Strangers & Angels

Strangers & Angels

ASIN: B0000541QQ

Editorial Reviews
Atzone
"Good production, and Gene has a fine sense of self-style. He has a formula that works"

Product Description
Gene Land is now shooting into the millenium with his new release, “STRANGERS & ANGELS”, which showcases Gene's strong, rich vocal style, and contains a variety of country music from fast moving tunes to soulful ballads. He definitely has his own unique sound that just seems to have a space in today's vast market.

Strangers & Angels

Tracks:

Inn Town
Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight
Yesterday's News
16 Days
Everything I Do
Houses On The Hill
Turn Around
Dancing With The Women At The Bar
Waiting To Derail
Avenues
Losering
Somebody Remembers The Rose
Not Home Anymore

Amazon.com essential recording

Strangers Almanac first grabs you because it sounds so great. It's filled with dynamic performances that smolder moodily, then flare quickly into firestorms of twangy and soulful guitar rock that fuse Uncle Tupelo with the Stones, the Replacements, with Gram Parsons. But what makes this album essential are the songs of frontman Ryan Adams. Take "Houses On The Hill," about a man merely going through a box of old letters: in just two verses, and to a melody that's the definition of bittersweet, Adams relates a drama more rich in detail than most novels. One of '97's best albums. --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews:

A MUST for Ryan Adams Aficionados.......2006-12-18

I've never been a Country music fan, more like a Hater, if truth be known, therefore, was hestitant to lay out the big bucks for a Whiskeytown CD. However, since Ryan Adams has never recorded a piece of music that doesn't speak to some part of me, I gritted my teeth and ordered "Strangers Almanac". SA must have set the whole alt country listening community on it's collective ear; I've never heard anything like it. Brilliant, provocative, ground-breaking, genius - this band of musicians play their hearts and souls out. My especial favs are "Yesterday's News" just a heart-twister of a song; "Turn Around" and, for it's originality and grace, "Somebody Remembers The Rose". Just buy it, shut up and listen. Betcha can't stop. (Ryan Adams was 22 and writing songs on the back of takeout pizza boxes at the time)

Ryan Adams & company shine - blows away his solo work!.......2006-11-02

I discovered Ryan Adams's solo work a few years ago and only recently began listening to his earlier work with Whiskeytown. I enjoy most of his solo albums, some better than others. I saw him in Baltimore at the infamous Meyerhoff show in 2005 where he was absolutely horrendous. However, on Strangers Almanac, he, Caitlin, and the entire band are wonderful.

My first Whiskeytown purchase was Faithless Street, another fantastic album in its own right. At first listen to Strangers Almanac, I didn't think it was as good. However, overtime, I changed my opinion entirely; this one certainly tops Faithless Street.

The low-key, somewhat somber opening track "In Town" conjures images of returning home to a small town after being away for whatever reason (college, military, etc), reconnecting with old friends, and realizing quickly nothing has changed, but you still call it "home". The fiddle on the track definitely sets the mode. "Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart" is a strong honky-tonk influenced broken heart type of song (thus the title ). Here, the slide guitar carries the track. I like this version much more than the bonus track version on Faithless Street.

While the album is dominated by that signature Alt-Country sound, there are some serious rockers on here, like "Yesterday's News" and "Losering". "Everything I Do" has a great blues feel to it. I love the story told in "House on the Hill" - it plays like a great short story that you've read in high school literature class. "Dancing With the Women at the Bar" has the sound and feel of a prequel to "When the Stars Go Blue" on Adam's "Gold" solo disk. If I had to pick one and only one favorite track on the album, it would be "Not Home Anymore", which closes out the album, with its sadness and desperation, building to a climatic crescendo and leaves the listener only wanting more.

There isn't a weak track on the album and the CD never tires. It easily makes it into my rotation every week or so. So, while I may not pay to see Ryan in concert after my Baltimore experience, I will still continue to listen to and love his music, especially when my mood matches his somber and sad songwriting. I highly recommend, you won't be disappointed!

wintertime is the only time.......2006-07-02

this is easily one of the best albums produced in the 20th century. who puts almanac in the title of a record? this really changed my life and taste in music- if it were possible to wear out a CD, then that's what woulda happened the winter I got this back in 97 or 98. problem is, now I just can't listen to it in warm weather, it's incongruous with the attitude the album has to me.

Other stuff to check out.......2006-06-21

I am a huge fan of alt-country, roots rock, Americana or whatever you wanna call it. This is a classic in the genre. Here are some lesser known albums in the genre that are fantastic.
1) End Of The Day by The Reivers
2) Idiots by Frog Holler
3) Banjos and Sunshine by Sixty Acres

Heartbreak in widescreen.......2006-04-03

The soaring steel guitar figure which opens "Excuse Me If I Break My Own Heart Tonight" is THE definitive alt.country riff of all time--for me, anyway. It doesn't get any better than this song. Desperation, awe, anguish, love, and a resolve to communicate to the other person that what they're doing is a tremendous mistake--all delivered in the form of a song that, musically, sweeps you up, propells you along, and makes you catch your breath. A fully realized vision. The rest of the album's pretty great, too.

Average customer rating:

Is it Schenker or the Hand of the Lord?
Schenker's showcase
UFO at their best
Holds up perfect after almost 30 years
Simply one of the best

Strangers in the Night
UFO
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000JPYQ
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Tracks:

Hot 'N' Ready
Cherry
Let It Roll
Love To Love
Natural Thing
Out In The Street
Only You Can Rock Me
Mother Mary
This Kids
Doctor Doctor
I'm A Loser
Lights Out
Rock Bottom
Too Hot To Handle
Shoot Shoot

Customer Reviews:

Is it Schenker or the Hand of the Lord?.......2007-06-06

Schenker's playing on this record is as good as any music anywhere. The four killer tracks are This Kids, Love to Love, Lights Out, and Rock Bottom. Every now and again, Schenker seems to tap into the divine, and when he does, he's untouchable - as here. But also see Walk on Water, Adventures of the Imagination, The Odd Trio, and Endless Jam Continues. He is just as good now as he was then.

