Just Be

Just Be

ASIN: B00022XO9U

Track Listings

1. Forever Today

2. Love Comes Again (featuring BT)

3. Traffic

4. Sweet Misery

5. Nyana

6. UR

7. Walking on Clouds

8. A Tear In The Open

9. Just Be

10. Adagio For Strings

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Tiesto, one of the world's most popular DJs, tries to broaden the playing field with his second artist record Just Be. Mostly self-written (except for the BT collaboration "Love Comes Again" and a remix of Samuel Barber's "Adagio For Strings"), his disc goes for transcendence right from the start with an earnest, uplifting string arrangement on "Forever Today." He keeps reaching, alternating dense-but-danceable new material with a few recent remixes ("Nyana" and "Traffic"), and vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw provides a blissful vocal on the soaring "Walking On Clouds." Yet dance floor Nirvana stays well out of range. By focusing so heavily on trying to evolve, Tiesto neglects his bread and butter: the build. Live, crowds froth at the mouth for his next beat to drop, and while that hot energy is not necessarily the goal here (check 2003's mix record Nyana for that), a better flow would help this record considerably. Though offering ready-to-remix parts, the whole of Just Be is too impatient to sound deep and forgets to let the peaks come naturally. --Matthew Cooke

Tracks:

Let Yourself Go
If
How Long Has This Been Going On?
My Funny Valentine
Hanging Around with You (with Jason Alexander)
The Girl in 14G
I'll Tell the Man in the Street
I'm a Stranger Here Myself
Nobody Else But Me
Nobody's Heart Belongs to Me/Why Can't I?
Should I Be Sweet?
He's Just an Ordinary Guy
Going to the Dance with You
On a Turquoise Cloud
You'll Never Know
Daddy

Amazon.com

Kristin Chenoweth won a Tony for the supporting role of Sally Brown in the 1999 revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, made a memorably vampy Lily in the 1999 television film of Annie, and had an NBC sitcom created for her, Kristin! Now she grabs the spotlight in Let Yourself Go, her first solo recording. She mixes torchy standards ("My Funny Valentine," "How Long Has This Been Going On?") with Faith Prince-style sauciness ("If"), gets to show off her operatic and scat chops in the miniplay "The Girl in 14G," and shares a light duet with Jason Alexander (reviving his musical theater career post-Seinfeld). Perhaps her "Stranger Here Myself" isn't the weightiest you've ever heard, but this is an enjoyable album with a good deal of old-fashioned class, expertly accompanied by Rob Fisher and the Coffee Club Orchestra. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

One of the best ever!.......2007-04-24

Do I mean the best album or the best singer? You are correct if you said both! I saw Kristin Chenoweth on a PBS show "Broadway's Best at the Pops," (though it was not the first time I had heard her) and decided to check out the offerings here. This is a collection of the kind of music and performances I love. She has a great range, a precise pitch, and a great style that is at the same time true to the music and to herself. In an era when singers try to outdo each other re-interpreting the composer's original work, not usually with great success, she is a blessing!

Kristen Chenowith.......2007-02-26

I bought this CD for the Girl in 14G. Yes, it's that good...

Has its moments.......2007-02-19

After watching Candide endlessly and going to see Ms. Chenoweth in The Apple Tree, I was hungry for something more portable to listen to. At times this fits the bill, but what surprised me the most is how thin her voice comes across on this recording. Perhaps it was the joy of seeing her live that has ruined this listener; perhaps I need to upgrade my aging music system. Then again, maybe the recording is just not as good as Ms. C singing Bernstein or as good as staring at Ms. C command a Broadway stage.

Great CD!.......2007-01-19

I truly enjoy listening to this CD. Kristin Chenoweth's vocal style and abilities are very well-matched to the songs selected for this album. If you enjoy classic, older-style Broadway/popular tunes, I would highly recommend this CD. Ms. Chenoweth has a bright, expressive voice and does a fantastic job with this material.

As with any full-length CD, there are a couple of songs I am not as crazy about, but that has to do with the songs themselves, not Ms. Chenoweth's vocal performance. Overall, I love this album and have listened to it several times now, since receiving it as a Christmas gift last month.

This woman has what it takes, and then some..........2007-01-12

Kristin Chenoweth brings new life to some timeless Broadways tunes while introducing a few wonderful new ones. This high pitched vocal goddess effortlessly provides for a nearly flawless and easy listening experience. I definitly recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys jazz vocals, showtunes, or just a new spin on some old classics.

Average customer rating:

fun but flawed
Simply Perfect
Great Album!
Wonderful, if only for the instrumentals
Wonderful Soundtrack

The Lion King: Special Edition

Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
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The Little Mermaid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
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ASIN: B0000CABJ2
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Tracks:

Circle Of Life - Carmen Twillie
I Just Can't Wait To Be King - Rowan Atkinson
Be Prepared - Cheech Marin
Hakuna Matata - Ernie Sabella
Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Ernie Sabella
The Morning Report - Jef Bennett
This Land - Hans Zimmer
To Die For - Hans Zimmer
Under The Stars (Instrumental) - Hans Zimmer
King Of Pride Rock - Hans Zimmer
Circle Of Life - Elton John
I Just Can't Wait To Be King - Elton John
Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Elton John
Can You Feel The Love Tonight (Remix) - Elton John

