Chance," one of the most positive set of lyrics penned.

Although these two tracks are undoubtedly the standouts, "Dust", "Slowdown Sundown" and "Second Hand Woman" are also very strong.

If there is a weak track on this disc, it would have to be "Night Train", but even saying that is stretching things. In fact, its' very reminiscent of Warren Zevon's "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" and Bruce Cockburn's same titled track from his "The Charity of Night" release.

All in all, a solid set from Steve Winwood that certainly holds its own alongside "Refugees of the Heart" and "Roll With It".

Melodious and Mellow Follow-Up.......2006-04-01

A friend once described this as "aural wallpaper", and he thought he was being kind. Well, I must really dig wallcoverings on my ears, then, because once this finds its way into my CD player, it's a few days before it comes back out again.

The follow-up to his eponymous first solo album is inspired by the work of three acclaimed lyricists: Will Jennings, George Fleming and Viv Stanshall. Getting back to the strictly one-man band vibe that is all at once looser and funkier than the preceding album, he constructs some great melodies around the ethereal (but at least understandable) lyrics. No, it's not a perfect effort, though it did yield his first megahit after his Spencer Davis Group-glory days, with "While You See A Chance." He would go on to produce more pop-chart friendly work with the multi-platinum "Back In The High Life." At the very least, ARC recalls the work of Gary Wright and Todd Rundgren, with a lot less emphasis on bombast or electronically-infused melodrama.

A One of a Kind Recording.......2005-09-27

Without Davis and Mason, Steve Winwood's nuturance of all he recorded without a band, resulted in a beautifully wrapped package of Ballads, and semi-Ballads. TRAFFIC lovers and critics alike, point to When You See a Chance as a redefinition of pop-rock. A lotta soul, and a big heart. The songs were written especially for him, which shouldn't surprise anyone since he wrote them, and take full advantage of his range. If you buy just one recording by Steve Winwood, look no further, Arc of a Diver is the one everybody was talking about.

A Sleeping Giant.......2005-08-01

Steve Winwood with his best solo effort. Although Steve won his recognition on his next recording effort featuring "Back in the Highlife Again," in my opinion "Arc of a Diver" was his actual crowning achievement. Highlighting his hit "While You See a Chance" starting off the recording, then on to the title song "Arc of a Diver" (which is in itself an excelent song), through to the final song "Dust". I recomend this CD as a must for any classic collection of one of the greats in rock and roll.

Weldon Wood

Steve Winwood's Masterpiece.......2005-06-16

ARC OF A DIVER is Steve Winwood's masterpiece. Many of the songs cut a lot deeper than their pop veneer would indicate on first listen, including, especially, the opening cut, "While You See A Chance", which tells people not to let opportunities pass them by, and the title track, which is about how hard connecting with others can be. Winwood's belief that the young Australian tourist jailed in Indonesia since 2005 for drug-smuggling was unjustly convicted makes even disco pap like "Second Hand Woman" and "Spanish Dancer" bearable, and results in ARC OF A DIVER being an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.

Mandolins from Italy: 24 Most Popular Melodies

Average customer rating:

Every song sounds the same
Traditional Italian music
Italian dinner music
Perfect for a themed party, or just background music!
Just like my dad's music

Mandolins from Italy: 24 Most Popular Melodies

Manufacturer: Arc Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Viva Italia! Festive Italian Classics
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ASIN: B0000516VA
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

Azzurro
Tarantella Del Diavolo
O' Sole Mio
Notte Di Christallo
Tarantella Di Napoli
Macia Di Bergamo A Monte Catini
Volare
Piccola Maria
Torna A Sorriento
Tarantella Meridionale
Marina
Che La La
Tarantella Siciliana
Tarantella Meridionale
Santa Lucia
Guaglione - Nisa
O Maria
Valsa Della Primavera
Funiculi Funicula
La Passeggiata
Arrivederci Roma
Il Padrone - Rota
Quanne Ta Fatte Mammeta
Balatta Siciliana

Customer Reviews:

Every song sounds the same.......2007-04-13

My husband and I buy many Italian CDs so we think we have good judgement after so many purchases. We were somewhat disappointed in this CD. Every song has the same instrumentation and basically sounds the same. We wonder even if the mandolins are "live" or just canned, they sound so tinny and the same each song. This CD could have used more feeling, romance, whatever...possible had there been some sensitive arrangements with solos, etc. Instead, it was the same bunch of mandolin sounds which made for a very boring CD, in our opinion. A few vocals would have helped the monotony, too. Would not recommend.