Schenker's showcase.......2007-06-02

One of the finest, if not THE finest array of live recordings ever created. If there were ever a live album that pinpoints the pinnacle of a band's career, this is it. After hearing this, it is difficult to imagine UFO without Michael Schenker. The album showcases most of the classic UFO songs well known to fans in extended form, with some additions since the original release in '79. However, the star of the show here is Schenker, whose flying V is on fire with each solo. For example, check out the guitar work on "Rock Bottom". This is intense stuff...not for the faint of heart. Highly recommended.

UFO at their best.......2007-05-06

This CD is worth twice the price just for "Rock Bottom! Michael Schenker must have been temporarily possessed during his lead solo on this song. I have this release on vinyl, can't wait to hear it with the clarity of CD. If you can only fit one UFO album (CD) in your collection, please make it this one. On this release, not only do you hear the songs, but you feel them. That doesn't happen very often. Must have been magic in the air that night (or nights) it was recorded. I would suggest you sweep your floor before you listen to "Rock Bottom" so your jaw doesn't get dirty when it drops.

Holds up perfect after almost 30 years.......2007-03-11

By the ratings most people give here I guess I am NOT the only one who knows how great this album is. I do not think it is THE greatest live album, The Who Live at Leeds is in my opinion the best rock album live or studio. But that takes nothing away from this beautiful masterpeice. The ironic thing is I have never liked this genra of music. I never cared for Kiss, Nugent, AC/DC,Def Leppard,Van Halen, or hair metal, which it seems UFO helped pioneer. But there is something about this album that greatly exceeds expectations. The simple answer would seem to be Micheal Schenker. I am not a fan of his other projects, so it must be the sum of the whole band. The songs themselves stand on their own, but are sizzling in this live disc. It has the best collection of guitar solos that are not pretentious, but melodic, and keep with the song structure. I do feel the crowd noises are juiced up at times, and that can be a slight annoyance. I read it was supposedly done with no overdubs, but in "Only You Can Rock Me" Phil Mogg seems to sing over himself in the final chorus, so that is a dubious claim. I bought the album when it came out in my senior year, and my metal head bro-in-law bought me the CD 10 years later. It is the only one he ever gave me I kept.

Simply one of the best.......2007-02-16

The epidome of hard rock. A capturing of an era at its very very best.
Wasn't always good with the studio work, kind of dry for me.
If you only own one UFO cd, this is it bar none.

Average customer rating:

Absolutely amazing
A pleasure from beginning to End
Great singer, songwriter & pianist
Late to the party
A must have CD!

Warm Strangers
Vienna Teng
Manufacturer: Virt Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Undiscovered Gems

ASIN: B0000ZMHBU
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

Feather Moon
Harbor
Hope on Fire
Shine
Mission Street
My Medea
Shasta (Carrie's Song)
Homecoming (Walter's Song)
Anna Rose
Passage
The Atheist Christmas Carol
[Untitled Hidden Track]

Album Description

It's not unusual to see someone leave her high tech job these days to seek out new adventures. But how many of them wind up performing on the "Late Show with David Letterman" less than six months later?
By the time San Francisco-based singer/songwriter/pianist Vienna Teng, 26, quit her full-time software engineering job at Cisco Systems in 2002, she had signed with independent label Virt Records and was preparing for her full-length CD release, "Waking Hour." She was soon opening for such artists as Shawn Colvin and Joan Osborne. With her graceful melodies and evocative lyrics, Vienna has garnered critical acclaim and a rapidly growing legion of fans throughout the world.
Vienna has returned with her sophomore release, "Warm Strangers," a diverse collection of lush, melodic songs, incorporating Vienna's classical background and folk sensibilities within a contemporary pop framework. Whereas "Waking Hour," written during the high school and college years, was mostly autobiographical, "Warm Stranger"s marks Vienna's bold leap into fiction. Orchestral and acoustic landscapes, using everything from string quartets to slide guitars, provide an inviting sonic backdrop for her short stories of love, death, struggle and hope.

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely amazing.......2007-05-29

My favorite CD out of her three. "Harbor" has always been my favorite song, and the rest of her CD is amazingly strong and graceful. There is even a hidden Chinese song at the end of her CD!

My favorites from this CD are "Harbor", the hidden track, "My Medea", "Passage" and "The Atheist Christmas Carol"

A pleasure from beginning to End.......2007-02-22

Let me start this review off by saying that I am not a big pop fan at this point in my life. That is, I listen and play more jazz that I do pop stuff. That being said, I try to keep my ears open. A friend recently gave Teng's third CD, which captured my attention, so I went back for more. This 2nd CD is even better than her third. The songs are well written, the production is at the right scale, meaning it doesn't overshadow her understated style, and the sound of the recording is quite lovely. Her lyrics are intelligent but not deliberately oblique. There is absolutely nothing about this record that sounds the least bit self conscious or mannered. This is in a word, the work of a natural artist who has already found her sound. Amazingly, she was only about 26 when she made this recording.

This is music to live with. At first one listens to the sound of her voice and her picture perfect piano accompaniments. Then the stories reveal themselves. Teng is a skillful story teller and a very adept songwriter. Some of it reminds me a little of early Joni Mitchell, but not enough to label her as derivative. It appears as if Teng is an important new talent, and I for one am looking forward to watching her develop into the major musical force she is already showing signs of maturing into.

Great singer, songwriter & pianist.......2007-02-12

If you are looking for some great personal music, look no further. I disovered her by accidentially changing to some obscure channel. I was hooked instantly. Her music is very mesmerizing. In many respects, she reminds me of Tori Amos. Her voice and piano playing is incredible, but her songs seem more accessable. Both CD's are equally good.