Amazon.com

Elton John doesn't seem like a natural choice to write for a Disney musical, but he rose to the task on The Lion King, transcending his usual penchant for the softest of soft rock. Sir Elton's collaboration with Tim Rice (former writing partner of Andrew Lloyd Webber) helps connect the soundtrack to the theatrical lineage of all Disney musicals--so much so that, like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King was eventually adapted for Broadway. Undistinguished songs like "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" are far outnumbered by stirring, stately tunes that lent the film so much of its sense of pageant and play. --John Sanchez

Customer Reviews:

fun but flawed.......2007-05-07

in 1994, the lion king came out and broke records. the film itself took in an astounding 312 million dollars in the us. that makes it the highest grossing hand-drawn animated feature EVER (an accomplishment that will never be toppled since niether disney nor dreamworks is producing hand drawn features any more). that year at the oscars it also won two awards for the musical score and best original song (three of its songs were nominated0. so how does the music really stand up compared to other disney features.

first off there's hans zimmer's score. his score is both powerful and moving. it brilliantly incorperates elements of local african music (provided and arranged by lebo m) these elements give it a great feeling of belonging not only to the film but to it's setting. without these tribal elements the score would have been far less compeling. one small problem is when the score abandons these elementsl; they're not carried through in all of the music. but its not enough to be a real distraction. the power of the score allows the listener to feel the wildabeast charging or smell the rain falling during the monsoon or experience the brilliance of the circle of life.

SCORE 5 out of 5

the songs had music by elton john and lyrics by tim rice. the following is a song-by-song breakdown.

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE - this is a great opening number with powerful vocals provided by carmen twillie and impressive african-inspired vocals in the beggining by lebo m. with the actual film, this is not only a moving but inspiring piece of cinema. even without, this is a great song that still gives me goose-bumps. this definately warranted its oscar nomination
5 out of 5

I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO BE KING - this is a really fun song by simba and nala along with zazu. its infectious beat and lyrics definately leave u humming. this may not be the most memorable song, but it definately captures the youth and innocence of simba at this point
5 out of 5

BE PREPARED - this is scar's big number so to speak. it features the hyenas in a very dark yet memorable song. the rhaspy vocals and wonderful musical arrangements make this a great piece that is both eery and impressive.
5 out of 5

HAKUNA MATATA - this is the second oscar nominated song, and although its fun buddy type number, it does get old and doesnt really age as well as the rest. this is honostly one of the weakest songs, believe it or not, its good but just cant really hold up to the other stronger pieces.
4 out of 5

CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT - here it is, 1994's oscar winner for best original song. honostly i feel that the circle of life deserved that award, but here's the song that got it. the film's version is very romantic, especially for featuring a couple of lions, timon and pumba's parts are funny, but it is simba and nala's portion that takes it home. btw elton john's version at the end is a definate winner.
5 out of 5

SONGS OVERALL - 5 out of 5

so if the score gets 5 and the songs get 5, why does the album only get 4? the answer's pretty simple. for the first time since 1989 with the little mermaid, two composers helped on this film. one provided the film's score and one provided the music for the songs. because two composers worked on this, it feels a little incohesive at times. this isn't really noticible within the film but on the soundtrack it definately stands out. elton john and hans zimmer both did a great job and the only really saving factor are the african rhythms that they both used. although this is a great soundtrack, that lack of unity does bring it down.

despite that minor flaw, this is a must-own for any disney fan or music fan in general. this is a great soundtrack that ranks right up there with beauty and the beast and must never be forgotten.

Simply Perfect.......2007-04-09

This is hands down one of the best Disney soundtracks ever! Elton John came up with some killer tunes here! The opening song always give me goosebumps!

Great Album!.......2007-03-31

This album is great, but I can't seem to find the part where simba and scar fight at the end. i was thinking it would be on "King of Pride Rock" but its not... so i'm a little disapointed in that. (thats one of my favorite scenes for some reason) other than that, i love the songs.

Wonderful, if only for the instrumentals.......2007-02-14

The songs with lyrics are cute and memorable, but the strength of this album is in the last four songs. Listen to "This Land" and it instantly transports you back to the scene with Simba and Mufasa laying under the stars, and then to the scene where Simba sees Mufasa in the clouds. Listen to "...To Die For" and you feel an intense claustrophobia as you relive Mufasa's last moments and Simba's discovery of his father. Listen to Under The Stars and you can practically hear Simba screaming, "You said you'd always be there for me!" And when King Of Pride Rock comes along, you can feel your heart swell as you see Simba take his place on Pride Rock. The instrumentals are incredible works of art that never fail to draw intense emotion.

Wonderful Soundtrack.......2006-11-16

I'm writing this review not of the release of this Special Edition, but of the music contained within. Disney's release and re-release of products is nothing new. It's one of the reasons that Disney is so strong in the market today. With that said, I have to admit that this is one of the best Disney soundtracks that has ever been cut to a disc. I never owned the original release of this music, so I'm glad that Disney did decide to re-release the original work with a few extras as part of the "The Lion King: Special Edition" release. Everything on here is wonderful, and the score itself was key to the development of the story. Selections such as "King Of Pride Rock" and "To Die For" encompass the emotional ups and downs of this film. Elton John's music is also wonderful on this disc. His most notable offerings are "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and "Circle of Life." His only downfall is "I Just Can't Wait To Be King," which should have been left to the youngster who performed Simba's singing voice. It comes acrossed as forced by Elton John as he performs it.