Traditional Italian music.......2007-03-31

This is a great album of really very traditional Italian music. It is not anglicised but just like you hear when you go to Italian festas.

Italian dinner music.......2007-03-08

Excellent....Perfect! We recently had an Italian themed dinner party and needed just the right instrumental background/mood music. Mandolins from Italy was perfect. We also needed it FAST. Althought shipping was not cheap, we received it on time and made our party a hit.

WELL DONE!

Perfect for a themed party, or just background music!.......2007-02-03

Very cute! Romantic, uplifting, nostalgic background music for an Italian night with friends! Enjoy!

Just like my dad's music.......2007-01-09

I love this music. It takes me back to my childhood when my Dad played the mandolin and my uncle accompanied him on guitar. Some old Italian melodies and some new ones to sing along with. Very nice.

György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard

Average customer rating:

A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work
Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti
Perfect Ligeti.
good cd
Ligeti on cd, hooray

György Ligeti Edition 3: Works for Piano (Etudes, Musica Ricercata) - Pierre-Laurent Aimard

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Ligeti: Mechanical Music
The Ligeti Project II: Lontano / Atmosphères / Apparitions / San Francisco Polyphony / Concert Românesc - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra / Jonathan Nott

ASIN: B0000029P0
Release Date: 1997-01-21

Tracks:

Piano Etudes (Book One): I. De'sordre - Molto vivace, vigoroso, molto ritmico
Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Cordes a' vide - Andantino con moto, molto tenero
Piano Etudes (Book One): II. Touches bloque'es - Presto possibile, sempre molto ritmico
Piano Etudes (Book One): IV. Fanfares - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, con allegria e slancio
Piano Etudes (Book One): V. Arc-en-ciel - Andante molto rubato, con eleganza, with swing
Piano Etudes (Book One): VI. Automne a' Varsovie - Presto cantabile, molto ritmico e flessibile
Piano Etudes (Book Two): VII. Galamb borong - Vivacissimo luminoso, legato possibile
Piano Etudes (Book Two): VIII. Fe'm - Vivace risoluto, con vigore
Piano Etudes (Book Two): IX. Vertige - Prestissimo sempre molto legato, sehr gleichmassig
Piano Etudes (Book Two): X. Der Zauberlehrling - Prestissimo, staccatissimo, leggierissimo
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XI. En suspens - Andante con moto, (avec l`e'le'gance du swing)
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XII. Entrelacs - Vivacissimo molto ritmico, sempre legato, con delicatezza
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIII. L'escalier du diable - Presto legato ma leggiero
Piano Etudes (Book Two): XIV. Coloana infinita' - Presto possibile, tempestoso con fuoco
Musica ricercata: I. Sosenuto - Misurato - Prestissimo
Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale
Musica ricercata: III. Allegro con spirito
Musica ricercata: IV. Tempo de Valse (poco vivace - a' l'orgue de Barbarie)
Musica ricercata: V. Rubato. Lamentoso
Musica ricercata: VI. Allegro molto capriccioso
Musica ricercata: VII. Cantabile, molto legato
Musica ricercata: VIII. Vivace. Energico
Musica ricercata: IX. Adagio. Mesto - Allegro maestoso
Musica ricercata: X. Vivace. Capriccioso
Musica ricercata: XI. Andante misurato e tranquillo
Piano Etudes (From Book Three): XV. White on White

Customer Reviews:

A nice mico-view of Ligeti's work.......2007-03-11

In the notes that accompany this CD, Ligeti explains that his piano compositions are the way he made up for his inadequacies as a player. It's hard to argue that he didn't reach his goal. These superbly-performed pieces provide a clear view of many aspects of Ligeti's work--his humor, his lyricism, his ear, and sometimes his little obsessions.

