Poetic Champions Compose
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (14 July, 1998)
list price: $13.98 -- our price: $13.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

If his albums are any indication, Van Morrison seems to have bounced betweenreligions like a demented pinball. Amazingly, for a decade that saw the Belfast enigma explore Christianity and Scientology before returning, on Avalon Sunset, to Christianity, Poetic Champions Compose serves as a reminder that Van managed to even cram in an agnostic phase along the way. With this in mind, a desperately bleak version of the folk standard "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" lacerates the heartstrings. But the album shouldn't be assumed by any means to be a depressing affair. Three saxophone instrumentals, including the Miles Davis-influenced "Spanish Steps," lend a crisp Sunday morning feel to much of the proceedings, while "Queen of the Slipstream" and the live favorite "Did Ye Get Healed" suggest that, however bad the crisis of faith was (and the quite awesome preceding album No Guru, No Method, No Teacher suggests it was pretty bad), here is a man ultimately happy to find redemption in a love song.--Peter Paphides ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (35)

Adult jazz and pop music at it's finest !
When it comes to the music of Van Morrison and your a fan of his style, you almost can't go wrong. Alot of people just dont't dig Van's music and it's a shame. I think people don't like it because they are musically limited and frankly Van's style is just too darn urbane for alot of people. But enough of my preaching I don't agree with what alot of critics said about this 1987 release. They said that compared to "No Guru" from the previous year that this was a lackluster effort. Not neseccerily it just depends what style you like. This album has a smooth polished jazz and adult pop sound to it. Let us begin with "Spanish Steps" this saxophone instrumental is a quite dark and brooding opener for a Van album but it is relaxing like the other 2 instrumentals that follow."Next is The Mystery" that has a nice string arrangement it gives the song Van's special celtic touch. Following is Queen of the Slipstream, good song nice complex melody with nice harp and string arrangements. I forgot that love existed is a song that has a " radio friendly " sound to it the way the sax closes the song sounds cool I wish they would have played that part out longer. The only song I don't care for is "Motherless Child" it is just kind of brooding and too long. But Van really shows his talent on "Celtic Exscavation " a great sax instrumentatl" the ending is pretty moving you can even hear Van grunt at the end of it. I think "Someone like You" is my favorite song on the album (very emotional song) guys if this song doesn't turn a woman on I am not sure what music will. Allan Watts Blues is pretty cool it sounds like it also could have snagged some radio play. Give Me My Rapture is a simple but very enjoyable Gospel number that shows another side of the album. " Did Ye get healed " is really cool as well very enjoyable. The instrumental "Allow Me" closes the album and is very good. It either sounds like a slow dance song or a song you get drunk to like the " Leaving Las Vegas" soundtrack. It is so great I can like music even my parents enjoy and this album is an example of that. Definately worth taking a second look at!

SOME OF HIS BEST LATTER-DAY COMPOSITIONS AND PERFORMANCES
Van Morrison discs will always retain a professionalism of musicianship and at least one great song. Poetic Champions is one of the latter day Van's best albums because a) he isn't resorting to synthesizers and other "flavor-of-the-week" produciton values that have dated much of his '80s work that would otherwaise be timeless, b) lyrically and musically, he doesn't shy away from sentimentality, but there is a distinct lack of Van's trademark cynicism, and c) it's one of the few examples post-Into theMusic, that Van really does seem to get let the music lead him, rather than the other way around.

The album kicks off with the mellow-jazz lounge instrumental (!) "Spanish Steps". It's followed by one of the BEST all-time devotional songs "The Mystery". Other compositions of romance and renewed faith abound: "Queen of the Slipstream", "I Forgot That Love Existed", "Someone Like You". These songs are all excellent and are unabashed love songs, both joyous and joyful. The other great track here is the cover of the traditional "Motherless Children". Van does a wonderful, inspired reading of this song that has been covered from everyone from Blind Willie Johnson to Eric Clapton.

Of Van's post-1980 work, this and Avalon Sunset are absolute must-owns (Hymns to the Silence and The Healing Game are damn good too).