The "extras" for this Special Edition include a mild and unnecessary remix of "Can You Feel The Love Tonight" and "The Morning Report," which is included on the Special Edition DVD release. Neither add to the collection, but it is nice to have "The Morning Report" on the disc.

Overall, this is one of Disney's strongest soundtracks. In my personal list, I rank it in second place behind Phil Collins' wonderfully tribal "Tarzan" soundtrack. If you don't already have the "Lion King" soundtrack, I highly suggest that you purchase this special edition copy if you are a true fan of the film or of Disney soundtracks in general.

Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

IF YOU LIKE TO LANGUISH IN PAIN, BUY THIS!!
Just Be by DJ Tiësto
"Just Be"? "Just Be Quiet" more like.
Just Be from DJ Tiesto
BEST OF THE BEST!!!

Just Be
DJ Tiësto
Manufacturer: Nettwerk Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00022XO9U
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

Forever Today
Love Comes Again (featuring BT)
Traffic
Sweet Misery
Nyana
UR
Walking on Clouds
A Tear In The Open
Just Be
Adagio For Strings

Amazon.com

Tiesto, one of the world's most popular DJs, tries to broaden the playing field with his second artist record Just Be. Mostly self-written (except for the BT collaboration "Love Comes Again" and a remix of Samuel Barber's "Adagio For Strings"), his disc goes for transcendence right from the start with an earnest, uplifting string arrangement on "Forever Today." He keeps reaching, alternating dense-but-danceable new material with a few recent remixes ("Nyana" and "Traffic"), and vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw provides a blissful vocal on the soaring "Walking On Clouds." Yet dance floor Nirvana stays well out of range. By focusing so heavily on trying to evolve, Tiesto neglects his bread and butter: the build. Live, crowds froth at the mouth for his next beat to drop, and while that hot energy is not necessarily the goal here (check 2003's mix record Nyana for that), a better flow would help this record considerably. Though offering ready-to-remix parts, the whole of Just Be is too impatient to sound deep and forgets to let the peaks come naturally. --Matthew Cooke

Customer Reviews:

IF YOU LIKE TO LANGUISH IN PAIN, BUY THIS!!.......2007-06-14

Tiesto, the idiot, the fool, the one who poisons the name of trance gives us yet another reason to hate him, He is just awful, it is beyond sad how horrifying it is to listen to the trash he promotes, please, tiesto, go away and leave us alone

Just Be by DJ Tiësto.......2007-01-11

EXCELLENT...took a while to receive, but definitely worth the wait!

"Just Be"? "Just Be Quiet" more like........2006-10-09

Another torrent of mild tripe from everyone's "favourite" DJ, Tiesto.
What on earth is he going to do when the supply of inane, pastel-coloured eurovomit dance music runs out?
When I think about the number of times I've heard him touted as "World's Number One Best Voted DJ" or "DJ Mag Top 100 Finalist", you'd start to think that the man can actually mix records, when in fact rather than mix them, he tends to grind them together roughly into a nightmarish aural paste then reconfigure them violently in new, unusual and horrendously nauseating forms. I can absolutely confirm this. I have had the startling and displeasing experience of witnessing it live.
The sad truth of the matter is, that there are any number of drug-addicted fluoro-pants-wearing 16 year old ravers out there, and all are quite willing to buy boring rubbish like this. Or at least all are prepared to ask their mum and dad to buy it for them for xmas.
I sign off in disgust.

Just Be from DJ Tiesto.......2006-08-22

The CD has a great mix of beats and is a great purchase.

BEST OF THE BEST!!!.......2006-07-17

Wow!!! always been a big fan of Tiesto... I liked his previous album In My Memory... This Just Be Album kicks some serious @ss!!

Top 5

Love Comes Again 5/5 (I can hear this over and over again!!!)
Traffic 5/5 (Just Fantastic!!!)
Just Be 5/5 (Awesome lyrics!!!)
Forever Today 5/5 (I illegally used this music for my movie)
UR 5/5 (That Rob Dougan kind of feels to it, Lovely)

Adagio For Strings (heard it many times so... but for those first timers... very good!!!)

I can't wait for his next move... I prefer his composing skills than mixing skills...

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! If you can, try to get the Asian import 2 disc set CD, I got it for $25 and it's darn good!!!!!!

Average customer rating:

An underrated musical
Wonderful Lesser Known Gem
Keep Working!!!
a good, if obscure CD
off the beaten path

Working (Original 1978 Broadway Cast)

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Studs Terkel's Working (Broadway Theatre Archive)
The Baker's Wife (Members of the 1976 Original Cast)
Working: Vocal Selections
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005 Original Broadway Cast)
The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)

ASIN: B00005LZSR
Release Date: 2001-07-10

Tracks:

