Memorial (OJC)

1. Stockholm Sweetnin'

2. 'Scuse These Blues

3. Falling in Love With Love

4. Lover, Come Back to Me

5. Philly Joe Jones

6. Dial "B" for Beauty

7. Theme of No Repeat

8. Choose Now, No. 2

9. Choose Now, No. 2

Memorial (OJC),Clifford Brown,Ojc,Bop,Hard Bop,Jazz,Pop

Jazz

Music

jazz

music

Average customer rating: Beautiful Awesome Excellent Music tracks from Movie Complete? Great Collection, Poor Packaging

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring - The Complete Recordings Howard Shore Manufacturer: Reprise / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Box Sets at 30% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Soundtracks | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - The Complete Recordings The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Ringers - Lord of the Fans The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Theatrical and Extended Limited Edition) ASIN: B000BNI90O Release Date: 2005-12-13

Tracks:

1. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Prologue: One Ring ...
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Shire
3. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Bag End (Featuring ...)
4. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Very Old Friends
5. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Flaming Red Hair
6. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Farewell Dear Bilbo
7. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Keep It Secret, Keep ...
8. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/A Conspiracy Unmasked
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Three Is Company
10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Passing of the Elves
11. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Saruman the White
12. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/A Shortcut to Mushrooms
13. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Strider
14. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Nazgul ...

Tracks:

1. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Weathertop
2. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Caverns of Isengard
3. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Give Up the Halfling
4. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Orthanc
5. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Rivendell
6. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Sword That Was ...
7. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Council of ...
8. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Great Eye
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Gilraen's Memorial
10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Pass of Caradhras
11. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Doors of Durin
12. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Moria
13. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Gollum
14. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Balin's Tomb

Tracks:

1. Khazad-Dum
2. Caras Galadhon (featuring Lament for Gandalf, performed by Elizabeth Fraser)
3. The Mirror of Galadriel
4. The Fighting Uruk-hai
5. Parth Galen
6. The Departure of Boromir
7. The Road Goes Ever On (part 1)
8. May It Be (composed and performed by Enya)
9. The Road Goes Ever On (part 2. featuring In Dreams, perfomed by Edward Ross)
10. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Khazad-D
11. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Caras Galadhon ...
12. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Mirror of Galadriel
13. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Fighting Uruk-Hai
14. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/Parth Galen
15. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Departure of Boromir
16. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever ...
17. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/May It Be
18. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring/The Road Goes Ever ...

Amazon.com

As fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy know, each film exists in two versions: the theatrical one and the extended one that appeared on DVD. This luxurious box set--which also comes with a detailed essay on the movie's musical themes--features the full extended score, so many cues not on the CDs of the individual movies are included. Granted, the majority of listeners will be perfectly happy with the shorter versions of the scores--it's a safe bet that most people can live without hearing, say, Ian McKellen's 35-second-long ditty "The Road Goes Ever On" at the beginning of "Bag End," or Viggo Mortensen's performance of his own composition, "The Song of Lúthien," within the track "The Nazgûl." But if you're a completist and/or a devotee of Howard Shore's pounding tympani and overwhelming choral compositions (featured particularly prominently on disc 3, a large chunk of which is devoted to a battle scene), then this set is a dream come true. Audiophiles should note that the fourth disc, a DVD, offers the score in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Fire up those speakers so the whole shire can hear. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

An epic film score receives epic treatment with The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings. Released for the first time on CD, the complete score for the first film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy contains more than 180 minutes of music on three CDs plus a DVD-Audio disc of the entire score in Surround Sound. Breathtaking and majestic, the 2001 Oscar and Grammy winning score compsted by Howard Shore also includes Enya's Oscar nominated "May It Be." For fans of any of The Lord of the Rings films, the Fellowship of the Ring/Complete Recordings is an essential experience.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-06-15

I picked up this set because I am both a LOTR fan, movies and books and I need music to help me work. There are some tracks that I skipped over, like the short little ditties in the bar, but many of the songs, such as the Elvish chants are easy to get lost in - its just too bad they don't last longer. The packaging really is well done, though the DVD disc was loose when I received it in the mail, but unharmed. I will have to wait until the price on the second set comes down a little more, but I can't wait for ROTK.