Late to the party.......2007-02-04

OK...so, I don't know where I've been, but I recently got this album and it's amazing. Crystal clean vocals....interesting lyrics....great songs. I'm blown away how good this is. Why isn't this girl as big as Tori Amos or Kate Bush? Feather Moon starts the album out somber and slow, but then it picks up with Harbor and Hope On Fire...and it just gets better from there. If you like good music, buy this one. Better late than never!

A must have CD!.......2007-01-21

I never tire of listening to Vienna Teng's music, and this compilation of her songs is great. 'Safe Harbor' is my absolute favorite, but all of her songs are wonderful. She is so talented! You will not be sorry you bought this incredible CD.

Average customer rating:

Not for the average listener
A thoroughly enjoyable trip through Central Asia and a few other places.
Silk Road Journey
A Detailed Review From A Non-expert Music Lover
Silk Road student

Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet
Yo-Yo Ma , and Silk Road Ensemble
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000641CG
Release Date: 2002-04-16

Tracks:

Mongolian Traditional longsong
Legend of Herlen (Byambasuren Sharav)
"Blue Little Flower" (Chinese Traditional)
"Mido Mountain" (Chinese Traditional)
Moon over Guan Mountain (Zhao Jiping)
"Miero vuotti uutta kuuta" from Five Finnish Folk Songs (Michio Mamiya)
"Joiku" from Five Finnish Folk Songs (Michio Mamiya)
Avaz-e Dashti (Persian Traditional)
Habil-Sayagy (In Habil's Style) for cello and prepared piano (Franghiz Ali-Zadeh)
Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur (Kayhan Kalhor)
Chi passa per'sta strada (Filippo Azzaiolo)
Desert Capriccio (Music from the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/Tan Dun) (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com

This disc introduces Yo-Yo Ma's latest and most ambitious adventure, the Silk Road Project. It explores the cultures that flourished along the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that for centuries connected Europe and the East. Founded by Ma in 1998, the project aims to create connections, mutual trust, and cultural interchange between people from different parts of the world through their only shared language: music.

This recording includes music from Mongolia, China, Persia, Japan, Iran, Azerbaijan, and an improvisation on an Italian Renaissance street song, performed by musicians from all those countries, as well as America, on both Eastern and Western instruments. Ma, who participates in every piece either as soloist or part of the ensemble, plays cello and a Mongolian "horse-head fiddle." There is also a Mongolian soprano, who sings a traditional song native to her region. For the uninitiated Western listener, the music requires some getting used to. Much of it is based on rhythmic ostinatos. The melodies use Oriental scales; the intonation is untempered; the music seems all color, texture, and atmosphere, without what might be called themes; and repetition takes the place of development. Contrast is achieved through sudden change, buildup by adding instruments. However, the music is often beautiful, delicate, dreamy, or peaceful; every listener will find his or her own favorite pieces. The playing is splendid, with much inventive improvisation. Inevitably, Ma's tone and personality stand out, but he never dominates in fact or spirit. The booklet offers essays by Ma and the project's musicologist, Theodore Levin, photographs of the players, and drawings of the Eastern instruments. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Not for the average listener.......2007-03-20

I was going to give it 2 stars, but then again i only listened to it once.
I was looking forward to this, but the music is plodding in many parts,
like a dreary symphony. There are fine moments, but I was looking for something a bit more accesible, rhymic, and lyrical. This is a mixed bag that seems to miss more often than hit.

A thoroughly enjoyable trip through Central Asia and a few other places........2007-03-15

I have just added this to my musical library and am enjoying it. From the first beat of the first note of Khongozurl's long song you are transported to central Asia - the land of horses and gers. Of all the pieces I was most interested in listening to the second piece - Legend of Herlen. This to me, was the real silk road. The morin khuur has a very rich and unusual tone that made we want to listen to the it over and over again. Each piece is different and reminds one of the many parts that make up the whole of central asia's culture be it music or diesel trucks competing for road space with camels. The music captures the variety that makes up the region. The Finnish Folksong tracks are a nice touch. I have a friend who was at a trade conference and met a man from Mongolia. Neither could talk to one another until they discovered a common language - Finnish! My friend's family is Finnish and his new Mongolian friend had lived for several years in Finland where he learned enough of the language to communicate. Listening to the Finnish Folksongs reminds me of the Finnish-Mongolian connection that my friend had described. It is a nice touch and complements the other pieces very well. Please don't neglect to read the information insert as this gives a wealth of information on the music and it's origins as well as some of the difficulties experienced by western players playing traditional middle Asian musical instruments. Ma's difficulties with his instrument are particularly interesing to read. The concludig track - Desert Capriccio is a very nice ending to a very rich musical experince. The music from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the perfect ending to this trip through central Asia. I highly recommend this CD to everyone.

Silk Road Journey.......2007-02-19

I saw a performance of the Silk Road Ensemble and was absolutely enthralled. So I bought the CD. But it was a big disappointment. It's not the type of music you can comfortably listen to in your living room - I'm sure it would be much more enjoyable in a concert hall. There was far too much that just sounded like "screeching" to me. However, some of the pieces that were much like what we heard at the performance were beautiful. So - a mixed review, but I disliked more than I liked.

A Detailed Review From A Non-expert Music Lover.......2007-01-12

In this review I will give my opinion on each of the 12 selections in this CD, and will also talk about some general themes related to the title "The Silk Road Project".

To anyone who has heard of the Silk Road in Ancient China, the title of this CD immediately brings up images of exotic peoples and their cultures in your mind. I think Yo-Yo Ma's efforts in creating such a culturally diversified recording are definitely welcomed in this era of globalization.

But after listening through this CD I felt that something was missing from the selections. One of the most important areas on the Silk Road is the Uyghur region in northwestern China. Their music is quite unique. Inclusion of their music in this CD would be really interesting. Also in this CD not all of the selections are chosen from those regions directly related to the Silk Road. So I guess the title is just a metaphor of "when strangers meet", but is not directly about the cultures along the Silk Road.

Now I will review each of the selections.