The most obvious technical requirement of this music is touch. In some of the etudes, complex voicings are required at very low dynamic levels. In others, the ability to bring out multiple voices is paramount. Aimard is perfect. His technique is so assured that we can easily get to the music and not be sidetracked by prowess.

Those who know Ligeti's music know how protean he could be. Like a good athlete, he was willing to take on enormous risks. Sometimes the result felt intellectualized and tiresome. But more often than not, the music soared. This is certainly true of the Etudes on this disk. They are studies in the truest sense of the word--one may focus on a particular set of intervals, another on a texture, yet another on a rhythm. Each one is fascinating and the collection holds together nicely. There are even hints of Nancarrow!

Ligeti himself felt ambiguously about the "Musica Ricercata", and it isn't hard to see why. The first piece is based on only two pitches (with octaves); the second on three and so on. It sort of proves a point, but what point? By the time you get to the fourth piece, it starts to get good, but the listener has to regain some flagging energy. The third piece is actually the basis of the opening of "6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet".

So while I have little quibbles, I still recommend this disk strongly. It's great music, beautifully played.

Very Nice Piano Studies. Not the best Ligeti.......2006-09-02

Volume 3 of the Gyorgy Ligeti Edition on Sony has gotten a boatload of very positive reviews, above, from people who probably know a lot more about music, especially piano music, than I do, but I maintain, from my position as a rank amateur who just happens to like listening to a wide range of classical music, that this disc is neither the very best piano music nor the most interesting Ligeti.

Don't get me wrong. I think almost all of the studies on these tracks are good, maybe even almost as good as Chopin and Liszt, but I don't think so. We don't hum Ligeti etudes the way some people hum Chopin etudes or dances for piano. And, a few of the passages sound like the scene from 'Ghostbusters' where Bill Murray tickles the very high keys on Sigourny Weaver's piano as they enter her apartment to track down some particularly awesome apparitions of Zuel (sic) and Gozer (sic sic).

If you are looking to touch only the high points of Ligeti's music and don't have the compulsioin to own everything, you can pass on these and not be missing too much of the good stuff. Check out his choral and a capella works for the really hot stuff.

Perfect Ligeti........2005-10-19

The own György Ligeti was asked about who was the pianist more complete in his piano works; he talked about Pierre-Laurent Aimard, whose a close relation with the XXth Century music is very well known (Boulez, Messiaen, Berg, Schönberg, Carter...) all around the world. He talked too about Volker Banfield, who has recorded some of the Etudes for Wergo, but not so good as Aimard recordings, in my opinion.

What we find in this CD, 3rd of an outstanding series, is the technical perfection made piano playing, in the hands of Aimard, who plays absolutely all the notes full of perfection, sense and correction, from the dynamic to the tempo, from the correct attack to the prodigious use of the pedal. If you are used to a romantic piano you can feel this versions a little cold or dry, but this is because Aimard goes directly to the heart of the XXth Century style of piano playing, in the line that comes from Schönberg-Berg-Webern and that goes in a different way of playing than the century before, so you can be lost in some sense about the way he understand the use of the piano, the playing, the technique, the echoes, the silences...

You'll find in this CD the Musica Ricercata, a work from Ligeti's first period, very easy to understand for those who are not used to listen this kind of "modern" music. It has many folk motives, used in a way very close to Bartók's style. One of this pieces (Musica ricercata: II. Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale) was taken by Stanley Kubrick for his last film Eyes Wide Shut, with an outstanding presence in the film associated to the worries and pressure over the main character; Ligeti says about this piece that it was a knife against the stalinist regime because of this style of music, sinister, innovative and forgiven in the communist Europe. The film's version is slower than this by Aimard, more "cinematographic" but slower than the score asks. Aimard's version in this piece and in the full pieces are outstanding.