JAZZY, ATMOSPHERIC MUSIC
The instrumental Spanish Steps is the languid jazzy introduction to this album of understated songs. The album takes it name from a line in Queen Of The Slipstream, a gentle ballad with a haunting melody. I Forgot That Love Existed is another jazzy number with gorgeous instrumental flourishes, whilst Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child has more of a soul or R&B feel in its yearning vocals and has something of the same effect as Blind Faith's Can't Find My Way Home. Celtic Excavation is an ethereal and evocative instrumental with tinkling piano and a lovely lilting flow and Someone Like You is a slow and moving love song. My favourites include the bouncy Alan Watts Blues with its twanging guitar and the rhythmic uptempo Give Me My Rapture, a catchy inspirational song with great organ flourishes. The piece Did Ye Get Healed? has swirling female backing vocals and the album concludes with another jazzy instrumental titled Allow Me. The album is quite cohesive in creating a mood of contented contemplation with Morrison's characteristic spiritual undertone. It is probably not considered to be amongst his greatest work, but still a classic in my opinion. ... Read more

Asin: B000009DDN

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (26 May, 1998)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $7.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Multitalented Brazilian musician Jobim's talent was revealed to a larger world in 1959 by his and Luis Bonfa's score for the film Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus) in 1959. Songs such as "A Felicidade" and "Desafinado" generated the bossa nova movement of the early '60s that inspired the likes of Stan Getz, Charlie Byrd, and Miles Davis. This 1967 album features Jobim sharing vocals with Sinatra on "The Girl from Ipanema" and "How Insensitive." Three standards--"Change Partners" by Irving Berlin; "I Concentrate on You" by Cole Porter; and Robert Wright, George Forrest, and Alexander Borodin's "Baubles, Bangles, and Beads"--round out the program of seven Jobim tunes. This is a lovely taste of Latin melody and rhythm from two masters of relaxed swing. --Stanley Booth ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (79)

Not a personal favorite.
I give this album five stars because it is an acknowledged classic. It is also one of Sinatra's more artistic efforts from the late 1960s-- not a good period for him as far as vintage songs are concerned. Still, I'm afraid I don't like this album a whole lot. First of all, Sinatra's approach to the vocals -- he joked once it was like singing on his back-- hampers his usual long-breath technique and the singing-as-acting style of "No One Cares," for instance. Also, Gene Lees, who wrote English versions for many of Jobim's lyrics, is-- well, overrated. I find him clumsy in comparison to Cole Porter or Irving Berlin. Things fare pretty well when Jobim and Sinatra pair up on Berlin's "Change Partners," a song whose dancing subject fits well the sway of the Brazilian rhythms, but I always wish Billy May or Basie were backing up Frank instead. For we hear the big difference on Porter's "I Concentrate On You." The Axel Stordahl version from the 1940s is dramatically potent, and the version with Riddle on "Swingin' Session" also plays up, rather than plays down, the musical and dramatic possibilities of the song. I know many Frank fans are parting company with me here-- but the whole Sinatra-Jobim thing never did it for me. "Girl From Ipanema" is a good example how "camp" as done by Doris Day in the gloriously caressive "Latin For Lovers" is a big success-- but doesn't Sinatra seem a bit square here? "Dindi" is the best effort, with some haunting melodies and Sinatra sounding like a Miles Davis muted trumpet, and the also haunting "Once I Loved," but these are included in the "Reprise Collection" (probably because they are best). "How Insensitive" may be a million times more artistically sound than a Rod McKuen song on "A Man Alone"-- but why do I feel that the personality Sinatra projects so strongly onto it is not quite his own? No-- this is all a bit tired to my ears, with the Sinatra of "Skin" and "Angel Eyes" sounding purposely weakened for effect, with a certain 1960s-artsy-beads-and-guitar thing that I feel isn't Sinatra's ballgame. I give him credit though-- he pulls it off with total believability, one reason so many others have fallen for this classic.

One of Popular Music's Great Recordings
Superlative recordings happen not purely by design, and not purely by inspiration or chance, but by a rare combination of all these factors. Of course, it helps to have incomparable talent in the mix. When all this is in place, you just might, once in a while, get results that rise to the level of this record.

Sinatra the crooner met perhaps his greatest challenge in the making of this album. As the liner notes to the original vinyl recording point out, this session was like a competition to see who could play/sing the softest. The challenge was rendered manageable by two factors.

Firstly, we are talking about the songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim, surely the greatest writer of Brazilian popular music. His songs are so beautiful, so intimate, that the voice just naturally tends towards mellowness. The themes are timeless and the lyrics, even in English, sensual and imbued with the unique mixture of joy and sadness that only Brazilian music fully expresses. That is why we love it, and nobody writes it like "Tom" Jobim.

Secondly, we have the rich, moving arrangements of the great Claus Ogerman. Not exactly a household word, Ogerman has penned the most memorable arrangements for Brazilian music since the early 60's, including the quintessential Jobim recordings of that decade. When it comes to this kind of sound, nobody else even comes close. Ogerman knows these songs so well he could arrange for them in a coma. Fortunately, he was fully lucid for this session, and the results are, simply, magnificent.