1. Mongolian Traditional Long Song

I am somewhat familiar with their culture and land. So to me this song is very beautiful and enchanting. One of the most important factors in conducting any cross-cultural communications is context! You really cannot take it out of context. The Mongolian Long Song might sound monotonous and drawling to a person who is more used to the Western tradition of chant, choral, or opera music. Yet if you know the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Mongolian people on the vast rolling greens of the Mongolian grassland embellished with winding creeks and rivers, you would probably hear such long-singing voices reverberating between the green of the grass and the blue of the sky. The Mongolian people have some of the most beautiful songs that I know of.

2. Legend of Herlen

There are probably two broad categories of non-western ethnic musics. One is the authentic folksong tradition of the people, the other is westernized works composed by westernized local musicians. I guess Legend of Herlen might fall into the second category. It has some interesting tunes in it. But the overall listening experience is too dramatic. I guess the dynamics used in this piece might even go beyond the ppp and fff. In the Mongolian traditional music, dynamics are sometimes used quite dramatically, with sharp difference between two adjacent notes or phrases. So this piece here is probably not very surprising. Nonetheless I find it a little too dramatic, sometimes even disturbing. Again I am not familiar with the background of this piece, so that might explain the unusual drama.

3. Blue Little Flower

I am not sure what fusion should really sound like. But in this piece it does seem to me that a lot of musical traditions are intertwined in it: western music, Chinese folksong from Shaanxi, and probably Iranian or Indian drums. Somehow the only part of this song that I liked is the beginning line. It's very beautiful and delicate, reminding me of the theme music from the Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But it is westernized, not authentic Chinese folksong. If this is still not a problem, then the drum used in this piece does cause a lot of funny effects. The drum sounds so distinctive and it represents some of the central or western Asia cultures. The images such drum beats conjure up are very incompatible with this northwestern Chinese folksong. So in this piece there are at least three threads: western, Chinese, and Iranian/Indian (I am not sure which one). But they do not converge. There is also the funny part of the singing included in this piece. It is out of place and unnecessary. The singing itself is just too frivolous to me.

4. Mido Mountain

I like this piece, especially the part played by the Sheng. Again there are some elements that sound a little bit too foreign to me, especially the percussion part. They use the same percussion/drum in this piece as in the previous one. But the overall effect of the arrangement does sound authentic and pleasant to me.

5. Moon Over Guan Mountains

If you know that Zhao Jiping is famous for his scores for films, you will probably understand this piece better. But of course understanding does not mean you will like it. This piece falls into the second category that I described above. For a lot of non-Western countries, the influence of western music is definitely immense. Many local composers are trained in both the western tradition and the local tradition. But there is probably a general feeling among composers in these countries that western music is richer in theory and methods. Many of these composers will use themes from folk songs to compose westernized music. I will give this piece a B+. It does include some themes from northwestern China, which sound really unique. As I said in this CD there is no selection from the Uyghur region in China, this piece might make up for that, since some of the themes seem to me to be from that region. But this piece is still too dramatic too, like a film score.

6. Five Finnish Folksongs No. 3

I love this one! The theme melody is so beautiful, and maybe a little bit nostalgic, and maybe a little bit romantic also? But this piece is straightly western music. There is nothing ethnic about it.

7. Five Finnish Folksongs No.5

This one is ok, but not very impressive. The overall structure of this piece sounds like very loose. There is not memorable melody either. But it does not have the maddening drama like in the two pieces I have just talked about. This is good.

8. Avaz-e Dashti
I am not familiar with Persian music. But there are indeed some very Persian melodies in this piece. The instruments used in this piece are all traditional Persian instruments. Maybe this is why it sounds so authentic to me. I like the haunting, floating tunes in this piece. They sound very ethereal to me.

9. Habil-Sayagy

Again this piece falls into the second category like the Legend of Herlen and Moon Over Guan Mountains. Such music is probably interesting to the performers, since they can let loose their inner floodgate of emotions and resort to pure artistic connections. But the problem for such music is that they are just too dramatic, and it's really hard to understand them without fairly good knowledge of the context and their unique cultural backgrounds. I am sure all these three pieces might sound profound, meaningful, and artistic once we know the cultural backgrounds better. But for the general listener, they are too abstract and too emotionally charged. Another problem for such western-traditional combination pure art form of music is that tradition might be distorted and represented in the wrong way.

10. Blue as the Turquoise Night of Neyshabur

I like this one better that the previous one, especially the middle part beginning at around 5 min 30 sec into the music. The melody is quite unique, and memorable. The bassline is very interesting too. It conjures up the image of merchants traveling on camel back through the desert. The pulse of the bass sounds like the steps of camels walking. One the instruments used, I am not sure which one, santur or kemancheh, is quite successful in bringing out the authenticity of the music style.

11. Chi passa per'sta strada

This one has the same problem as the Blue Little Flower: it does not sound like anything! It is not Italian, nor is it Iranian, nor Chinese, nor anything else. What is it? Who knows. The ethnicity of world music is tied to their unique musical instruments closely. I remember there was one year the Chinese traditional orchestra had a New Year's Concert at Vienna, and when they played the Radetzky March at the end of the concert, I was quite unimpressed.

12. Desert Capriccio

Tan Dun is similar to the composers I mentioned above like Zhao Jiping. Tan's music is unique and interesting to both western and Chinese audience, because of the same thing: they are both unfamiliar with Tan's music. To the Chinese audience, his music sounds western, but to the Western audience, his music sounds exotic. Nonetheless I still like some of this music, like the Couching Tiger and Hidden Dragon. Some of the melodies are really great. Again this piece makes up for the lack of Uyghur music in this album, since the "desert" in this piece is in the Uyghur region. But the music is not Uyghur at all.

There you have it. That's all for my detailed review of this CD. I would give it a B+ for its efforts and some of the really good tunes. As I am not an expert, I might be wrong in many of the points that I make in this review. So feel free to comment on my review.

Silk Road student.......2007-01-05

Each story is complete within itself and offers insight into the life and hard times. I found the stories very believeable.