All The Livelong Day (Schwartz)
Lovin' Al (Grant)
The Mason (Carnelia)
Neat to Be a Newsboy (Schwarz)
Nobody Tells Me How (Rodgers-Birkenhead)
Un mejor Dia Vendra (Taylor-Daniele-Landers)
Just A Housewife (Carnelia)
Millwork (Taylor)
If I Could've Been (Grant)
Joe (Carnelia)
It's an Art (Schwartz)
Brother Trucker (Taylor)
Fathers & Sons (Schwartz)
Cleanin' Women (Grant)
Something to Point To (Carnelia)
I'm Just Movin' (Schwartz) (from the L.A. Theatre Works complete recording of the 1999 revised version)
Hots Michael at the Piano (Carnelia) (previously unreleased demo recording performed by the composer)
The Mason (Carnelia) (previously unreleased demo recording performed by the composer)
Joe (Carnelia) (previously unreleased demo recording performed by the composer)
Lovin' Al (Grant) (previously unreleased demo recording performed by the composer)
Fathers & Sons (Schwartz) (performed by the composer)

Amazon.com

The original 1978 Broadway cast recording of Stephen Schwartz's Working has long been awaited on CD, and this great-sounding 2001 release proves it was worth the wait. Surely one of the more unlikely sources for a musical was Studs Terkel's 1972 book that compiled interviews of American working people discussing their jobs and what they liked and disliked about them. Schwartz transformed these interviews into a series of songs written by himself, Craig Carnelia, Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead, Micki Grant, and pop singer James Taylor, and accordingly the variety of songs is as great as the variety of the workers featured. There's the lyric beauty of "The Mason," the rueful "Just a Housewife," the retiree's wry "Joe," the waitress's lilting "It's an Art," Taylor's pop-country "Brother Trucker," and the powerful emotion of "Fathers and Sons," realized by a compelling cast that features David Patrick Kelly, Joe Mantegna, Bob Gunton, and Lynne Thigpen, among others.

Six bonus tracks include a new version of the grocery checker song written for the 1999 L.A. Theatreworks production, Carnelia and Grant performing their own songs (unfortunately, Grant's track comes from a poor-quality audio source), and Schwartz's moving performance of "Fathers and Sons" from 1999's The Stephen Schwartz Album. Also welcome are 2001 notes from Schwartz paired with 1978 notes from Terkel, and a detailed listing of the composers and performers of each song. Working was filmed for American Playhouse in 1982. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

An underrated musical.......2006-03-16

This musical seems to be very underrated, because it isn't done in a traditional style. There is no set storyline or characters. It is essentially a grouping of songs about different people and the work they do in their lives. Some of the songs are very powerful, like "Millworker", and some are just fun, like "Lovin' Al". Some songs date the recording, as songs like "Brother Trucker", while good, have a bit of a synthesized 70's feel. The majority of the songs are more traditional.

I saw this show done by my high school years ago, so maybe it holds a bit of nostalgia for me, but it is definitely worth checking out.

Wonderful Lesser Known Gem.......2005-12-26

I have never seen Working, but would love to, and I would love to perform it so as to revive interest in it. I found out about this recording from an online site, and I fell in love with it. It's a very modern style musical although from 1978. Were it on Broadway today, it would still be revelent to today's working class. My favorite number probably has to be "It's An Art", just because of its sheer fun. I could listen to that song all day and never get bored with it. I do, however, find "Brother Trucker" to be a bit tiring, and "Neat To Be A Newsboy" is just plain old, outdated, and ANNOYING! Other than that, wonderful ablum for an almost forgetten show.

Keep Working!!!.......2004-06-12

I had the privilege of seeing a production of this wonderful musical at L.A. Valley College in May 2004. I quickly fell in love with the songs and the entire premise of the musical. Now, with this CD, I can finally sing along to all the brilliant songs over and over again, belting them out like there is no tomorrow.

What makes Working so special is that anyone can relate to the lyrics, they are powerful, beautiful, touching, and extremely real. Anyone who has ever worked a day in their life will feel the lyrics hit close to home. Whether you're a housewife, a valet parker, a fireman, a millworker, a teacher, a cleaning woman, or even a hooker, this musical has a place for you, no matter what job you do.The emotion, sincerity, and love expressed in the songs are amazing, and they are all extremely unique and a pure joy to listen to.

All the songs are fantastic but the stand-outs have to be "All the Live Long Day," "Just a Housewife," "If I Could've Been," "It's An Art," "Father's and Sons," "Cleaning Women," and "Something to Point to." I also have a soft spot for "Brother Trucker" and "I'm Just Movin" from the 1999 revival, which I am so grateful is included in this CD. This is a terrific, feel-great album everyone should listen to. Give Working a chance, it's worth it.

a good, if obscure CD.......2003-09-26

i admit that this is an obscure musical, but nevertheless i found myself in a production of WORKING as Grace, the millworker. upon listening to the cd, i found that each song characterized the character well. the newsboy song is NOT annoying and my favourite songs are "its an art", "cleaning women", "if i could've been" and "lovin al". I would only recommend this CD for a real musical theatre afficionado, as those who don't appreciate the beauty of a musical won't understand these songs.

off the beaten path.......2003-07-10

I had never heard of this show until I stage managed a musical revue that included "If I Could've Been." That song grew on me, and I finally had to check out the rest of the soundtrack. All of the music on this CD is fantastic, and the lyrics feel sincere, creating beautiful moments for each character. Stephen Schwartz's best decision with this show was collaborating, allowing different composers to bring their own talents and specialties to the music, thus making it more real and less "Broadway." My only criticism is that the liner notes are slim.