So, we have the best singer ever, singing the best Brazilian songs ever written, accompanied on guitar by the author himself, with a full orchestra conducted by the best arranger ever to inhabit the genre. The recording quality is superb as well. Even the liner notes, reproduced for the CD release, are nicely written with moments of real humor. What more could one ask for?

I have three copies, in case I lose two. If I had to spend the rest of my life on a desert isle with only one record, this would be it. I never tire of it, it never lets me down, and it will, I believe, stand as one of the great recordings of the century. If you don't own at least two copies, you're taking an unnecessary risk. Listen to this record and you will forever associate it with beauty and romance.

Back to the roots of it all.....
This record was one of my favorites as a little kid and is still a vivid component of my memories of childhood and a cd I now consider the essential roots of my taste in music. I still remember listening and swaying with the delicious rhythums of this magnificent music. I grew up thinking this was average music. Grown up I know it is spectacular music. Orchestrations arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman and sweet, soft and gentle vocals by Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

This is as good as it will ever get for me. ... Read more

Asin: B000006OBR

Filigree & Shadow
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (07 July, 1998)
list price: $15.98 -- our price: $15.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (28)

Good - but don't start your TMC collection here
I may be the lone voice of dissent on this page, but I must say, I have owned all three This Mortal Coil compilations for some time, and of the three, "Filigree and Shadow" is the weakest. It's not bad. But unlike the raw beauty of the "It'll End in Tears" tracks (which is mostly a Cocteau Twins/Dead Can Dance concoction - 4AD chief Ivo Watts-Russell hadn't yet a roster large enough by then!) and the epic sweep of "Blood" (which has a couple of guitar-laden clunkers but is otherwise packed with dark and soaring emotional stunners), this album has a more ambient feel, and thus lacks much personality or punch. I've listened to it several times and most of it just feels samey to me. It's good, but as a listening experience, the album is strictly a flat landscape, with few peaks or valleys.

Obviously many people here feel differently. But to those who may have been curious about This Mortal Coil, but aren't sure which CD to get first, I highly, highly recommend you start your journey with "Blood." Then rush out and get "It'll End in Tears." Heck, get them both at the same time.

the maze
After a few listens, 'Filigree and Shadow' really started to affect me and now I love it. Of course it's not as good as 'It'll End In Tears' but I think that's only because the first This Mortal Coil record had only 12 tracks and this second one has 25, which creates more room for some clunkers. The majority of this record is outstanding. I love 'the jeweler' 'come here my love' 'ivy and neet' . . .

The major standouts include "i want to live", "i must have been blind", "tarantula", and "drugs". The record captures most of the feelings one feels on the first album, and the first TMC album is perfect as far as I'm concerned. There is no track that rivals "song to the siren" but the stunners on 'Filigree and Shadow' grab you and do not let go. I listen to it in my headphones on walks at night, or alone in the dark, or during the day. I really dislike the goth label, I never really understood what goth exactly is. I suppose you could call this music a gothic ambient style, not the contempory meaning of the adjective 'goth', which involves angsty teens sitting in coffee shops smoking their heads off and talking about how much better their lives would be if they lived anywhere else.

But anyway, I love 'Filigree and Shadow'. Buy "it'll end in tears" first, let that one into your life and soul, then give the second a try. I think that I ought to buy 'blood' soon, the third and final TMC release.
~Tom Nordlum

Heartbreakingly beautiful
This CD has not left my stereo for all that long lately... It serves as exquisite chill-out music, yet forces you to pay attention to it... All the tracks on this album are of stellar quality, but the ones that most readily leap to mind for me are "Tarantula," "Firebrothers," and a quite sinister cover of the David Byrne-written "Drugs." I can honestly say there's nothing on this that serves as filler, and that Ivo Watts-Russell and John Fryer picked an impressive array of collaborators, as well as gathering a unique eclectic selection of cover songs (Van Morrison and Judy Collins, for example). I must admit that this is the only This Mortal Coil CD I own... but that'll be remedied soon enough, to be sure. ... Read more

Asin: B000007SPU
Sales Rank: 10042

Cinema Paradiso: Original Soundtrack Recording (1988 Film)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 June, 1991)
list price: $16.98 -- our price: $13.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The initial effort in what's become an ongoing collaboration between filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore and composer Ennio Morricone (in this instance assisted by his son Andrea) remains one of the Italian musician's most internationally beloved works. The bittersweet tale of a young boy's friendship with the local cinema projectionist and the profound, almost magical influence the movies have on both their lives won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes and the Best Foreign Film Oscar, and netted Morricone a BAFTA (U.K. equivalent of the Oscar) for Best Score. In the late '90s, the music also received one of America's other great "honors"--it was adapted for a car commercial! The score is among Morricone's most elegant and memorably melodic, effectively evoking a rich cinematic legacy; it's a virtual musical love letter to the power of films and their music. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Features

• Soundtrack

Reviews (27)

the music also brings tears to my eyes
i love the movie and buying its soundtrack is a smart move. spending a quiet afternoon listening to the cd makes me rekindle the memory of toto, his friendship with salvatore, and his heartaches. even if you haven't seen the movie, the music is moving so i highly recommend this album.