The rest of the CD it's based on the Etudes, books I & II, both of them complete. Those are pieces much more modern than the Musica Ricercata, some of them, in the words of Ligeti with some links and inspiration on Nancarrow's works. We are listening in this case some of the most complex works for piano written in the XXth Century, and many of them authentic jewels of the genre. The Aimard versions for Sony are the better I know from the French pianist, who have recorded some of them in other CDs, like his great recording from de Carnagie Hall (Warner), but not so good like this outstanding CD.

So, if you are looking for perfection in Ligeti's piano music performances don't doubt about this CD; if you want to discover the piano of the XXth Century this could be a great door to go into, because of the music, because of the performing and because of a perfect recording and booklet.

good cd.......2005-08-23

This is a great cd if you are interested in piano music. I personally enjoyed "Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale", which was most famously used in the Kubrick film, Eyes Wide Shut. The rest of the cd is very enjoyable as well.

Ligeti on cd, hooray.......2005-08-01

We all owe Stanley Kubrick a big debt of gratitude for exposing us to Ligeti who, with Cage and Stockhausen among others, influenced the evolution of popular music while maintaining a continuum to our classical past.

The recording quality in this series is outstanding, and it is a delight to see the breadth of this series. Having many works of Ligeti from the Wergo vinyl catalog of the 70's, I selected the piano works for the fun of discovery.

Those of you who enjoy this piano stuff should try to find Nina Deutsch's recording of Charles Ives: Solo Piano Music.

Average customer rating:

Down to earth Flamenco
This is not Gypsy Kings...
superb flamenco classics
Beautiful Songs
Love it

Legends of Gypsy Flamenco
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Arc Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000058T8K
Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

Zingaros - Manitas De Plata
Maldigo Tu Ojos Verdes - La Paquera De Jerez
Pajaros Sedientos - Manuel Jimenez Rejano
En Una Huerta De Lora - Pepe Nunez 'El Loreno'
De Los Campos De Jerez - Juan Torres 'El Ciclon De Jerez'
Temple Y Alma - Manitas De Plata
Bulerias - Curro Malena
Coplas A Curro - La Paquera De Jerez
Llanto Por El Nino De La Huerta - Pepe Nunez 'El Loreno'
Yo Ye Comparo Con Ella - Juan Torres 'El Ciclon De Jerez'
Solea - Con Cambio De Gloria - Curro Malena
En Las Minas - Manuel Jimenez Rejano
Mi Sentimento - Manitas De Plata
Fandangos De Enrique El Almendro - La Paquera De Jerez

Customer Reviews:

Down to earth Flamenco.......2007-05-12

The performers on this collection are the cream of the crop of grass roots Flamenco. El Loreno's voice is simply mystical. La Paquera holds in her feeling the power and pasion of Flamenco in one person. if you love Flamenco this is a must.

This is not Gypsy Kings..........2007-05-07

This music was not at all what i expected. I was expecting a bit more fun guitar and such, but the singing is what blew it: it sounded like so much screeching to me. Played once. It hurt my ears. Now, its collecting dust.

superb flamenco classics.......2007-03-12

If you want to hear flamenco at its very best you can't do better than to buy this CD. Manitas de Plata was the best of the flamenco guitarists of the 60's and La Paquera de Jerez was the signature female flamenco vocalist of her generation. The other artists on this CD are also the best of their times. Flamenco of our day still has technical virtuousity, but I can't help but think that something essential has been lost, something to do with the soul of this music form.

Beautiful Songs.......2006-02-23

This CD is perfect CD for me. Traditional flamenco music.
I enjoy this CD a lot.

Love it.......2005-11-16

I always loved gipsy music and unfortunately it's not easy to come by a good recording with the 'real' gipsy music. Well this one is the real deal.
Good recording - good music.

