Tour De Force

1. Blues up and Down

2. Tickle Toe

3. Let's Get Away from It All

4. Soft Winds

5. Stella by Starlight

6. If Broadway

7. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me

8. Jumpin' at the Woodside

9. Bernie's Tune

10. Rifftide

Tour De Force,Al Cohn w,Scott Hamilton & Buddy Tate,Concord Records,Bop,Cool,Jazz

Jazz

Music

jazz

Tracks:

If I'd Been The One
Back Where You Belong
One Time For Old Times
See Me In Your Eyes
Twentieth Century Fox
Long Distance Affair
I Oughta Let Go
One Of The Lonely Ones
Undercover Lover

Customer Reviews:

Great album--worth having.......2007-07-11

Besides the top 20 hits, I feel that "See Me in Your Eyes" and "One of the Lonely Ones" are fantastic. No bad songs on this album, just some are better than others. Should be part of your collection if you like this type of music. Love Don Barnes' lead vocals!!!!!!!!!

Southern Rockers.......2006-07-11

I have always been a great fan of Southern Rock. From Skynyrd to Blackfoot. 38 Special is no exception, with members from Donnie Van Zant to Jeff Carlisi, Don Barnes n the rest of the crew. 38 Special are truly a great rock band. Hits like Back Where You Belong n If I'd Been The One. It just doesn't get any better then that! If you like Southern Rock you gotta check this out. Get the party started with the Wild-Eyed Southern Boys and enjoy.

Wild Eyed Southern Boys' Finest Effort.......2003-11-23

.38 Special is a six-men band featuring twin bass guitars and twin drums often what southern rockers are like. Their sixth album in 1983 may be a bit too defined to be southern rock but is one of the finest albums during that time. Despite the lack of songwriting genius Jim Peterik of Survivor, they could make the greatest song collections with also great songwriting pair Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi. This album produced two top 20 hits IF I'D BEEN THE ONE and BACK WHERE YOU BELONG. Actually these songs were the very reason why I became a 38 Special fan. These hits were well received by Japanese yogaku (western music) fans during the winter of 1983/84. I just started listening to yogaku program and I instantly liked these songs. The rest of the album is also great with Don Barnes' melody-driven mellow vocal. ONE OF THE LONELY ONES, TWENTY CENTURY FOX and ONE TIME FOR OLD TIME are also the highlights of this album.

Recommended for 80's pop rock fans, particularly Foreigner and Survivor fans.

38 Special Hitting their stride.......2002-12-21

If the whole CD were as good as the first two songs ("If I'd Been the One" and "Back Where You Belong") this would have been a superb CD. As it is, the other seven songs tend to blend together, as many of their others do. However there is nothing here that is terrible, just not as noteworthy as the first two songs. If you are a fan of 38 Special or Southern Rock, this will fit in well with your collection.

Great Music.......2002-10-22

This is my favorite .38 Special CD. I love the ballads on it.

Average customer rating:

Live at its best
Forceful and magnificent
The true tour de force is listening to this entire album
Superb... both sonic and musically .
When Al was fusion guitar

Tour de Force: Live
Al Di Meola
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Electric Rendezvous
Splendido Hotel
Casino
Elegant Gypsy
Land of the Midnight Sun

ASIN: B0000025TC
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Elegant Gypsy Suite
Nena
Advantage
Egyptian Danza
Race With Devil On Spanish Highway
Cruisin'

Customer Reviews:

Live at its best.......2007-06-11

This in my opinion is the best live album (CD) I've ever heard. Talking about virtuousity is not even close to doing Di Meola and his gang justice. This review is for the sake of those who are not familiar with Di Meola's work (I'm sure his fans have it). Check out especially the dual betweeen Di Meola and Hammer. Really awesome stuff

Forceful and magnificent.......2007-03-13

Al, Steve Gadd and Chick Corea are amazing in the cd. Probably the best live instrumental CD available in the market.