Average customer rating:

A Beautiful, Relaxing Project
It just cannot be the end for Charlotte's classical career! :(
Charlotte Church
Somewhat decent but still mediocre
R&B For Charlotte

Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church
Charlotte Church
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Enchantment
Voice of an Angel
Charlotte Church
Tissues and Issues
Dream a Dream

ASIN: B00006LFGG
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Tracks:

Pie Jesu from Requiem
My Lagan Love
In Trutina (from Carmina Burana)
Panis Angelicus
Amazing Grace
Just Wave Hello
La Pastorella (The Little Shepherdess)
She Moved Through The Fair
Ave Maria
Dream A Dream (w/ Billy Gilman)
The Flower Duet
Haba
The Prayer (w/ Josh Groban)
All Love Can Be
It's The Heart That Matters Most
Tantum Ergo
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Sancta Maria

Amazon.com

Need more evidence of the record industry's obsession with youth? Consider that budding Welsh diva Charlotte Church was a ripe, old 16 when this, her first greatest-hits anthology was released. Spanning her first four releases, as well as some outside collaborations and unreleased material, this 18-track collection underscores the soprano's seemingly boundless potential--as well as some potential career obstacles ahead. Her crystalline, still-maturing voice is best showcased on classically oriented works like Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Pie Jesu," Franck's "Panis Angelicus," and her now-ubiquitous rendering of Delibes' "Flower Duet." She also excels on folk traditionals such as "She Moved Through the Fair" and "My Langan Love." But overwrought productions like the already-dated "Dream a Dream" and "Habanera," a faux-flamenco take on Bizet, nearly get the best of her. Still, her promising duet with fellow young phenom Josh Groban on "The Prayer" and her mature, dreamy reading of A Beautiful Mind's "All Love Can Be," as well as strong performances on the previously unreleased "It's the Heart That Matters Most" and "Bridge over Troubled Waters," are ample evidence of her potential for rewarding pop crossover--if she doesn't retire by 21. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

A Beautiful, Relaxing Project.......2007-06-15

My only other experience with Charlotte Church was seeing part of a PBS special on her, where she sang songs like "Some Enchanted Evening". I actually enjoy her voice on this style of music.

I love her rendition of "Amazing Grace". She also did good on covering "Bridge Over Troubled Water", though I was disappointed she didn't try the high note on the verses as Garfunkel did. My favorite on the project was "It's the Heart That Matters Most".

If I want some beautiful sounding music to relax to while I'm working, this would be a very good project for that.

It just cannot be the end for Charlotte's classical career! :(.......2006-08-20

I'm just shocked that Charlotte has decided to end her classical career with this mediocre assortment of her most loved pieces from her other albums! I wish that she had re-sung all of the pieces to make them sound better than ever with her mature voice! To me, it seems disgusting that anyone would want to end their career with a last album that sounds the way this album does!

Her beginning pieces (Pie Jesu, My Lagan Love, In Trutina, Panis Angelicus, and Amazing Grace) were sung at the beginning of her classical career, and you can hear her flat vowels and shaky low notes. You can also hear it in "She Moved Thru the Fair". It's really annoying!

La Pastorella is a beautiful song to sing, and Church masters it beautifully! Just Wave Hello - the Ford Anthem, is also a beautiful piece, with amazing work from the orchestra.

Ave Maria is a complete annoyance! Church lays on the high notes too much, putting too much emphasis on them, and it's an annoyance! Her vowels are also flat on the high notes - I just hate it!

Dream a Dream is a very nice piece, leaning more towards the pop scene. Church still seems to make it work, and I would listen to it all day!

The Flower Duet is a beautiful song, but Church's vocals are strained, which makes it hard to listen to with a smile on your face! It's still beautiful!

The Prayer (w/ Josh Groban) is a very nice piece, originally sung by Celine Dion. She's still a little bit flat here!

All That Love can Be is sung beautifully, completely smooth and connected. The vocals are flawless and have a mezmerizing effect.

It's the Heart that Knows is a pop piece that Church sings with strong vocals. It's just showing us that she's ending her career as a classical superstar!

Tantum Ergo, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and Sancta Maria, are all beautiful pieces!

I am a Charlotte Chruch fan, no doubt, but I really didn't like this album! I still wish that she would stay with opera, but I guess dreams don't come true! I wouldn't advise you to buy this CD - but as long as you have Voice of an Angel, Charlotte Church (the Self Titled Album) and Enchantment, there's no need for this CD!

Sorry Charlotte!

Charlotte Church.......2006-07-29

Love that voice!! This is a great CD and any one who had not heard this young lady sing should buy it and prepare for some musical enjoyment.

Somewhat decent but still mediocre.......2006-06-07

I am well aware of Charlotte's age. However, I am also aware of her amazing vocals and powerful range. But these things don't make you a good singer. Charlotte chose to stick to opera in most of her songs. And face it, not just anyone can do opera.

Charlotte's voice is very well trained - maybe too trained. From a very young age she's been hitting the same notes as Sarah Brightman. But I feel that Charlotte's over-worked and not to mention overdone voice has been declining tremendously.

But I guess none of this really matters now because I haven't heard her do anything classical for a while. If you want to listen to Charlotte now, go find the song 'Crazy Chick.'