Average customer rating:

Japanese Taiko
Interesting New Drum Sounds
Amazing Japanese drumming...!
One of the best Taiko collections I've heard

Japanese Taiko

Manufacturer: Arc Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Kodo - One Earth Tour Special (Bonus CD)
Tataku: The Best of Kodo, Vol. 2 (1994-1999)

ASIN: B0002IQCDO
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Tracks:

Harvest
Pageant
Haru - Ichiban
Musashi Mai Uchi
Hokkai II
Chido-Setsu
Suisei - Hanabi (Comet - Fire Works - Shooting Star)
Heart Beat
Yuki Jizoh (An Old Tale)

Customer Reviews:

Japanese Taiko.......2007-01-11

I was first introduced to this throught a PBS program about taiko in America. Taiko is nothing but pure hardcore drumming. These aren't a bunch of guys sitting on their --- tapping out rhythms. They're beating the crap out of these drums. I'm sure there are youtube videos out there, it's a must if you've never seen how they play them.

This is my first taiko cd. As the other reviews said, the first song is the best, it is absolutly intense. The whole cd is great though. If you work out, this is a perfect cd to listen to while doing so. If you can sit still while listening to this, I'd be very surprised. Buy it, you won't regret it!

Interesting New Drum Sounds.......2006-05-15

I play an African Djembe, and am always looking to find new styles of drumming to incorporate into my playing. I'd been wanting to buy a Taiko CD, and picked this one at random. The first song is absolutely amazingly rockin'. I've listened to the CD twice, and while the first song leaps out and grabs you, I didn't find the rest of the CD to have that same crazy energy. Don't get me wrong - the rest of the CD is enjoyable, but the first song just blows the rest of the disc away.

Edited to add: So I've been listening to this CD for a while. I'm really not very crazy about it. The first time I heard the first song I really liked it, but it got old really fast. The selection of percussive instruments on this CD just bores me. There's just not enough variety for me - but then again, I'm used to listening to a lot of African music where you have djuns, sangbans, djembes, bells - all with a wide variety of different ways to play them. All in all, I suppose that this is still a good cd, but it's just not for me.

Amazing Japanese drumming...!.......2004-09-27

Another fine album by one of the major stars of the modern taiko drumming scene... Hirota's innovative compositions are audacious and ambitious; the skill and precision with which his ensemble perform them is nothing short of amazing. There are modernizations and meter shifts that may be questionable -- depending on your personal tastes or inclinations -- but for taiko fans, even those who prefer a more traditional style, this disc is a must. This is the music being played at its highest and most challenging level... Recommended!

One of the best Taiko collections I've heard.......2004-09-04

This is without a doubt one of the BEST taiko CD's ever. We put this on (to test a new subwoofer) and the sound of the drums was clear, the contrasting sticks and bells came through sharp and defined. The rhythms are surprisingly jazzy and modern.

There are nine cuts on this CD: the first seems VERY long but it's actually shy of 8 minutes--some are longer, 9:31 and 10:46 . The first cut Harvest is by far the best, though I like the almost 11 minute Heart Beat a lot as well.

The thundering big drums have traditional rhythms, but merge into melodic "songs" of a more modern nature. The drums are of varying sizes and tuned to different tones, and there is auxiliary percussion (sticks on the drum frame and some other percussion as well) but the Taiko dominate.

I find Taiko very energizing and I play this CD to lift my mood, especially if doing household tasks. If you like percussion, this is absolutely a must-have cd. We were VERY impressed.