The true tour de force is listening to this entire album .......2007-01-08

I own this album since my school days. I had it in vynil and now I have my copy in cd. I still enjoy very much the first two tunes here which are really balanced and very creative compositions. Elegant Gypsy Suite is a sort of fusion of styles suite where every player has his moments to shine but without losing himself in pure virtuosism. This tune is what really makes me love this album. The second one is really great too, the lovely "ballad" Nena. I did buy this one again just for these two tunes which I really wanted to have in my cd collection because I think they really deserves ammiration. "Advantage" even if it's not great as the opener is still a very good fusion ride. Simply I can't stand what follows. "Egyptian danza", "Race with devil" are simply boring, unbearable tunes. They are exotic and dramatic in their flavour (thanxs to the harmonic minor scale used here and there) but they are simply unbelievable heavy to listen to. There are moments as in "Egyptian danza" that are even ridicolous (around 2.15)!!! Awful stuff! The last tune "Cruisin" is a little bit better there is more melody and the things get better a little bit again. But frankly I think that even if it is a short album it could even be shorter and noone would complain. 13 minutes shorter to say the least! In the end 5 stars for the first two tunes, 3 and a half stars for the last song, and no stars for the 4th and fifth tunes that personally I find totally unbearable. But we all know Al never recorded a true masterpiece from the first note to the last one. He is very inconsistent as an artist. Impressive guitarist, decent music writer but without a true, solid inspiration. It's a shame because I still think he can do great things. He's talented (for example I enjoy very much Passion Grace and Fire the album he recorded with McLaughlin and DeLucia and even Orange and Blue another album of his) ... so c'mon Al!

Superb... both sonic and musically ........2002-03-10

This is the first time those huge musicians got together on stage, and unfortunately this is the only live album they've recorded. For worst... it's only a single cd (single LP in the original release).
Though Al's marvelous guitar skills don't surprise anyone at this time it is worth to mention that he colors every riff, every tune with his unique latin-like style.
Jan Hammer on keyboards plays a dramatically first role, for moments rivaling DiMeola's leadership of the band.
Steve Gadd on drums and Mingo Lewis on percussion give the band a rock-solid platform on which they develop in such a beautiful manner.
One reviewer here mentions ¨Race with Devil...¨ as his favourite. Well, I would pick Elegant Gypsy Suite for me. It perfectly combines rock-jazz fussion with caribbean rhythms in a solid coherent tune. The last track ¨Cruisin¨ is another jewel.
Mixing and recording quality is excellent considering it comes from analog tapes taken in 1982. Soundstaging and stereo image are unbelievable. Anyone could say it surpasses many live recordings of today.
Well... If I have to mention something negative side on this album, I'd surely shoose its poor printed information. Only a couple of photos and several lines of text. But this doen't demerit the recording in any manner.

When Al was fusion guitar.......2002-02-15

"Tour De Force Live" is a mini-best of Al Dimeola. The Band is a once in a lifetime lineup. Gadd(Drums), Hammer(Keyboards),Jackson(Bass)and Mingo(Percussion) ensure that the perfection of the studio is kept in this live recording. One dissapointment is that, besides a litttle reggae in "Race With the Devil", there isn't any improvisation. Dimeola pretty much recreates his studio versions verbatim. I recommend that you get this disc as an introduction to Al's solo career(It was mine). This is an incredible live recording and if it wasn't for the crowd being heard at the end of tunes you would have no idea. Al delivers most of the goods in his playing and the compositions are original. Anyone that thinks that these are simplistic should try writing something like "Race With the Devil". The other dissapointment of this disc is no acoustic showcase. If you desire to hear all that Al is capable of then get "Elegant Gypsy". This disc is still a very good one.

Average customer rating:

Groovy
Pretty good
Music that's food for your ears!
Buy this album
Old School Meets New

Influence
Sister Machine Gun
Manufacturer: Positron! Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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sistermachinegun: 6.0
Revolution
sistermachinegun: 6.6 Machine
To Hell With You
Burn

ASIN: B000127SLQ
Release Date: 2003-11-28

Tracks:

To Hell With You
Another One Down
Influence
Clean
The Death Of Me
Everything Else
Motivator
Entropy
Everybody
Denial
Antagonizer Prelude
The Antagonizer

Album Description

Sister Machine Gun's seventh full-length album is a tour-de-force of electronic rock that recalls the industrial sound of the late eighties and early nineties. Heavy beats, distorted guitars and pounding synth lines drag your favorite sounds, kicking and screaming into the future!