One of Morricone's best, but not his BEST.
'Cinema paradiso' won't be the same movie without the great score. However, I do believe that Ennio Morricone's best score is 'once upon a time in america'. These two, along with 'once upon a time in the west' and 'the mission' are his top four, and are must have for music lovers.

IMHO, Ennio Morricone is the BEST movie composer of all time. If he were not an Italian, he would have garnered Oscars multiple times. It was really a joke that the Academy failed to nominate 'cinema paradio' for the best music score and honored it a win. Meanwhile, does anyone seriously believe that the music score for 'a passage to india' is better than that of 'once upon a time in america'? I don't think so!

One of the Most Beautiful Soundtracks Ever
This is one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful soundtrack I've ever heard. It made me want to be a filmmaker. The movie wouldn't have been half of what it was without this music. It is so nostalgic, it brings me back to when I first saw the movie. I had the CD years ago, someone accidentally threw it away, and after years, I still remember and miss it enough to come look for it again! ... Read more

Asin: B000000PH6

What's Going On
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (07 April, 1998)
list price: $11.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Sly & The Family Stone might have psychedelicized soul music, but Marvin Gaye personalized it. Although the powers-that-were Motown didn't even want to release the record, the unexpected success of What's Going On, issued in 1971, inspired Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and just about every other black artist on the planet to take greater responsibility for their music and its meaning. Gaye co-wrote the songs and produced the album, flavoring it with layer upon layer of his own multi-tracked vocals, oceans of hand percussion, strings, flutes, and jazzy horn solos. Spacey and loose as a spliff-fueled Sunday afternoon jam in the park, the nine songs all played like a hit single. The title track--inspired by his brother's return from the Vietnam War--and the obvious social commentary of "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" actually were hit singles. Two other tracks ("Wholly Holy" and "Save the Children") would inspire hit covers by Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, respectively. Nevertheless, What's Going On sounds as fresh today as it did the week that it came out. Recommended reading: Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz (McGraw-Hill, 1985). --Don Waller ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (114)

Deluxe version of a masterpiece-- is it for you?
I won't waste words on the music. This is a defining moment in 20th century sonics. Easily one of the greatest pop records ever made, and the good news is that it hasn't aged a day since its release. When marvin coos "War is not the answer/Only love can conquer hate" you must know that sentiment will never grown old... It's as perfect and timeless as pop music come.

This review will focuse on whether or not you need to own this overstuffed 30.00 version on an album you can get for 11.00. There are probably a lot of variables that come into play, but I've boiled it down to this: Whether or not this album is worth the price depends on how much time you spend glued between your speakers. If you have a quality stereo system properly set up, you'll love this. While the difference between the 24-bit remaster and the old 20 bit is probably academic, careful listeners will apreciate the subtle differences between the two complete mix-downs of the record: the original "LA Mix" and the "Detroit Mix" which is sort of like a "director's cut": the way Marvin allegedly intended it to sound. The Detroit mix is, in a word, a revelation. The inventive bass work is up in the mix, the strings are down, in sounds more edgy and funky. Best of all, and easily worth the money for me, is the awesome differnce in the title track: Verse one, Marvin is only in the left speaker, verse two, he comes in in the right in a higher register and harmonizes with himself. On a properly set up stereo, it's an amazing effect that adds a lot to the song.

Throw in an unreleased contemporaneous concert disc, single mono versions plus more, and you have a pretty great package. But, the fact remains that average listeners will be more than happy with the old, cheaper version. This version is for completist fans or audiophiles.

It's More Relevant Now Than Ever.
Having just approached the one year anniversary of September 11, I'd thought it be a good idea to revisit Marvin Gaye's 1971 masterpiece, "What's Going On." Originally recorded as a commentary of the socially turbulent 1960s, "What's Going On" has lost none of its power after more than thirty years, and its messages still possess relevance in today's climate. Gaye addresses the environment ("Mercy Mercy Me"), the future of our children ("Save the Children"), and war (the title track). The brilliant finale "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Want to Holler)" obviously wasn't written in reference to the WTC attacks, but I can imagine many people relating to the frustration and anger with which Gaye sings this song. But "What's Going On" also possesses spiritually uplifting messages of positivity, and these messages couldn't be needed more urgently as the survivors of 9/11 struggle to adapt and move ahead. The beautiful "God is Love" is still tough enough to move this grown man to tears, while "Wholy Holy" inspires us to come together, believe in Jesus and "rock this world's foundation."