Average customer rating:

Excellent CD
A Respectable Comeback
Love My Perfect Stanger
My Favorite Purple Disc
A Milestone!

Perfect Strangers
Deep Purple
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000JBFW
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Knocking At Your Back Door
Under The Gun
Nobody's Home
Mean Streak
Perfect Strangers
A Gypsy's Kiss
Wasted Sunsets
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Customer Reviews:

Excellent CD.......2007-06-16

Perfect Strangers is the perfect CD. There is not a single track that I skip over on this CD and that is rare for me. The entire CD is classic. The sound is superb, the musicianship is tight and the CD simply rocks. If you like classic rock, get your hands on this CD. It will be worth it to you and you will have a hard time taking it out of the CD player.

Rock on

A Respectable Comeback.......2007-05-27

I remember waiting for this album like waiting for Xmas; And while only a handful of tracks could be considered 'classic Deep Purple', every song is solid, and all the players are in fine form. Blackmore is his usual unusual self, complete with angular, odd-scales, blues flurries, and his trademark, stinging vibrato; Ian sounds right at home, and the band just seems to follow close behind. This has been recently remastered(I don't know about the paticular version I'm reviewing, but I know it's out there...), so it sounds even better. And for being close to 25 years old, it still sounds great to me. A good CD to introduce younger listeners to these guys...it's old, but not that old.

Love My Perfect Stanger .......2007-01-13

I love this cd so much. I recommend that anyone who likes Deep Purple pick up a copy.

My Favorite Purple Disc.......2007-01-11

This album brings back a lot of memories for me. A friend of mine and I took a driving trip from Michigan to New Orleans shortly after this album came out, and it was constantly on our playlist during the drive. By 1984 many people had pretty much written Deep Purple off. They had not released an album as a band since 1975. Blackmore formed Rainbow, Gillian had his own band as well as a stint with Black Sabbath, and Glover and Paice had joined Whitsnake. Deep Purple had effectively dropped off the radar. "Perfect Strangers" would see the return of the mark II lineup of Glover, Blackmore, Gillian, Lord, and Paice and would prove to be one hell of a comeback. Personally this is my all time favorite Deep Purple album. Every song is great, the music is a perfect mix of the classic purple sound with an updated (for its time) contemporary feel. Two big AOR hits came from the album, the opener "Knocking At Your Back Door" and the title track "Perfect Strangers" Both songs rank with the best the band has ever done in fact the song "Perfect Strangers" is one of the best songs of the 80's in my book. The rest of the album is all great too. "Wasted Sunsets" is a ballad that Ian Gillian just kills. His voice is perfect for the song as he does what he does best belting it out. "Hungry Daze" is a rocking look back at the band's history and a look forward to their future. "Under The Gun", "Nobody's Home", "Mean Streak" "Gypsy's Kiss" and "Not Responsible" are all excellent as well. I got to see the band on this tour and the show was as good as the album. Sadly Deep Purple would follow "Perfect Strangers" with the lousy "House Of Blue Doors" which was a huge letdown after this one, and would be the last album from the mark II version of the band.

A Milestone!.......2006-12-11

Should you ever meet someone who's ranting about "the eighties" and the supposedly "bad" music of that decade... just put on this GREAT record!
The songs are well crafted, perfectly recorded and the whole album is absolutely NOT "trendy". With that I mean that you could never tell it was made in 1984. Clearly you can spot it's not from the seventies... but listening back to it, NOW, I notice how it hasn't aged a bit!
...and it features the most classic lineup of the band!
You just couldn't ask for more!! ;-)

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I only listen to it unintentionally...
A wonderful cd ...........
This album will creep up on you
After Only a Few Listens
Hmmmmmmm

Comfort of Strangers
Beth Orton
Manufacturer: Astralwerks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Eye To The Telescope
The Believer
Pass in Time: The Definitive Collection
Black Cadillac

ASIN: B000CBSHK2
Release Date: 2006-02-07

Tracks:

Worms
Conceived
Comfort Of Strangers
Heartland Truckstop
Shadow Of A Doubt
Safe In Your Arms
Countenance
Rectify
Feral Children
Shopping Trolley
A Place Aside
Absinthe
Heart Of Soul
Pieces Of Sky

Amazon.com

Few vocalists equal the expressive subtlety of Beth Orton, whose fourth album is both her most musically spare and artistically complex to date. Not only does the production and backing by Jim O'Rourke (known for his work with Sonic Youth and Wilco) capture Orton's vocal style at its most unstudied and unvarnished, the lack of embellishment focuses all the more attention on her songwriting. From the jazzy phrasing on the deceptively jaunty "Worms" through the haunting "Feral" and the amazing grace of the closing, hymnlike "Pieces of Sky," Orton's songs give voice to the sort of knotty, prickly emotions that are as hard to define as they are deeply felt. Most of the musical dynamic features piano or guitar over an elemental, insistent rhythm section, making the coloring of an occasional string section ("Conceived"), harmonica ("Absinthe"), or accordion ("Safe in Your Arms") all the more striking. As an indication of the emotional range of this musical minimalism, the title cut is soothing enough to please fans of Norah Jones, while "Heartlandstruckstop" is as edgy as Patti Smith. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews:

I only listen to it unintentionally..........2007-04-30

Comfort of Strangers sits next to all my other Beth Orton albums in my iTunes playlist (Trailer Park, Central Reservation, Daybreaker), and it never gets listened to unless I do a listen-through of Central Reservation and then forget to switch to something else once Comfort of Strangers follows. Despite multiple listens, these songs are just not growing on me in the way that all of Orton's other albums that I own did. Even Daybreaker, which I found originally to not be as captivating as Central Reservation, is well-loved by this point.

A wonderful cd ..................2007-03-04

I've listened to this cd 3 times now, and each time I take away a little bit more. To me, this is an excellent cd, with many exceptional tracks. My favorites are Rectify, Conceive, Comfort of Strangers, Shopping Trolley and Heart of Soul.