Customer Reviews:

Groovy.......2004-10-04

Sister Machine Gun has effectively carved out a cozy niche for itself and their latest release Influence does nothing but carry on the winning account. Some of the sound design seems a bit out of date but that scarcely deters from the fact that Chris Randall is one of the best songwriters in the Industrial Hard Rock genre. Randall's hooks and melodies are seldom matched in the field while his panache for powerful downbeats and dance grooves should never be over-looked either. Sister Machine Gun feeds the fire.

By: C. Curry

Pretty good.......2004-04-29

i'll make this short.. Sister machine gun attempts to recreate that 90's industrial feel and for the most part they succeed. although there is a couple tracks that bore me.. for the most part this is as good as it gets aside from those original songs back in the day. highly reccomended if you're an industrial fan.

Music that's food for your ears!.......2004-01-19

Sister Machine Gun has been one of those bands that never disappoint, whether you see them live, or pick up their cd.

This newest CD from the Chicago band has all the elements of their roots, and aims to please the listener, and I am more than pleased with the results.

I have watched this group expand their horizons to grab new fans and also to grab your attention the second the first song off this cd starts, "To Hell With You" all the way through to the last one, "The Antagonizer". It's all non-stop. I find it difficult to listen to this without getting my body into the groove, can you?

From singer and musician, Chris Randall's sensual voice , to Miguel Turanzas, wow, now THIS is SMG. This cd will definitely make you want more.

You're always welcomed at http://www.sistermachinegun.com. Don't be shy, stop by sometime.

Buy this album.......2003-12-25

Do yourself a favor and pick up this CD. Sister Machine Gun goes back to it's roots on Influence and the results are a CD that sounds like Wax Trax era industrial updated for the new millennium.

Old School Meets New.......2003-12-24

It's SMG's most danceable release since Transient 5.2 - it has everything I ever loved about electro-industrial, irradiated with enough creativity to keep it from ever getting stale. Chris Randall and Miguel Turanzas have done the seemingly impossible - they combined everything the band has ever been into one package. It has taken my CD player hostage, and I couldn't be happier.

Average customer rating:

An Appropriately Named Album Since........
Outstanding Mainstream Jazz

Tour De Force
Al Cohn w , and Scott Hamilton & Buddy Tate
Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000006DU
Release Date: 1990-06-27

Tracks:

Blues Up And Down
Tickle Toe
Soft Winds
Stella By Starlight
Broadway
Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
Jumpin' At The Woodside
Bernie's Tune
Rifftide

Customer Reviews:

An Appropriately Named Album Since...............2006-07-29

it features some of the best tenor saxists around at that time (August 1981) in a live concert in Tokyo, Japan.

The experience of this threesome spanned some of the best of times in jazz from the thirties to the time of this recording. Buddy Tate was the elder statesman of the group (age 68) having taken over Herschel Evans chair in the Count Basie band back in 1939. Al Cohn, age 55, was an excellent tenor who started making his reputation while playing with Woody Herman's Second Herd (1948-1949). This was long before young Scott Hamilton, age 27, was born (1954). It's a credit to Scott's talent at this early age to be trading licks with these two veterans. Of course Scott's albums had already charted on Billboard's top jazz albums four times leaving no doubt as to his credentials.

The program is good solid mainstream material and these guys are clearly on top of their form. It's sometimes difficult to pick out the different solos on the faster pieces but the liner notes provide a great assist. At times, Scott and Buddy sound very similar......but Buddy seems to play with a little more force while Scott appears to me to be more fluid and breathier.........sort of like comparing a Ford and GM automatic transmission (I know that's a strange analogy). You can feel the shift points on the Ford product (Buddy) but the GM is much less noticeable (Scott). Doubtless because at this time one can hear the influence of Ben Webster in Scott's playing. Al Cohn, on the other hand, is more recognizable since although he was comparable to Zoot Sims , with whom he had played many times, his tone seems deeper and darker with maybe a slightly harder edge.

Besides chasing each other in solos in a half dozen of the selections, each of these gentlemen has his own spotlight feature, "Stella By Starlight" (Scott), "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" (Al) and "Jumpin At The Woodside" (Buddy).