If you want to listen to other angel voiced sopranos, I'd go with Sarah Brightman or Renee' Fleming.

R&B For Charlotte .......2006-05-07

If a bird can be annoying as in a Rooster Crowing in the morning, some people will like it. A dog can bark in the nights we sleep, some People will like it. A human voice so light, so vibrated within their own dimensions, people will like it, but not I. I never really saw the beauty of opera, agitating to the ears, just like a Rooster calling on it's hens. With that said, Charlotte needs to turn to Blues Rock or R&B. Yes, Boogie style Blues Rock, she has the voice for it. No matter how many here perceive Opera or know what should sound good, no opera singer could ever sing Blues without a voice and a heart for it. Not One! So why should a girl with soulful music embedded in her, do the same? I say, "it's time to really Rock Charlotte!"

Average customer rating:

5 STARS AND THEN SOME !!
Pretty Sad,
I FELL IN LOVE WITH JULIE ALL OVER AGAIN
A Great Julie Andrews CD
Climbing Every Mountain with Mary Poppins

Classic Julie Classic Broadway

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Broadway: The Music of Richard Rodgers
A Little Bit of Broadway
Julie Andrews Selects Her Favorite Disney Songs
Greatest Christmas Songs
The King and I (1992 Hollywood Studio Cast)

ASIN: B00005KBBR
Release Date: 2001-06-19

Tracks:

On A Clear Day
A Cock-Eyed Optimist
Hello, Young Lovers
Here I'll Stay
My Fair Lady Shuffle: Overture/Wouldn't It Be Loverly/Let A Woman/Just You Wait/Poor Professional...
Getting To Know You
Living In The Shadows
Bewitched
I Have Dreamed
My Funny Valentine
Camelot Suite: Camelot/The Simple Joys Of Maidenhood/How To Handle A Woman/If Ever I Would...
Crazy World
If I Loved You
Edelweiss
The Sound Of Music

Customer Reviews:

5 STARS AND THEN SOME !!.......2006-02-10

Oh Julie, the songs you sang on this CD are superb. I wish you could still give us that joy. If you can only sing in the low registers, give us jazz!! You can do it I just know you can!!

Pretty Sad, .......2005-10-27

Hollywood veteran Julie Andrews has had a glorious career, but not without its downsides. Her legend is built on "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" and other glorious roles. Her abilities as a singer were never impressive or great, her voice often sounded weak, but she always knew how to sing around her very limited vocal range. On this collection she performs some of the greatest Broadway tunes ever written and even though she does a good job, her voice just doesn't hold up against many of these tunes. Her warmth is felt all over the album, in "Here I'll Stay" she wraps her gentle, but narrow, voice around it and in "My Funny Valentine" she sticks to the lower register of her voice. However, in the re-recording of her classic "Sound of Music" and in "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" her voice fails her, it often sounds thin and airy and it's actually quite sad to listen to. When all is said and done Julie Andrews remains a great talent, and most of that talent is largely due to her amazing capability as a performer and her genuine warmth.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH JULIE ALL OVER AGAIN.......2005-06-25

As a young kid growing up in the Philippines I remember my Dad playing his state-of-the-art Aiwa tape recorder back in the 60s and hearing Julie Andrews' voice - truly the voice of an angel! Now, hearing these songs again with adult ears I fell in love with her voice all over again !

A Great Julie Andrews CD.......2002-01-27

If you are a fan of Dame Julie's and musicals, this is the cd for you. It is a compilation of songs from prevously released albums; The King and I, The Music of Richard Rodgers, Here I'll Stay, and Victor/Victoria, Original Broadway Cast Recording.
I found the material to be very well put together giving the listener selections from My Fair Lady, Camelot, The Sound of Music, Victor/Victoria and others. What more could you want?
As for Ms. Andrews, she is superb. There is simply no one like her. I have heard comments that prior to the infamous throat surgery she was unable to handle the difficult material and hit those high notes. This is just not true. All you have to do is listen to these songs recorded in the early 90's to know that she still had a marvelous voice. Lets hope that one day she will be able to sing and record again. If not, these may be her last recordings so treasure them.

The My Fair Lady suite is wonderful and Ms. Andrews definitely hit the high note at the end of "I Could Have Danced All Night".
Her version of "Edelweiss" and "The Sound of Music" are lovely.
Also worth listening to is "Living in the Shadows" written for the Broadway production of Victor/Victoria so you won't find it on the movie soundtrack. The lyrics are by Leslie Bricusse who also penned "Crazy World", which is another great selection on this cd.

Overall this is a cd worth having in your collection, so buy it today. Otherwise you are missing out.

Climbing Every Mountain with Mary Poppins.......2002-01-22

Julie Andrews and her music have been an inspiration to me
every since I stepped into a theater and watched Mary Poppins
(many years ago). I admire her talent and her voice on this CD. I know it is not as clear a voice as she used to have but I still enjoy listening to her. I listen to this CD when I want a "pick me up" and am proud to have it as part of my collection.

Average customer rating:

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

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

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Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4
The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
What to Listen for in Music
Study of Orchestration, Third Edition
The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin

ASIN: B00006O0NT
Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Let There Be Morning
Average customer rating:

Hypnotic

The best cd I've heard in a long time!!