These tracks are expressive and compelling, to me. And her voice really works on them. I'll have to go back and give worms another try, since the song doesn't do much for me as of this writing. I really love the vulnerability in her voice, though for some it comes across as whiny. Not for me. I think she's great, and I'm really enjoying her more organic style.

This album will creep up on you.......2007-01-18

I got this album from a friend who told me that it was one of those albums that had really gotten under his skin, and that I had to listen to it a few times to give it a chance. I liked some of the songs right off: worms, place aside, safe in your arms; I was definitely prone to skipping around a lot. As I kept listening, though, I started to see new things in almost all of the songs and the album as a whole really started to get to me. Her lyrics are incredible, phrasing things that I had felt but hadn't been able to articulate, and she has a particular way of emphasizing the important things with subtle vocal changes, like the repeated lines at the end of pieces of sky: "there's so many people who need to know that you're still with them even when they don't know" and her voice rises and almost cracks on the 'you're'. In contrast to the sort of numb feel of the rest of the song, it highlights the desperate attempt to accept that it's over and time to move on. I find myself doing that a lot with this album, analyzing little things...and I recommend it to pretty much anyone who likes that kind of thing, especially someone trying to come to terms with their own complicated relationship issues (which, really, is most people).

After Only a Few Listens.......2007-01-10

This release has the typical melancholy sound that Beth Orton is known for and if you are looking for that quintesential mellow mood, this is your music. I have only listened to the entire CD twice, but my initial opinion is that it doesn't have much diversity of style. The songs sound very much the same and do not venture into the more experimental style of songs found on some of her other releases. That said, I will continue to listen to it because often it takes many more times through before a CD grows on a person. It is a nice alternative to the mainstream pop music which draws the listener in with a catchy beat and simplistic lyrics. This latest release, along with almost all of Beth Orton's music can never be accused of that. Her music forces the listener to focus on the lyrics which are often symbolic and her flat key segway doesn't allow you to drift away. This release continues that tradition. It may not be the CD I would recommend for those not familiar with Beth Orton's music but it carries enough interest for fans of Beth's music that I say it's worth a listen.

Hmmmmmmm.......2006-11-28

I'm sorry Beth but your voice gets on my nerves. Cheer up and stop whining. I have listened to 3 of your albums 3 times and tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. It's 3 strikes now and you are out of my collection and into a bottom drawer.

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Award Winning Movie Themes: The Sixties

Manufacturer: Michelle Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Award Winning Movie Themes: The 50's
14 Award Winning Movie Themes of the 70's
Classic Movie Themes
The High & The Mighty
Award Winning Movie Themes of the 50's, 60's & 70's

ASIN: B0000011JM
Release Date: 1994-11-28

Tracks:

The Magnificent Seven: The Magnificent Seven
A Man And A Woman: A Man And A Woman
Breakfast At Tiffany's: Moon River
Dr. Zhivago: Lara's Theme (Somewhere My Love)
A Summer Place: Theme From A Summer Place
Never On Sunday: Never On Sunday
The Apartment: Theme From The Apartment
The Alamo: The Green Leaves Of Summer
Exodus: Theme From Exodus
From Russia With Love: From Russia With Love
A Man Could Get Killed: Strangers In The Night
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Mondo Cane: More
Zorba The Greek: Zorba's Dance

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Letters from Sinners & Strangers
Eilen Jewell
Manufacturer: Signature Sounds
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Boundary County
Sweet Warrior
Translated from Love
Balls
Easy Tiger

ASIN: B000R348AI
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Tracks:

Rich Man's World
Dusty Boxcar Wall
High Shelf Booze
Thanks a Lot
Heartache Boulevard
Too Hot To Sleep
Where They Never Say Your Name
How Long
In the End
If You Catch Me Sleeping
Walking Down the Line
Blue Highway

Amazon.com

It's hard to tell where the traditional ends and the original begins in the music of Eilen Jewell, a sweet-voiced young singer who steeps her material in the hard times of old, reviving the stories and musical styles of the Depression. On her own "Rich Man's World," she casts herself as a "lonely rambler girl" while conjuring comparisons with Gillian Welch. Another original, "In the End," sounds uncannily like Lucinda Williams, while a revival of Eric Andersen's train-hopping "Dusty Boxcar Wall" and the double-entendre blues of the traditional "If You Catch Me Stealing" reinforce the sense of Jewell as a musical throwback to a time before she was born. Yet there are timeless pleasures here as well: a bittersweet reading of Charlie Rich's "Thanks a Lot," an understated, harmony-laden rendition of Bob Dylan's "Walking Down the Line," the sultry cantina twang of her original "Too Hot to Sleep." When the musical arrangements aren't generic Hot Club and the songs seem more like role-playing, Jewell sounds like a singer with enough promise to develop her own identity. --Don McLeese

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New territory for Melissa
Ferrick comes roaring back with a winner

In the Eyes of Strangers
Melissa Ferrick
Manufacturer: Right on Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Willing to Wait
Freedom
The Other Side
Long Night Moon
Despite Our Differences

ASIN: B000IONKVO
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Tracks:

Never Give Up
Inside
Everything You Get
Closer
One Year
Stuck
Rest Now
Miss LIberty
Easy
Come on Life
It's Been a Long Time

Album Description

The sixth release on Melissa's own Right On Records, this disc maintains all of the passion of previous Ferrick albums, yet is infused with a new invigorated sense of urgency. Produced by Ethan Allen (Throwing Muses, Patty Griffin) the album's all-star cast of musicians include Daren Hahn, Julie Wolf, Tegan Quin, Erin McKeown, Natalia Zukerman and Rachael Davis. The emotional honesty of her lyrics, the force of her vocal delivery and the disciplined fury of her musicianship all come together on this disc to create her strongest release to date.