All of this is very capably supported by guitarist Cal Collins and a rhythm section comosed of Jake Hanna on drums, bassist Bob Maize, and Dave McKenna at the piano.

This should be appealing to anyone who likes great mainstream jazz, followers of these particular musicians, and most especially, fans of truly great tenor sax. A worthy addition to anyone's library!

Outstanding Mainstream Jazz.......1999-05-18

Just what one would expect from the caliber of these fine musicians. An energetic, live performance.

Average customer rating:

Spectacular Latin jazz from a monster drummer/percussionist

Level of Intent
Babatunde Lea
Manufacturer: Motema Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
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Soul Pools
Suite Unseen: Summoner of the Ghost
Saudades

ASIN: B0000C3ID9
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Tracks:

Billy's Bounce
Father of Dreams, Daughter of Destiny
Ask Me Now
I'm Back
Little Girls
Fools and Babies
Level of Intent
Offering

Album Description

LEVEL OF INTENT marks "the audaciously radical prophecy that Lea's masterpiece, SOUL POOLS (4 stars -Downbeat) has now, oh so brilliantly, fulfilled." -Tom Terrell (Music Dish.com) A classic re-release featuring jazz legends: Hilton Ruiz, Kenny Barron, Charnette Moffett, Santi Debriano, Frank Lacy, John Purcell, Jon Faddis, and Frank Colón, LEVEL OF INTENT is the cornerstone in the trilogy that defined Lea's voice and style as a leader and master drummer / percussionist.

Customer Reviews:

Spectacular Latin jazz from a monster drummer/percussionist.......2003-11-13

Sometimes I sneak a peak at the instrumentation of a CD if it's listed cut by cut before I listen to it. Not smart. Too much of a temptation to prejudge a performance based on who's playing what. I did that with this CD, and I was prepared for the worst from the get go: a trio version (trumpet, bass, congas) of Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce." Imaginings of John Faddis, noted jazz trumpet virtuoso who plays on this cut, screaming away at the top of his instrument's range, sprang into my head.

But not to worry. The guys take it at a loping, rollicking gait--not the usually hell-bent pace that typically characterizes contemporary interpretations--bringing out heretofore hidden treasures. Or take their reading of Monk's "Ask Me Now," given a tango-like feel that morphs into late-night blooziness about a third of the way through. One wouldn't have thought such an interpretation would work, but a single listen reveals its complete naturalness, indeed, almost inevitability. John Purcell, a scandalously underrecorded saxophonist of uncommon depth, provides the backbone here with some very satisfying blowing, admirably supported by the blues-drenched piano of Tommy James (a name new to me--nice quote of "Rhapsody in Blue" at the end of his solo) and some soulful bottom courtesy of the great Santi Debriano, one of my very favorite bass players.

It's not that this band can't cook; their rendition of the Lea original "Father of Dreams, Daughter of Destiny," a burning Latinate number, swaggers and swashbuckles, driven by the fiery piano of Hilton Ruiz. And "I'm Back," 13-and-a-half minutes of driving rhythms and bubbling percussion penned by the aforementioned Purcell, bursts from the speakers like a runaway semi. Faddis, appropriately, gets to demonstrate his formidable chops, as does Frank Lacy on trombone and Ruiz with more scorching pianisms.

The proceedings take a lyrical turn on the gorgeous trio number, "Little Girls," amply demonstrating Babatunde's emotional range, and providing a perfect vehicle for Kenny Barron on piano and Charnett Moffett on bass, surely one of the more nuanced rhythms sections in jazz. The crepuscular feel continues on "Level of Intent," a slow waltz drenched in pathos and once again proving Purcell's sax mastery. Check out, also, Barron's wonderfully evocative and lyrically provocative piano solo, among his finest on disc. Indeed, Lea seems to bring out the very best in his playing partners. These two are separated by "Fools and Babies," another Lea original and probably my favorite on this disc, featuring some startling soloing from Marvin Horn on guitar (another name new to me) and Frank Lacy on 'bone, but it really shines by virtue of its stunning group interaction.