September 11 was a day that forever rocked this nation's comfort zone, forcing us to reassess our lives and priorities. But instead of conforming to the often dubious forms of patriotism that keep surfacing in this country, let's revisit this still-stunning classic and learn from its messages of optimism and faith.

simply one the BEST musical compositions of all time
This is simply put the greatest body of work ever written for the public to enjoy, and yet to learn from too. He was not just writing for one person, he wrote this for all of us.

It stands alone in the music world, in high demand still, even after its 1971 release. Motown did not want this album, it was too volitile to release in 1969, so it sat for a year and a half. Yet it revoloutionized music, it was an album, a concept album when America was into singles still.
I am so glad they realized someone had to say what was said on this disc. To me this is a work of musical, and spirtual art. He is speaking of himself and of society, all in one beautiful musical journey.If you have never heard this work, listen to this disc, and listen with an open mind.

It is simply one the BEST musical compositions of all time. Timeless and powerful, a piece of love from a man who was so troubled in his own life. He gave us a message from God, a gift he could not ultimately find himself, peace and love. ... Read more

Asin: B0000060NF

Forever Changes [2001 Deluxe Edition]
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (20 February, 2001)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $7.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

One of rock's most overlooked masterpieces, this third album by the L.A. folk-rock outfit led by inscrutable singer-songwriter Arthur Lee sounds as fresh and innovative today as it did upon its original release in 1968. With David Angel's atmospheric string and horn arrangements giving the work a conceptual underpinning, Lee explores mainstream America's penchant for paranoia ("The Red Telephone") and violence ("A House Is Not a Motel") with songs that are as sonically subtle and lilting as they are lyrically blunt and harrowing. Add two gems by Love's secret weapon, second guitarist Bryan MacLean ("Alone Again Or" and "Old Man"), and you've got one of the truly perfect albums in rock history. Rhino's deluxe reissue serves up seven bonus tracks, including outtakes, alternates, and the "Your Mind and We Belong Together"/"Laughing Stock" single. --Billy Altman ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered
• Extra tracks

Reviews (87)

Thoughts on "Forever Changes" -- from a distance
With "Forever Changes", Love realized the potential obvious in their first albums, "Love" and "Da Capo", and created a musical document quite unlike anything else coming out of LA at the time. I've heard the album referred to as paradoxical, but I can't agree with that. True, the album has a real dichotomy to it -- delicate, horn-rich instrumentation on "Alone Again Or" and "Old Man" coexists with forceful guitars on the Jimi Hendrix-influenced "Bummer in the Summer"; obtuse, even psychedelic, lyrics form an excellent balance with the type of direct, forward lyrics with which Love made their initial reputation -- but the diverging elements complement each other, creating an album both pastoral and urban, wistful yet (still in 2001) current. Arthur Lee's vocals were never more controlled and full of range than on "Forever Changes". Some of the writing on the album probably foreshadows Lee's subsequent emotional and psychological meltdowns, but as ever, that's only speculation. Forever Changes is a triumphant record (just listen to the horns at the end of "You Set the Scene") that transcends the 60s in a way that other "classics" of that time do not. Surely, this flowing, glimmering document was Love's finest moment.

Indescribably Essential
For those who already know this album, I needn't say how important it is. Rhino has done a great re-mastering job. The sound is much better than the previous single CD issue, but comparable to the Love Story box set --also recommended. The bonus tracks make this an essential purchase anyway. For those who have never heard this album, think of combining "Classical Gas" with Jimi Hendrix. That's over-simplification, because awesome acoustic guitar, beautiful orchestrations, psychedelically cryptic lyrics, uniformly strong melodies, and some screaming electric guitar work make this an easy contender for best album of all time. Although totally unique, it has the same revelatory nature as 1960's icons like Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper, and the acoustic overtones make Forever Changes forever timeless.

stupid music this is horrible
STUPID TITLES STUPID VOCALS LIKE SOMEONE ON DOPE STUPID MUSIC THE GUITARRIST AKTS AS IF A CRAZY FOOL THE DRUMMER IS LIKE A LOONY - I CAN'T SAY HOW BAD THIS DUMB MUSIC IS EVEN THE LIRRICS ARE DUMB, ZERO STARS SEE YA ... Read more

Asin: B000058983

The Best of Sade
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (03 April, 2001)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