Awesome.......2007-06-12

This is by far the editon to get if you loved the lord of the rings soundtrack. It has every song on it from the extended edition. and the DVD-A version is very nice.

Excellent Music tracks from Movie.......2007-05-03

Brings the movie back as you listen to the full version of the track.

Complete?.......2007-04-07

This CD collection is wonderful; it has much of the material from the movie that was only included in the extended edition DVD, but it is far from complete. While it does have the complete version of "The Passing of the Elves" and two versions of "The Road Goes Ever On", many of the songs are highly incomplete and inferior to the originals. "Aniron," the theme for Aragorn and Arwen performed by Enya, is incomplete and the lyrics are hard to match to what is being sung. The sound quality for this song is even worse on the accompanying DVD, which is supposed to have all of the music in "superior sound". The song "Prophecy" is reduced to two barely-audible lines and "May It Be" is shortened and different than the original. $60 for this when there are more complete songs on the original soundtrack is ridiculous.

Great Collection, Poor Packaging.......2007-04-03

I realy can't add to what others have said about this set, the music is simply the best LOTR soundtrack collection out there! It is all here, and the contents of this set will make any LOTR fan happy and the music DVD is a great one disc addition if you want to hear the entire score in one sitting (to which I have done a number of times already).
My only complaint is the somewhat flimsy cardboard box that houses the contents of this musical treasure. Mine came damaged, and considering the price, I expected better packaging. This is a minor quabble on my part and NO, I havent returned it due to the fact that the music itself Is what I truly treasure, It just would have been nicer to have recieved it undamaged.

Music-5
Packaging-3

*for the record I had rated this Item 5 stars not the 3 stars that is showing at the top of my review*

Average customer rating: A must have for a singer who is a legend The Best of a Japanese Legend. Question CAVEAT EMPTOR! BUYERS BEWARE!

Memorial Best Kyu Sakamoto Manufacturer: EMI Int'l ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Japan | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music International | Imports | Stores | Music Pop | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: Billboard Top Pop Hits: 1963 Very Best of Kyu Sakamoto Absolutely the Best! The Best of 1961-1966 Good Morning Starshine: The Best of Oliver ASIN: B000AM1TCQ Release Date: 2005-09-05

Tracks:

1. Miagete Goran Yoruno Hosiwo
2. Sukiyaki
3. Ashitaga Arusa
4. Mustafa
5. Good Timin
6. Kyu-Chan No Zuntatta (Kiicha Ikenaiyo)
7. Kyu-Chan Ondo - Sorega Ukiyoto Lu Monosa
8. Bokuno Hoshi
9. Hitoribocchino Futari
10. Tokyo Gorin Ondo
11. If YouRe Happy And You Know It
12. Sayonara Tokyo
13. Yoakeno Uta
14. Tomodachi
15. Namida-Kun Sayonara
16. Letkis-Jenka
17. Sekaino Kunikara Konnichiwa
18. Otonano Dowa- Imadakara Lukeredo
19. Kokorono Hitomi
20. China Nights

Album Description

To this date, Sukiyaki remains the biggest international hit by a Japanese popular singer. It is the only song by a Japanese artist to reach number 1 in the UK by Jimmy Jones in 1960. One of the highlights has to be Sakamotosan's Japanese recording of 'If You're Happy And You Know It' which offers tow and a half minutes of pure kitsch, and an improvement on the original! 20 tracks. EMI. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

A must have for a singer who is a legend .......2007-01-03

This CD give some of Mr Sakamoto's best songs. For those who love 50's and 60's music I would recommend this CD. Of course it's better if you understand Japanese, but not necessary.

The Best of a Japanese Legend........2006-07-01

An outstanding collection of the man that brought us Sukiyaki, one of the top songs of the 60's.