Things close out, appropriately, with an older (originally recorded on his brilliant, albeit sadly, out of print disc, Obeh) but nonetheless stunning composition by Santi Debriano, "Offering." Appropriately, because this number so perfectly expresses and sums up the vibe here: state-of-the-art Afro-Latin jazz of the absolute highest order. Tommy James (WHO IS THIS DUDE??) comes through with a dazzling piano solo, all the more striking by virtue of its offhand, even throwaway vibe, and John Purcell, on no less than four (count 'em) woodwinds, simply mesmerizes.

I was unaware that this was a reissue from 1995 when I bought it; it doesn't matter: It just makes me all the more anxious to pick up his latest, Soul Pools. Listen. This is the real deal. I approached this disc with high expectations, and they've been completely exceeded by the surpassingly glorious vibe generated by Babatunde Lea and his spectacular bandmates.

Richard Dowling Plays Chopin, Volume II
Average customer rating:
Richard Dowling Plays Chopin, Volume II

Manufacturer: Piano Productions Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sweet and Low-Down - Richard Dowling plays George Gershwin

ASIN: B0000C0UF9
Release Date: 2003-09-01

Tracks:

Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22
Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante, Op. 22
Mazurka in C-sharp Minor, Op. 30 No. 4
Mazurka in A Minor, Op. 17 No. 4
Mazurka in B Minor, Op. 33 No. 4
Variations Brillantes in B-flat Major, Op. 12
Nocturne in D-flat Major, Op. 27 No. 2
Nocturne in B Major, Op. 62 No. 1
Fantaisie in F Minor, Op. 49
Etude in E Major, Op. 10 No. 3
Waltz in A Minor, Op. Post.
Waltz in E Minor, Op. Post.

Album Description

Richard Dowling performs another collection of Chopin's works including his profound masterpiece, the "Fantaisie in F Minor," his rarely-heard "Variations Brillantes," and his lyrical and virtuoso tour-de-force, the "Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise Brillante."

Average customer rating:

Jazz Standards With Originality, Richness and Feeling

The Darkling Thrush
Sasha Dobson , and Chris Byars Octet
Manufacturer: Smalls Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Modern Romance
Introducing Sasha Dobson
Half the Perfect World
Blues in the Night
Easy To Love

ASIN: B00066VU52
Release Date: 2004-11-16

Tracks:

Who Will Buy?
You Go To My Head
Goodbye
Queit Nights
What Is This Thing Called Love?
Guess I'll Hang My Tears OUt To Drive
Detour Ahead
I'm Beginning To See The Light
Sophisticated Lady
I'll Get By
If You Could See Me Now
April In Paris
The Song Is You

Customer Reviews:

Jazz Standards With Originality, Richness and Feeling .......2005-01-05

Sasha Dobson sings jazz standards with precision and feeling. The richness of her voice is complimented by the Chris Byers Octet, which sounds like more than 8 musicians yet does not overwhelm Ms. Dobson. The originality of some of the "improvisations" make these standards, like "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and "April in Paris" absolutely wonderful to listen to.

Average customer rating:

White Lady [Japan Import]
Angi Schiliro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B000KEB820

Product Description

Out of print, 1992 import CD on FEMS records Japan. Angi Schiliro is of course guitar player extraordinaire, from Spanish hard rock legends, Zero, who released one of the most outstanding hard rock albums of the 90s, their self titled debut "Zero" (known also as "Zerock") in 1994. 9 tracks including: Love in her eyes, The storm, White lady, Hymn (United Europe), Last encounters, 1001 nights, Summer of '89, and more.

Average customer rating:

A stellar second CD

Ready to Receive
Claudia Russell
Manufacturer: Radio Rhythm
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

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Song Food

ASIN: B000BP8YXE
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Tracks:

Ready To Receive
Galesburg
Oh California
White Cross
Aurora
He Ain't Coming Back
Hang On
Just Like You
Lie To Me
Tonight I'll Be Stayin' Here With You
Bugs
Miss Fortune
Stars

Album Description

Ready to Receive is the second CD from Claudia Russell on Radio Rhythm Records. Russell's debut, Song Food, gained play on more than 150 radio stations across North America, Europe and Australia and earned her Best New Artist honors from WUMB-FM in Boston.