Customer Reviews:

New territory for Melissa.......2007-01-11

This is not the old Melissa Ferrick...but change is not a bad thing. After all, who wants the same thing for dinner every night? Her talent as a guitarist and singer still shines through on every song. The songs are richer in musical depth than past efforts, with the same insightful lyrics Melissa always delivers.

Ferrick comes roaring back with a winner.......2006-10-27

After a two-year hiatus of touring and falling in love, Melissa has returned with an album which rivals "Freedom" for passion and intensity. But guess what, fans? This time she's got a band! Yep, that's right, on In The Eyes of Strangers, Melissa has fully developed her inner rock stars and expanded her usual folk-rock sound to include the keyboards of Julie Wolf and the pulsing drums of Daren Hahn. To me, each Ferrick album sounds like shadowy blueprints for her impassioned live sound, but with this record, she created something which truly stands on its own with, dare I say, a pop rock sound. I'll take you through it, track by track.

Never Give Up: In a perfect world, this would be a single for Melissa; it's got a very catchy rhythm. This track is light, peppy and free, and beautifully sets the tone for the record. Natalia Zukerman accompanies on dobro and Tegan (of Tegan and Sara) provides backup vocals. 5/5

Inside: Formerly a charged but acoustic song, this song is fully reinvented with organ and that marvelous drumming. Listen to the brief organ interlude near the end of the track and prepare to be enraptured.

Everything You Get: Erin McKeown provides a fun electric guitar part on this track, but Melissa's vocals are at the forefront. Julie provides "poolymoog keyboard bass" and "clavinet, grand piano". I have no idea what a polymoog keyboard bass but it sure sounds cool. The chorus is joyous, with Melissa questioning "nothing is wrong, maybe that's what it is."

Closer: This one also would fit beautifully on radio. The guitar part is catchy and carefree; I think of this song as "Everything I Need" but more grown up. Backing up Melissa's guitar is Julie Wolf on piano. Remember in "E-mail" how Melissa sang "the journey is the destination"? Well, with this track, you actually believe she means it as she sings "with every little bang i get closer" to success, to happiness, whatever; it's up to you judge. The point is that this song reveals a peace within Melissa, a renewed confidence and motivation.

One Year: A beautifully, purely happy song celebrating her one year anniversary with her girlfriend. Melissa sings her own backup vocals on this song. Another happy chorus (I'm sensing a pattern here) as she sings "you have my heart and nothing is gonna get in our way". This is the most pure love song I've ever heard from Melissa. Gorgeous.

Stuck: Julie's hammond B3 provides flavor to this song. Stuck actually remains pretty close to its live acoustic version, but she sings it with renewed focus. Julie's hammond lends extra emphasis to the chorus that the guitar alone couldn't give.

Rest Now: This is probably my favorite song after Inside. It's a beautiful tribute to Chris Whitley and also provides the album title in the lyrics "In the eyes of strangers we will recognize our own hotel vast horizons". Again, drums and hammond give weight and drive to this song. Melissa's feelings shine through beautifully here, given more pizazz by the added instrumentation.

Miss Liberty: Wow. Just wow. A searing cover of Dayna Kurtz's song, Melissa's version is a full on jazz/blues rock sensation. It starts soft, and by the middle she's almost screaming as she says "you leave me broken like a spine / split open like a melon that's been dropped from a high high place". The lyrics are superbly fitting as Melissa completely inhabits this song. Julie's organ and Daren Hahn's drums provide a truly thrilling dramatic conclusion to this intense, wonderful song.

Easy: Here the guitar is at the forefront, as Melissa sings with the lyrics with that same sense of inner peace. Live, this song used to sound a little bitter; now it appears she's accepted the past and moved on.

Come On Life: A songlet without a chorus, this song somehow sounds complete now, as Melissa has fleshed out the lyrics. This one pulls back on all the instruments, which leads perfectly into the acoustic It's Been a Long Time.

It's Been a Long Time: As the last track and the only solely acoustic track, this song provides a telling insight into Melissa's state of mind as she suffered from exhaustation earlier in the year and was forced to take a break from touring. In concert, she said, "This is for me, but it's also for you. Thanks for waiting." It's only fitting that the track is last, as it is the most insightful glimpse into Melissa's journey as an independent artist. Particularly insightful are the lyrics, "I can't remember when all this running started/ But it took about 8 years for something in me to slip / I gave all I could give / And then I just kept giving ... my body had up and left". If you listen closely, you can hear a faint tapping in the background, as I assume Melissa keeps time as she sings this song seated. It annoyed me at first, but is now oddly endearing.

To sum up my novel, if you've never experienced Melissa Ferrick, this is the perfect introduction. It's the rockiest album she's ever made, and, in my opinion, it's the best.

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Review of the CD I bought
The Best County Singer ever salutes the Father of Country Music
Keeping The Tradition Alive
Brilliant musicianship
The Hag's Best Ever

Same Train, Different Time
Merle Haggard & the Strangers
Manufacturer: Bear Family
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World/It's All in the Movies
Strangers/Swinging Doors & The Bottle Let Me Down
Recordings 1927-1933
Sings The Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers
Peer Sessions

ASIN: B000006K5N
Release Date: 1993-11-08

Tracks:

Jimmie the Kid
My Rough and Rowdy Ways
California Blues [Blue Yodel No. 4]
Narration, No. 1
Hobo's Meditation
Waiting for a Train
Mother, the Queen of My Heart
My Carolina Sunshine Girl
Narration, No. 2
Train Whistle Blues
Why Should I Be Lonely?
Jimmie's Texas Blues
Midnight Turning Day Blues (Blue Yodel No. 6)
Narration, No. 3
Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8)
Peach Picking Time in Georgia
Down the Old Road to Home
Travelin' Blues
Miss the Mississippi and You
Frankie and Johnny
No Hard Times
Narration, No. 4
Hobo Bill's Last Ride
My Old Pal
Nobody Knows But Me
Narration, No. 5
Jimmie Rodgers' Last Blue Yodel (Women Make a Fool Out of Me)
Mississippi Delta Blues
Gambling Polka Dot Blues