Exotic Voices from Africa: 30 of the Best African Vocal Groups

Average customer rating:

Everybody please come the real world of Africa

Exotic Voices from Africa: 30 of the Best African Vocal Groups
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Arc Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Africa | International | Styles | Music

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Voices from Heaven
The Best of Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Blessed
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ASIN: B00004UDDA
Release Date: 2000-08-15

Tracks:

Isigcino - Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Mmele Pelo Le Moya - Baswa Ba Tumelo
Ujesu Uyinkosi - Zyac Choir
Orata Boetapele - Masogane A Tumelo
Sengiyezwa - Majalefa A Morena
Masasani - Simon Ngobeni Na Vatsonga Sisters
Uyadela - Ngxalothi No Masevela
Ngangiboshiwe - Church Of Christ
Ujesu Yedwa Nje - Amanxusa Ka Jesu
Igobondela - Zamo No Senta
Isithembiso - Isabelo
Mehleng - Laduma
Igazi - Ntu Bhekani Brothers
E Getsemane - Masibuyele Kujehova Choir
Kwapminda Kwenzeka - The Kins Star Brothers

Tracks:

Ubani Ongasbenze Usathane - Abafana Beseluleko
Ubothandaza - Isithembiso
Kushothina - Ubuhle Bezi Ntombi
Mmapule - Pietersburg Top Ten
Ningakhali - Amahlokoloko
Abafana Bedilik - Dilika
Dwala Lami - Genesisi Endlu Nkulu
Ungizondelani - Mzikayifani Buthelezi
Jelasi - Pat Mabasa Na Shikange Sisters
Izwi Legazi - Ivangeli Loxolo
Giyamthakatmi - Izingame Zoma
Intombi - Amaduduzo/Ronnie Bodibe
Vus'umoya Wami - Derrick Ndzimande
Baleka Tshwala - Johnny Dimba
Abazali Bami - Amaqhawe Asesandlwane

Customer Reviews:

Everybody please come the real world of Africa.......2000-09-18

For all the many albums available by these household names from Africa, what you get here, unlike the more polished studio albums, is the real african exotic voices. This one should repeat their success in african music. This album brings to your home the dangers, exhaustions, and exhilarations better than any journalism. I have first heard their voice in the greatest Paul Simon-penned "Homeless." since then, they are my greatest group in african music.

Average customer rating:

awesome l'arc album
i liked it.............
When you get this album..."Smile"!
Absolutely addicting L'arc~en~Ciel album
One of my favorite CDs

Smile
L'Arc-En-Ciel
Manufacturer: Tofu Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Jpop CD

ASIN: B0002BO0U8
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Tracks:

Kiss
Ready Steady Go
Lover Boy
Feeling Fine
Time Goes On
Coming Closer
Forever
Revelation
Living in Your Eyes
Spirit Dreams Inside
Ready Steady Go - Hydeless version

Customer Reviews:

awesome l'arc album.......2007-07-04

Do not read Crow Winters Review of l'arc en ciel. It is one of the most unaccurate words put together about L'arc En Ciel. They were never even close to breaking up, for the band members just went to do their solo projects. The Smile Album did really well, and was a new sound compared to their earlier albums. L'arc released an album called awake a year later, a single called link after that, a new single this year called seventh heaven, and are planning on releasing a new album soon.
The only L'arc en Ciel moment that looked bad was after the album "True", when the drummer got busted for heroine possessson. The drummer left the band, L'arc was in the shadowed for awhile and then they got a new drummer and released the album heart in 1998, which was followed by a double release with the album ray and ark being released at the same time. The album released in 2000 was Real which did really well.

This album smile as listed above was the start if a new sound L'arc En Ciel created for themselves after being on their Solo albums for a few years.

i liked it....................2007-06-22

nice combination of jpop and jrock. if you like the mix Dahalia by X-Japan is also great!

When you get this album..."Smile"!.......2007-06-10

This is one of the best L'arc en ciel cd's I've ever heard. Some of them are aggresive and some are soft and melodic. Let me give you my opinions on each track.

1. Kiss-Kuchizuke (4:24) (5 stars): Pretty awesome song. I like how the solo of the guitar goes. Kinda hard and in some ways touching at the same time. Great for a background or ending song of an anime show.

2. READY STEADY GO (3:45) (5 stars): This is one of the opening theme song of an anime show, Fullmetal Alchemist. It's fast and aggresive that it makes you wanna listen to it again!