Ready To Receive weaves an eclectic tapestry of folk, pop, blues and country into a sound that is distinctively Russell's. Fans of Song Food will find the familiar Russell themes of love, longing and loss, with Russell's expressive vocals right out front and her signature guitar style and husband/partner Bruce Kaplan's mandolin playing right behind her.

Ready To Receive was produced by Russell and Kaplan. It features seven new original songs as well as six inventive interpretations of songs by writers Kyle Johnson, Lori B., Jeff Talmadge, Ted Waterhouse and Bob Dylan.

Rich Warren, host of nationally syndicated radio show, The Midnight Special, wrote in the Fall Issue of Sing Out:

"Singer-songwriter Claudia Russell is a vocalist in the old-fashioned sense. She can really sing. Not only does she have an impressive set of pipes, she interprets songs rather than merely conveying lyrics. She sounds involved with the songs. Ready to Receive is a professional work of strong musicality delivered by a voice superior to most in the crowded field of singer-songwriters."

Daniel Gewertz of the Boston Herald says:

"Sweet-voiced Claudia Russell is recognizably herself on her second independent release, "Ready To Receive," yet the antique, acoustic, elegant string-band approach of "Song Food" has been quite transformed. The new album is sleeker, more electric, less retro, and this time around there are a few modern edges to both the lyrics and the vocals.

There exists on "Ready To Receive" a sense of a life lived, a character explored, a modern west coast womanhood revealed.

The songs of "Ready To Receive" possess an unusually large range of styles and sounds, and even the Russell voice changes course a few times. But the beating heart of the album is constant."

Get Ready To Receive and get ready to hear one of the most distinctive voices on the contemporary folk scene.

Customer Reviews:

A stellar second CD.......2006-02-23

What do you do to follow up a debut CD that was near-perfect? One that brought critical acclaim and garnered you the New Artist of the Year award from Boston's prestigious folk-radio station WUMB? If you're Claudia Russell (and trusty sidekick Bruce Kaplan), you release an eclectically brilliant second CD, "Ready to Receive." While wonderfully complemented here by a cache of fabulous musicians, Russell and Kaplan are a formidable duo---Russell handles guitar (and the occasional omnichord), while being The Voice. And what a voice---sweet, sultry, able to master virtually any genre. And while Russell is a fabulous interpreter/arranger of traditionals and covers, she is also an outstanding songwriter. On "Ready to Receive, " she wrote or co-wrote seven of the 13 tracks. Kaplan is a terrific mandolinist, and a string guru in general, while also being the musical field general.

The eclecticism of the disc isn't restricted to the musical styles---it's also wonderfully varied thematically and by mood. The title track is a beautiful, lilting ode to being finally able to accept love. "Galesburg" evokes the desolation of a cold midwestern train station at night and the demise of a relationship. "Oh California" is a romp that details Russell's love/hate relationship with her state of California. "He Ain't Coming Back" is a gritty, bluesy, vivid picture of a hard-living woman whose husband has left her and their daughter to escape the dreary, mundane life at home. The centerpiece of the CD is Russell's raw, fearful paean to her late mother: "Just Like You" chronicles Russell's coming to grips with being the same age her mother was when she died from breast cancer, and honestly catalogues the range of emotions Russell manifests---it's a harmonica-driven wailer whose melodic urgency echoes the racing of the narrator's emotions.

Jeff Talmadge's "Lie to Me" is an irresistible tune that all-too-accurately describes the way we long to hear lies from an object of affection, in the face of the unpleasant truth. "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" is a compelling Newgrass-y take on Dylan's chestnut. The disc ends with three very different songs: "Bugs" is a moodily charming fantasia of an afternoon in the garden, and even manages to include "ocarina" in its narration. "Miss Fortune," authored by Lori B, is a thumping old-timey piece that could easily be a part of Leon Redbone's repertoire (perhaps in conjuction with the Dresden Dolls), and yet its arrangement can't disguise the darkness at its core. It's a bit of a musical oxymoron---the oompah bass and accordion want you to believe that it's a lark, but the lyrics are another story altogether. Russell's vocals are wonderful here---plaintive, emotive, and spot-on. The CD's coda is "Stars," an absolute gem that Russell co-wrote with Anny Celsi. The melody and tasteful arrangement allow The Voice to demonstrate all its tremble-inducing beauty---vocals that bring a smile to your face while also resonating with our innate sadness---much like the awesome, gelid beauty of a star in a midnight-blue sky. Russell and Kaplan are stars, and if there's any justice anywhere, the rest of a discerning music public will find that out.