With her exotic beauty and steamy voice, Sade couldn't help but be a star. Taking the more sensuous elements of island beats, smooth jazz, and R&B, Sade scored major hits with the continental feel of "Smooth Operator" and the sultry stylization of "Your Love Is King." Her voice was often criticized for being thin, yet she made it work to her advantage with songs like the haunting "Jezebel," on which her delivery added the vulnerability necessary to the song. Sade sounded best when she stuck to the lower register, and there is nothing thin about her dynamic handling of her torch song "Is It a Crime." "The Sweetest Taboo" was one of her last great moments before years of mediocrity, chronicled here by the lifeless "Stronger Than Pride" and the limp "Nothing Can Come Between Us." "No Ordinary Love" was a return to form with the smoky richness back in her vocals and the urban/island feel of her first release. Best of Sade goes right up to her hit "Pearls," which, remixed, became a dance floor hit. The nicest surprise here is "Please Send Me Someone to Love," with Sade proving that although her range may be limited vocally, she doesn't suffer the same fate artistically.--Steve Gdula ... Read more

Reviews (69)

...FROM THE PRESPECTIVE OF A DIE-HARD SADE FAN...
"The Best of Sade",is an essential of life if you ask me.I'm not just saying that because I'm a mega-fan of Sade
but because you're not going to get music this beautiful,clear,
and pure everyday.
All of Sade albums from "Diamond Life" and "Lovers Rock" are all treasures in my vast,very electic collection and they should be in your collection as well.Whether you're into R&B
or a hip hop head or a metalhead,treat yourself to some Sade.

This best-of is a priceless set.Filled with all of Sade's well-known hits."Your Love Is King","Hang On To Your Love","Smooth
Operator","Sweetest Taboo","Is It A Crime",Paradise"(slighty remixed on here),"Nothing Can Come Between Us","No Ordinary Love","Cherish The Day"...all the classics are here.

"Best Of" also features one new track in the bluesy "Please Send Me Someone To Love".
Some songs that I would've liked to see on here are "When Am I Going To Make A Living" and "Feel No Pain".(Both were released as singles too,that's why I'm surprised they weren't included!)

But before I exit,I have a few issues to raise with Steve Gdula's editorial review(above).First of all,I can't believe he
said Sade's vocal range is "limited".What?! Is he talking about Sade Adu or another Sade that I don't know about 'cause I think
'limited' is one word that most do not associate with Sade's voice.
Also I couldn't believe it when he called "Stronger Than Pride" mediocre.Huh?! That's Mr. Gdula's opinion but I just was not feeling it...

Anyway,there's three things you should have in life:Love,Self-respect,and "The Best Of Sade".:)

She's a Smooth Operator
This collection has all of your favorite Sade tunes, from her debut in 1984 to her fourth album in 1991. You'll sail away in bliss while listening to familiar favorites such as "No Ordinary Love" and "The Sweetest Taboo." But you'll also be privy to the songs that are more obscure on the radio waves, such as the romantic "Nothing Can Come Between Us" and snappy "Never As Good as the First Time." You'll also get to hear a never-before released ballad entitled "Please Send Me Someone to Love." This album, graced with Sade's smooth voice and a dazzling saxaphonist, is absolutely perfect for a romantic evening, or for those times when you simply want to unwind. An outstanding choice!

There's only one Sade!
Sade is not only beautiful she's also a very unique artist with a wonderful and sensual voice and a very own musical style with influents from soul and jazz. Many diffrent instruments on the song makes the sound very passionate and beautiful.

Her Biggest hits were without a doubt "Smooth Operator" a song that's still played alot on radio. It's a great contemporary soul-pop song but perhaps her most radio friendly too. Don't expect the majority of the songs to sound like that. "Sweetest Taboo" is another beautiful piece of art, emotional and soulish with great lyrics. My favorite is the beautiful ballad "Your Love is king" which also is well known song for music fans. "Never As Good As the First Time" should also be considered among her biggest successes, it's a typical Sade song.

Not all songs were that big on the charts here, but what i like is that all of the songs are equally as beautiful. Hit's or not they are great and made with alot of heart&soul and passion. Not all of them are as meliodic as "Smooth Operator" either, but let her voice, lyrics and the sound of the songs talk for itself. A memorable collection nonetheless. "Jezebel" and "It Is A Crime" are jazz influented. "Cherish the Day" is one of the most sensual, the music fits perfect with the lyrics. "No Ordinary Love" has the mystcial sound of Enigma and is passionate and wonderful to listen to. "Love Is Stronger the Pride" has flutes and percussion and it's unique in it's own way. "Please Send Me Someone" has blues influents.