3. Lover Boy (4:45) (5 stars): Ken sang on this track. He's pretty good actually. I like how the bass guitar sounds when all of the instruments went silent. Great background music for an anime show.

4. Feeling Fine (4:16) (5 stars): I love Hyde's voice. The electric guitars are rockin' in this track! It's kinda melodic and fast at the same time. Great ending theme song for an anime show.

5. Time Goes On (4:41) (5 stars): Pretty slow and melodic at the same time. I love Hyde's high pitch voice somewhere in the middle of the song. The solo is totally great. Great for background or ending theme song of an anime show.

6. Coming Closer (5:14) (10 stars!): Now this is what I call hard rock! Hyde is very fluent in his english here. The solo is totally great! I love how the electric guitar sounds at the beginning of the song. Great for an intensive battle in an anime show!

7. Forever-Eien (4:39) (5 stars): Somehow, this is kinda aggresive and slow at the same time. The solo is not really that bad though it kinda sounds out of tune a bit. Hyde's voice sounds so emotional here. Maybe good for an ending song in an anime show.

8. REVELATION (3:18) (5 stars): This is pretty hard rock. The electric guitar tunes kinda sound the same in track 6. I like how the guitar goes at the end of the song. Maybe great for an intensive battle in an anime show.

9. Living In Your Eyes-Hitomi No Jyunin (5:55) (10 stars!): This is very melodic and emotional at the same time. You'll love the piano sounds in this track. The solo is so great. I love Hyde's voice and I feel I want to listen to this track all over again. You'll never get tired of it. Great background music for an anime show.

10. Spirit Dreams Inside (3:43) (5 stars): Nothing much to say, but I'm very proud of Hyde. This track is sung in english. If I can remember, this is an ending song for a Final Fantasy movie. I forgot what is called, but I'm sure you'll like it.

11. BONUS TRACK: READY STEADY GO (Hydeless version) (3:46) (5 stars): In this track, you'll be able to hear the guitars, basses, and the drums more. Including some other instruments. I always wonder who's that person who sang the line, "Ready steady can't hold me back. "Ready steady give me good luck. "Ready steady never look back. Let's get started Ready steady go!", in the beginning of the song? Great for a background music in anime show!

Absolutely addicting L'arc~en~Ciel album.......2007-06-03

This CD is one most will probably get because of the second track--"READY STEADY GO," which was featured as Fullmetal Alchemist's theme song. However, the CD has even more (and even better) tracks that are highly listenable to even my anti-Jrock sister. "Feeling Fine" is lively and upbeat, starting off with an awesome drum riff; "Coming Closer" is desperate and epic; and "Hitomi no Junin" is by far one of the most beautiful L'arc~en~Ciel songs ever. I have most every album of theirs, and this is *probably* my favorite (albeit their most formulaic...). Even if you aren't into Jrock, give this a chance. It's a good piece to listen to on a day that calls for ENERGY!!

One of my favorite CDs.......2007-01-29

Some people may call this CD overrated simply because the second track is the opening to the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist, but there are many other songs on here that surpass "Ready Steady Go" and make this CD worth its money.

"Kuchizuke", for example, starts off the CD with Hyde's lower, grittier voice (attributed to his smoking habit) and sets the bar in terms of variety - whether it be vocals, guitar, or subject matter. Another favorite of mine is track eight, "Revelation", which immediately attracted my attention when I first listened to this CD because of the introduction (strong guitar chords followed by an underlying techno-ish beat). About half of the songs are more rock, and there are also rock ballads, such as Hitomi no Jyunin (Living in Your Eyes). There are even a couple of songs that sound, for lack of a better word, peppy. "Ready Steady Go" is one, with bright guitar chords and a catchy beat, and "Feeling Fine" is another.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this CD and it's already become one of my favorites. Even the inside cover made me smile - pictures of the band wearing boxes on their heads with the trademark "smile" on the front cover. Smile is a must-have for any Laruku fan.

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