Average customer rating:

tremendously under-rated.
awesome!
Overall...quite a nice disc
Hot! Definitly A Must Have!
Dancing on the floor

Mobius
QED
Manufacturer: Siren
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

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Rain
Closer
Be My World
And She Said
Everytime We Touch

ASIN: B0000EMY8Y
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Tracks:

Love Bites
Hardly a Day
So It Is (Kiss the Dream)
Islands
Alone
Dark Side of Your Heart
Unaware
Running Away
Vampyre (Prelude)
Vampyre (Soul)
Vampyre (Body)
Epilogue (Hardly a Day Part 1)
Love Bites (Ean Sugarman Remix)

Customer Reviews:

tremendously under-rated........2007-07-08

this is a great album that has many great songs. the music is awesome too. it is sad that this duo has not recieved the attention they deserve. very talented!!! they both sing and have beautiful voices.

all the songs are good, seriously. my favorites are dark side of your heart, alone, islands, hardly a day.

awesome!.......2007-02-13

This cd is awesome! Kristine is one of my new favorite vocalists. Thank you!

Overall...quite a nice disc.......2004-06-29

I had heard QED's version of "Love Bites" sometime last year, and honestly didn't think much of it back then, and still don't now, really (however, the Ean Sugarman Mix, also on here, is a bit better). QED's original version is ok, but not the reason I'd buy the disc. However, I had heard "Hardly a Day" the other night on a dance music run on the radio and was completely "Wow"ed by it. It's a great song, and although the version on this disc isn't the club version I heard, it still gives one a pretty good taste of what the club version sounds like. The club version's just a little meatier and longer (and I will be getting that, too).

I honestly wasn't expecting much from the rest of the disc, but I was quite surprised at how good the disc is overall. Instead of a really cheesy dance pop (i.e. - DJ Sammy...awful!!!), QED has a pretty good ear for music. There is some borderline cheese on it (to appease to the mainstream masses I imagine), but there is some nice stuff on here:

"Unaware" is a nice sharp sounding tune. Good bassline, and Kristine Hendricks' vocals shine here very nicely. My guess is this will be the next club hit for QED after "Hardly a Day".

"Dark Side of Your Heart"; for a balladish type song on a dance album, it's quite listenable. It's much better than "So It Is", another ballad on the disc, which is one of the "borderline cheese" songs on this disc...uh, make that "cheese", and really should be on a Backstreet Boys album instead.

"Vampyre" almost has the feel of an epic song, as it's broken into three parts (Prelude, Soul and Body), starting off with some nice piano, then suddenly blasting off with a fast beat, nice bassline, "opera"ish vocals from Ms. Hendricks, tribal drums, chants and so forth. It's quite well done and best listened to as one whole piece. (Soul is my favorite section of it).

"Epilogue (Hardly a Day, Pt. 1)" almost feels like it should be on another album. It's really more of a rocker than a dance tune, but I can appreciate Valentin (the other 1/2 of QED) putting it on anyway because it is different from the rest of the disc and to indicate his interest in music overall.

The other tracks, "Islands", "Alone" and "Running Away" are listenable, but don't really do anything for me at the moment, and for me, border on the cheese factor just a bit.

However, overall, I quite like this. It somewhat reminds me of KLF's "White Room" album or Chicane's first CD, as Valentin has tried something a little different here and there, not just loading it with cheese pop. Recommended.

Hot! Definitly A Must Have!.......2004-03-25

I've been looking for their CD and finally found it. I loved their remix version of Love Bites and this CD has another version as well. Their sound is upbeat and I really love listening to this CD.

Dancing on the floor.......2004-02-16

I Listen to QED Love Bites on the Big Ass Battle last week.

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