Am I weird?

stunner

Best new music around

Let There Be Morning
The Perishers
Manufacturer: Nettwerk Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

From Nothing to One

Burning in the Sun

Loneliness Knows My Name

Out of Nothing

Hopes and Fears

ASIN: B0007X9UBK
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Tracks:

Weekends
Sway
A Reminder
My Heart
Nothing Like You and I
Trouble Sleeping
Still Here
Going Out
Pills
Let There Be Morning

Amazon.com

What's this? A Swedish band that doesn't sound like it was born in a garage? In 2005, the only thing more rare would be a CD copy of Neil Young's Time Fades Away -- one that would certainly find a place in the hearts of the Perishers, not so much for its volume but its profound sense of darkness. On their debut album, the young Scandinavian band sounds like a cross between Keane and Athlete, offering somber songs punctuated with tumbling pianos, melodramatic lyrics and an unmistakable earnestness that only comes from either being a member of Coldplay or living somewhere that doesn't get enough sunshine. "I've always been dreamer," sings Ola Kluft, "I've had my head among the clouds." --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

Slow down. And get lost in the world of The Perishers. The Swedish band's American debut, "Let There Be Morning," is a blend of emotional wandering, poetic insight and stark, yet inspirational surroundings. Their new album is due out in April 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Hypnotic.......2006-08-21

The Perishers are amazing!! "Let There Be Morning" is a dreamy and beautiful album. Highly recommended!!

The best cd I've heard in a long time!!.......2006-04-23

I don't usually write a review, but when I bought this cd and listened to it for the first time, I absolutely fell in love!! There isn't one song that I don't like. The Perishers have a great way of combining smooth sound and wonderful lyrics in a perfect combination. This cd is perfect for a long car ride, working at the office or just hanging out with friends. Every song flows nicely into the next one. Even the last song on the cd is an appropriate way to end the whole collection. Very rarely do you ever come across a cd that not only do you love more then just two songs on it, but you can listen to it over and over again and never get tired of them. I can't wait for their next cd to come out. Once you buy this cd and listen to you, you will instintly become a Perisher fan for life!!

Am I weird?.......2006-04-21

I guess I'm the only one who knows of the Perishers through Sims 2. They're on the "College Rock" soundtrack. I kept listening to "Sway" in Simlish and wondering what the actual words were - eventually I had to look them up! I'm so pleased - I love off-beat bands. I recommend the Perishers (and other Sims 2 musics) to anyone.

stunner.......2005-10-31

Goodnes gravy I love this cd. Sweet melodic music the singer has a gorgeous voice. Every song is perfect.

Best new music around.......2005-08-31

I was trying to think of what I can say about this most excellent cd. At first, I thought "if you like music like that sung by Dido, Anna Nalick, Everything But The Girl Blue Nile, Simon and Garfunkel, or Peter, Paul and Mary, then you have to buy this cd". Rest assured this music collection is not for lovers of hard rock, hip-hop or the like. But if you are into mellow music that sounds great, you owe it to yourself to purchase this cd. I think this cd is one of the best I have ever purchased. Give it a try and I assure you, you won't be disapointed.

Land of My Fathers: 100 Great Welsh Choir Favourites

Average customer rating:

Land of My Fathers: 100 Great Welsh Choir Favourites

Manufacturer: Castle Pulse
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

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

ASIN: B0009SOFXG
Release Date: 2005-08-01

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

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

Album Details

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

Average customer rating:

First voyage of the Lonely Astronauts
Misunderstood Masterpiece
Disappointing

Let's Just Be
Joseph Arthur
Manufacturer: Lonely Astronaut
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

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Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Nuclear Daydream
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Sky Blue Sky
Our Shadows Will Remain

ASIN: B000O590AC
Release Date: 2007-04-17

Tracks:

Diamond Ring
Good Life
Precious One
Spacemen
Take Me Home
Chicago
Cockteeze
Lonely Astronaut
Cocaine Feet
Let's Just Be
Shake It Off
Lack A Vision
Gimme Some Company
I Will Carry You
Yer The Reason
Star Song

Amazon.com

It's hard to resist the urge to rock out once in awhile. Let's Just Be is proof that even the most smooth-voiced and pop-minded singer-songsters must get their ya-yas out now and again. On some songs, Arthur conjures the early '70s spirit of Mick Jagger while on others he seems to be shooting for Marc Bolan. His most ragged-sounding and strictly rock and roll album to date, the record has a very loosely hewn feel which reaches an apex during the 20 minute (plus) "Lonely Astronaut." That song starts out as a pleasant enough country warble then mutates into a sloppy rave-up before dissolving into a bizarre mantra of the word "I" chanted atop an acoustic guitar and what sounds like a cement mixer, before slipping back into the warble bit. This disc is charming in its own way, and clearly was a blast for all involved--but a tad more editing might have been nice. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews:

First voyage of the Lonely Astronauts.......2007-05-19

I got to see some of this album performed live in Cincinnati, and it was fantastic,infectious music. At the show I bought a copy and still cannot stop listening to it. Yes, it is different from Joseph Arthur's earlier offerings, not as dark, much more optimistic. The first album released by Arthur's own label, Lonely Astronaut Records, it is a sample of what happens when someone as talented and original as JA hooks up with a band like the Lonely Astronauts. Watching this music live I could not help but notice how this band works together and has a great time doing it, and it comes across on Let's Just Be.