I love this album for it's orginality, it's probably one of the greatest "Best of albums" to me made, not all songs were big hits but they were all equally great. I don't expect you to get into Sade over a night, but when you have you stuck on her album. ... Read more

Asin: B00005AWMF

With a Twist
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (23 September, 1997)
list price: $15.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (15)

An excellent "twist" on some of Todd's most enduring songs.
Looks like some of your previous reviewers have completly missed the point on this release. Bossa Nova music dictates a "dry, passionless,offbeat vocal delivery". I have gone back to this album more than I have any of the most recent Rundgren albums. It sets a great mood from beginning to end and the brilliance of the songs speaks for itself. It is wonderful to hear these compositions in this fresh context and though tongue is planted firmly in cheek this works on a very serious level. Lighten up Motown person !

Hated It! Zero Stars should have been an option
While I hate to disagree with so many ardent fans, this has got to be one of the worst cd's i have ever heard. Not just the worst Todd Rundgren cd, but worst overall. I am a long time Rundgren fan and bought this sorry piece of work thinking that, as with some of his other experiments, the arrangements would eventually find their way into my unconscious mind and I would love them. DIDN'T HAPPEN. Don't waste your money. Don't get me wrong, Todd is still God, but most of God's creation has already gone extinct, and this cd certainly deserves the same
fate.

A Masterpiece of understated passion for song
This album is stunningly beautiful. I remember reading that Rundgren recorded it as a slap in the face to his label, which wanted another "Best Of" album, and it is a best of. The musicianship, recording values and Todd's singing are all first rate. He is America's great under-rated musical treasure. For you guys, this album is a genuine chick magnet, too. I'm heartbroken that it's out of print. My wife and I always manage to take a few turns around the livingroom floor when we hear "Mated." If you're a true fan of the true star, purchase it used. If you don't like it, I'll buy it from you. ... Read more

Asin: B000002SNE
Sales Rank: 64062

Secrets of the Beehive
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (29 June, 1992)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $11.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (38)

Melancholia (marred yet again)
This is another truly great David Sylvian release. Continuing in the same introspective directions as the songs on "Gone to Earth", Sylvian turns to a darker, more melancholy tone here, also shedding a good deal of the electronic and ambient textures of that previous release in favor of a more organic jazz and classical context for his lyrics. And the shift works...as Sylvian's 'wave of summer' turns here toward the darkness of autumn and an approaching winter, and slowly turns inward to explore fears and inspirations. Achingly, piercingly beautiful...and yet, only four stars for this CD version. Problem? Yeah...at the end, Virgin has tacked on this collaborative bit with Ryuichi Sakamoto, "Forbidden Colours", which fits about as well with the mood of this album as tits fit on a tortoise! Virgin did this same hatchet-work with "Gone to Earth", too, omitting several ambient tracks in deference to 'fitting' that album on one CD. But while that is more forgiving, as some of the ambient tracks remain, this...is irritating. The best analogy I can think of is how Terry Gilliam was being forced by his studio to give "Brazil" a happy ending. "Secrets of the Beehive", like that movie, should NOT have a 'happy ending', certainly not this one! Remove, rerelease! None of us will complain that it's only 40-ish minutes, as long as all 40-ish minutes are of the same quality.

My Favorite Album of All Time
Every once in a while, an artist will produce something that is larger than themselves, better than anything he has done or will ever do. That is Secrets of the Beehive. I have a CD collection that goes well past the 700 mark, including everything Sylvian has done, and this one stands alone. I bought this record Halloween of 1987 and I have returned to it faithfully every year since then. It still sounds as fresh and perfect as the day I bought it. It's the quintissential melancholic soundtrack for Fall and Winter; an intensely private and moving record. Songs like Let the Happiness In, Orpheus, and (on the Japanesse re-release) Promise-The Cult of Euridyce, are as beutiful as music can get. The lyrics are both deeply intelligent and heartbreaking, "a grudge held from his childhood days/as if life had loved him less." And did I mention his voice? Sylvian is a crooner; he hasn't a fantastic range. But how he sings, his confiding, rich tenor, and how he turns a phrase, no one, NO ONE CAN TOUCH, Not Sting, Peter Gabriel, or any other of his contemporaries! The influences of Beehive are clear: Nick Drake, Scott Walker, even Samuel Barber. But Beehive is an acheivement that surpasses it's predecessors. It is an album for all time, a masterpiece.