Amazon.com essential recording

Oddly enough, Merle Haggard first heard the songs of Jimmie Rodgers on Lefty Frizzell's 1951 tribute record. Just as Frizzell (as well as Hank Snow and Ernest Tubb) did, Haggard took advantage of his station atop the country charts by paying homage to country's first legendary figure. Recorded across seven sessions between August 1968 and February 1969, the double-album Same Train barely registered on radar screens upon its initial release, but it remains a loving memorial to one of Hag's idols as well as one of Hag's most sensitive and engaging vocal performances. After all, Haggard could easily relate to the displaced and disillusioned characters that Rodgers portrayed. It's also testament to Rodgers's genius that his characters stayed relevant and his music fit seamlessly into the Strangers' clothes 40 years after the fact. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

Review of the CD I bought.......2007-02-08

I received the exact product I wanted in a reasonable length. No problems at all.

The Best County Singer ever salutes the Father of Country Music.......2005-11-04

I was living in England when this album was issued and purchased the single LP condensation of the US two record set. When I got back Stateside I bought the two record set, which I have to this day. Although sometimes I get a little impatient with Hag's narrations, I always play the entire side through. I was delighted to find it on CD but when I'm home I still listen to the LP, reserving the CD for use in the car. This set has a very authentic feel with Hag's Strangers doing a good job of replicating the sound of the JR originals. While I think that Hag's singing improved subsequent to this album, his vocals here are clearly a labor of love,complete with yodels.

A very important set of recordings

Keeping The Tradition Alive.......2005-07-24

As tribute albums go it dosn't get any better than this. Merle produced two superlative tribute albums in the 1970's. "Same Train, A Different Time": The Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers and "My Tribute To The Best Damn Fiddle Player In The World": Bob Wills. With each of these, Merle demonstrates a deep rooted affection for not only the music, but for the men who defined the "Blue Yodel Sound" and "Western Swing". Without comming off as heavy handed or pompus Merle takes the listener on a musical journey through the past, into a time and place where hobos rode the rails, always on the watch for the railroad cops, always searching for that next town beyond the bend. A place where they might find a few days work peach pickin' or maybe choppin' wood. And with the Bob Wills album, Merle brings us back to the western Grange Halls where swing bands played a unique blend of country, swing and polkas all night long and fellas snuck out back to steal a kiss from their best gal. Merle knows the music better than anyone alive. He's played it and he's lived it and we can only hope he'll be around for many more years, keeping the sounds and the traditions alive of great musicians like, The "Singing Breakman", Jimmie Rodgers and "The King Of Western Swing", Bob Wills. Long live the sweet sounds of Bakersfield and long may you live live old friend, Merle Haggard.

Brilliant musicianship.......2005-04-21

Anyone who likes country-blues (especially the all-acoustic variety) will love this CD.

Firstly, the songs are the compositions of someone who needs no introduction, the legendary Jimmie Rodgers. Most of them are based on a 12-bar blues pattern, with the lyrics repeating the first verse twice over the first chord-change - a traditional form that was very dear to Rodgers. The words are a good reflection of depression-era themes, such as railroad hoboing (Hobo Bill), scrounging up a modest living (No hard time blues) and, of course, loving and leaving in their many facets (California blues, Jimmie's last Blue Yodel).

Haggard's vocal rendition is somewhat different then Rodgers,' but the result is equally engaging. While Rodgers' voice is haunting and languid, Haggard's is more round and palpable. Also, Haggard's yodeling is much less frequent, but when employed is extremely effective, equally "plodding" and never over-used. In a sense, it is by being completely himself that Haggard nails the spirit of Rodgers' songs.

The arrangements are one of the many strong suits of this CD. For the most part, pieces feature acoustic instruments - drums, bass, guitars, dobros (one played with the slide, the other a dobro-guitar), and blues-harp. A couple pieces have horns, played in a quasi-Dixieland style reminiscent of those in Rodgers' own recordings - while a violin, an electric guitar and a steel guitar surface in a minority of the tracks. Most pieces are moderate "2/4" two-steps, with the occasional waltz.

The accompaniment is provided by Haggard's own band (the Strangers) and the studio artists sometimes heard in his earlier recordings. Among the latter is none other than James Burton, one of the fathers of Country Guitar styles and, of course, the guitarist who toured with Elvis from 1969 to 1977. While most listeners are accustomed to hearing Burton's Telecaster, it is amazing to hear him pick away at a round-neck dobro with equal flair and musicianship (his fiery solo in "No hard time blues" is an oft-copied masterpiece).

Song-choice is varied and representative of Rodgers' output. Also, the recording is interspersed with a few (very brief) tracks of Haggard's narration of Rodgers' life and deeds - which can be easily skipped over once they are familiar to the listener.

Overall, I recommend this CD very enthusiastically to all who enjoy this style of music - a CD that has only strengths and no weaknesses.

The Hag's Best Ever.......2004-07-16

I bought this album in 1969 when it was first released and I still have it now. Even though my old record player is in bad shape I still listen to it whenever I get the time. One can not just sit and listen to one or two of the songs on this album and then cut it off, because when it starts you find yourself getting caught up in the singer the times and music and before you know it you have listened to every song on this two album set. I do not believe that there ever has been or ever will be someone quite like Merle Haggard. He has a voice with depth and quality that no one can duplicate or be compared to. He is truly one of a kind. I too feel that if Jimmy Rodgers was alive to hear this music he would truly be amazed at what he was hearing and wished (even though he could sing these same songs superbly) he could sing them the same way that the Hag could and does here. I have always been a fan of the Hag and always will be. God don't make singers of country music like him any more. This is the kind of music that takes you back to front porches and porch swings. Back to when time seemed to stand still. This music will live forever because of the heart and soul that was put into this music by Jimmy Rodgers first then Merle Haggard. Thanks Merle for sharing Jimmy Rodger's songs and your great talent with all that will give an ear to this great form of music.

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