Standout rock songs- Diamond Ring, Spacemen, Cocaine Feet

Take Me Home has the feel of a sublime night out on the town ending as the sun rises, sound like the revolution of the car tires as the night ends

Precious One- love song, JA and LA style- original

Gimme Some Company- Jennifer Turner shines here- great song

I Will Carry You- Kraig Jarrett Johnson, formerly of the Jayhawks, with JA- these guys sound great together- write great songs together!

Yer the Reason- fun, jangly beat with raw lyrics.

I am scheming to try to fit another one of their concerts into my schedule before this tour ends. Do yourself a favor- if you are skeptical about JA's new sound go to his website and watch some of the videos of these songs performed on various shows- or better yet stop brooding in your bedrooms and go out and see this band before the tour ends. You will not be sorry!

Misunderstood Masterpiece.......2007-05-17

This album isn't for everyone but it's an extremely rewarding listen for those who "get it." There's meaning behind the madness and Arthur makes quite a statement. He stepped out of line and dared to challenge the norm and so far he's mostly been unjustly critisized. It'll probably get its due in about twenty years. This album is a masterpiece.

Disappointing.......2007-04-20

Let me start by saying: I'm a big Joseph Arthur fan. For anyone who is interested in his music- I deplore you- go buy Come to Where I'm From or Our Shadows Will Remain. Those albums are a much better representation of what Joseph Arthur is capable of as a musician- and must haves for any fan.

Now, on to Let's Just Be.

Let's Just Be is Joseph's follow up to last years lukewarm Nuclear Daydream, and his first release on his Lonely Astronaut label. Similar to John Lennon's / Yoko Ono's Wedding Album, Unfinished Music etc. - Let's Just Be seems like an expression of all the crap that the labels wouldn't release on one of his previous releases. Overall, the album has a very Rock N Roll production. Any fans expecting anything similar to his previous releases might as well give in to disappointment immediately.

The opening track, "Diamond Ring" might as well be a discarded AC/DC track. Overly raucous and messy.
Track two, "Good Life" begins with a 60 sec sound collage intro. This track is a little more bearable, with a decent verse / chorus - but ends awkwardly with Joseph piercingly screaming "Rock N ROLL!" into the microphone. Already, less than five minutes into the album- I could tell this was a album was packed with nothing more than dissatisfaction. And it gets worse before getting better.

"Spacemen" begins ok, but the ridiculous chorus "Here Come the Spacemen, Outta the Sky!" ruined the track for me.

"Take Me Home" is definitely a little taste of the Joseph Arthur I know. A stripped down, simple track- it fails to reach the beauty / complexity of his best works, but is still a simple little track with a nice sound.

"Chicago" is an alternative track with lots of overdubbed vocals / echoes. It emotes similarly to his work on Redemption Son.

"Cockteeze" is another Rock N Roll track. It has a charm about it- but it's too silly to take seriously. Joseph's voice cracks through the whole track as he reaches too high out of his range. Again- I hear an AC/DC influence here...

I had high hopes for "Lonely Astronaut". It begins as a slow, acoustic, country flavored tune with more "Take Me Home" style lyrics. At around the 8 minute mark, the beat deconstructs - the music becomes noise- and Joseph repeats the word "I" into the microphone every three seconds for the next SEVEN MINUTES. After about SEVEN minutes, he begins repeating the word "LOVE" into the mic instead. This continues for another few minutes before the acoustic guitars come back in for the reprise, ending the track at just over 20 minutes. I am all for avante garde experimentation, but let's either leave it to the artists, forewarn your audience, or wait until you come down off the cocaine before doing so.

And that brings us to, "Cocaine Feet". Another bluesy Rock track- personally, I don't feel it's Joseph's genre- and I would rather hear it from people who do it well. But all in all, it's a decent track that showcases Jennifer Turner's guitar skills. One of the more solid tracks off the album.

The title track, "Let's Just Be", is a clap-a-long with more shrieking Joseph. Nothing special about this one.

"Shake it Off" is one of the worst tracks I have heard in recent memory. Again, I'm all for experimentation. Substances have helped a lot of musicians, but rarely while they are in the studio. Please stop the recording process until you're sober enough to recognize your inability to perform.

"Lack of Vision", Jennifer Turner's "Gimmie Some Company", and "Yer the Reason" are the standout tracks on the album. They sound as if they were recorded live in the studio- and Joseph is definitely outperformed by his band mates. Turner's "Gimmie Some Company" is one of my favorites of this album.

The album closer "Star Song" begins with the band members imitating cat meows.
It's another slower tune, with a Middle Eastern flair to it. It's one of the few incidences on this album where the Lonely Astronauts experimentation actually sees fruition. Well done guys.

All in all, I feel as though Joseph Arthur has lost all artistic credibility. I wish he would have taken the time to either hone these songs, or forewarn his fans that this album was more experimental (i.e. Unfinished Music).
As I said to my fellow Joseph Arthur fans on the day of release, the only talent Joseph exhibits on Let's Just Be is how he can ruin a song in thirty seconds.

Again, if you are interested in Joseph Arthur's music, which I highly recommend, then buy Come to Where I'm From or Our Shadows Will Remain, you will not be disappointed. His (actual) music is truly underappreciated.

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