Otherworldly, hauntingly beautiful
I first heard a track from this album (the Devil's Own) on Halloween. Its beautiful, sophisticated and thought provoking.Listening to Secrets of the Beehive Is somewhat like passing over to the other side, minus the fear and apprehension.Its haunting, but not depressing. The track Maria will make you think of that dream girl that waits for you in a surrealistic ghostly world.I highly recommend this CD! ... Read more

Asin: B000000WG7
Sales Rank: 61165

Beyond The Missouri Sky (Short Stories)
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 February, 1997)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This subtle, sublime collaboration finds bassist Charlie Haden and guitarist Pat Metheny crafting bejeweled chamber duets that transcend genre. With their shared Missouri lineage as a thematic touchstone, Haden and Metheny forge a lyrical, mostly acoustic style at once intimate and expansive. Both pare their playing to a Zen-like economy, focusing on a purity of tone, clarity of harmony, and counterpoint to achieve a tender lyricism.

Metheny's acoustic steel-string and classical guitars predominate, but he also applies discreet overdubs (including some delicate synthesizer and keyboard textures) to sculpt orchestral detail. Haden, as always, is both a generous foil and a deft melodist on his own, moving easily into his instrument's upper register as he twines through Metheny's lines. The set's emotional coherence is particularly satisfying in light of the material, which spans Ennio Morricone ("Cinema Paradiso"), Henry Mancini ("Two for the Road"), Jim Webb ("The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress"), and Roy Acuff ("The Precious Jewel") as well as affecting originals by both leaders. And giving the project a sense of closure, while commenting obliquely on the generational dialogue it represents, is the luminous "Spiritual" (composed by Haden's son, Josh), an instrumental prayer that exemplifies the balance of concision and deep emotion at the heart of this exquisite triumph. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (45)

Nice cover, shame about the CD
I think a more apt sub-title for this CD would have been, "short bedtime stories" by charlie haden and pat metheny. Why ? Because it's enough to send anyone to sleep. Am I being unkind ? No, not really, it's the truth. For me, the 90's was not a particularly good period for pat metheny's music. For some reason or other, he felt that he had to go from one extreme to another on albums. On this one, it was his intention to go purely acoustic. Bear in mind that it would be just him, playing the acoustic guitar, and charlie, playing the acoustic bass. You don't need to be Einstein to realise, that with this combination, you are never likely to end up with a particularly exciting, or even interesting, album, as this one proves. One or two tracks in this format would have been fine, but a whole album does seem a bit excessive. I will give charlie the benefit of the doubt now, I do think he realised this, and tried to convince pat otherwise, obviously without much success. The expression, "It would have been easier to get blood out of a stone" comes to mind. Anyway, pat did concede slightly by introducing the synclavier and electric guitar on a couple of the tracks. I've got to that stage now where I only bother to listen to three tracks on the album, "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress", "He's Gone Away" and "Cinema Paradiso (main theme)". As it happens, all of these tracks contain synclavier orchestration. For me, that synclavier was well under used, virtually every track needed it, better still they should have hired a backing band. I must admit, if I was offered my money back on this one I would take it, don't say I didn't warn you. If you're looking for a good pat metheny album then I can recommend the following; my star rating is in brackets. Letter From Home(5), Still Life Talking(4.5), Offramp(4), First Circle(4), Secret Story(4), We Live Here(4), The Road to You(4), Quartet(3), Travels(3), Imaginary Day(3).

An unique collaboration among two giants
For those who know each of Haden's and Metheny's careers, this is an unusual album, somewhat out of the "mainstream". Similarly, do not expect to find similarities to other past Metheny-Haden projects such as the "Rejoicing" CD. Yet, both musicians deliver a solid musical communication that trascends their respective musical paths. That is perhaps what makes this album unique. Guitar-bass interactions go hand in hand, nothing on top of anything. Not-so-very-acoustic elements have been nicely incorporated into the recording. This is a rare opportunity to fully listen to Pat Metheny playing the acoustic guitar. At times his play is a bit rough (too much electric fingering?), but overall his performance is excellent. It reminds me of his earlier collaboration with Milton Nascimento's "Angelus" CD where Metheny plays the acoustic guitar on the track titled "amor amigo" on this 1994 album.

If you do not know Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden, I nevertheless recommend this album for the jazz listener. For most of the tunes, the performing quality of both artists will fly over any musical preconceptions. Buy it.

Whoa Dude!!! (..where's my car?)
This is a great cd that I have recently become hip to(o) it is almost as good as my metalica, cattlepress, or carcus records which rock my mind on an out of body experience that only my neo-classical death metal dude's can thrash. I listen to the intimacy and am like ... wow this is almost as good as iron maiden -and trust me I can rationalize ways in which iron maiden become musical geniuses in my warp. Rock On!!!! . . . (?) ... Read more

Asin: B0000047EC