Question.......2005-12-23

I don't know if we're supposed to do this, but I have questions. I'm more interested in the styles of the songs. How do the rest compare to "Sukiyaki"? Are they mostly easy listening, pretty ballads? Rock and roll? A combination? Since he had only one international hit, they can't all be as good, but his voice was so strong, and the accompaniment so up-beat and fun on "Sukiyaki," I wonder if I could fall in love with some of his others, whether they be stereo or mono. I gave it three stars because I couldn't give it five or one, without hearing it! I found a darling photo on the web (Japanorama) of him with his wife and children. What a tragedy, his plane crash! Put his grandchildren through college and buy the CD! : )

CAVEAT EMPTOR! BUYERS BEWARE! .......2005-10-04

The release of this CD appears to be an opportunity for cashing in on the unique and lasting popularity of Kyu's huge UK & US hit "Sukiyaki". His memory and talent do not deserve such an obvious rush to cash in on his lasting popularity. British mobile phone customers can download his hit to their phones, thus this rush out the door of this poor compilation of his long and popular work. Thirteen of the twenty songs on this compilation are in MONO! Though there are a few gems on this CD (albeit in MONO), if you're only looking for a good quality "stereo" rendition of "Sukiyaki", I suggest "Hard to Find 45's on CD, Vol. 7: 60's Classics". The producers of this series have done their homework and deliver exceptional quality recordings. EMI Music is a Capitol Music label and should have taken their time to produce a higher quality product. BEWARE!

Average customer rating: THE GREAT JOHNNY ACE Rock's First Casualty PLEDGING MY LOVE ! Has Finally Been Updated I wish I was born when Johnny Ace was alive.

Memorial Album Johnny Ace Manufacturer: Mca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music General | R&B | Styles | Music General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classic R&B | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classic R&B | R&B | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music R&B | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: I Remember Chuck Willis/The King of the Stroll The Chronological Johnny Ace: 1951-1954 The best of the Moonglows: Millennium Collection The Very Best of Big Joe Turner Hound Dog: The Peacock Recordings ASIN: B000002PD2 Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

1. Pledging My Love
2. Don't You Know
3. Never Let Me Go
4. So Lonely
5. I'm Crazy Baby
6. My Song
7. Saving My Love For You
8. The Clock
9. How Can You Be So Mean
10. Still Love You So
11. Cross My Heart
12. Anymore

Amazon.com

Johnny Ace's greatest hit, the dirge-like blues ballad "Pledging My Love," will forever be entwined with the shocking story of his death during a game of Russian roulette in Houston on Christmas Eve, 1954. The opening track on Duke's Memorial Album, it sounds--with its stark beat, chiming vibes, and Western-saloon piano--as if it had been sung by a ghost. An original member of Memphis's Beale Streeters, piano man Ace could also do rollicking R&B ("Don't You Know"), but Memorial Album is top-heavy with all things slow and mournful: "The Clock" and "Never Let Me Go" were essentially prototypes for the posthumously-released "Pledging My Love," and the lugubrious "Anymore" was its identical follow-up. --Barney Hoskyns

Customer Reviews:

THE GREAT JOHNNY ACE.......2006-11-23

HE WAS THE GREATEST R&B SINGER I EVER SAW PERFORM AND I HAVE SEEN THEM ALL.R&B WAS JOHNNY'S MUSIC & STYLE IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE BLUES WAS OR IF YOU NEVER HAD A CASE OF THE BLUES AFTER YOU HEARD JOHNNY SING YOU KNEW ALL ABOUT IT. FOR MY WEDDING THE BAND I HAD PLAYED PLEDGING MY LOVE & I CROSS MY HEART FOR THE BRIDE AND GROOM'S SONG'S.JOHNNY IS IN HEAVEN NOW WITH THE GREATEST BAND IN HEAVEN.RIP JOHNNY ACE.DIAMONDHEAD DENNIS

Rock's First Casualty.......2006-07-04

Johnny Ace sure knew his way around a love ballad. Slow and steady as Sinatra, smooth as Dean Martin, yet his violent, senseless death hovers inevitably over every thing he recorded, making his vocals seem ghostly and haunted rather than romantic. He died backstage at a concert playing russian roulette on Christmas Eve, or so the story goes. Who plays russian roulette before they go onstage? Maybe he owed money to the wrong people and was set up but we'll never know for sure. All we have is these classic recordings and that is more than enough. "Pledging My Love" is his immortal classic and "Anymore" is it's soundalike follow up. "My Song" is his unheralded classic. Aretha Franklin's version of this must be heard as it is one of her finest recordings. He does a few uptempo jump blues numbers like "Don't You Know" and "How Can You Be So Mean" that remind me of early rock 'n roll like Bill Haley. Along with James Dean, his was one of those young deaths that greatly affected youth of his era much like Tupac or Cobain in the 90's. Paul Simon wrote "The Late Great Johnny Ace" about him on his Hearts And Bones album back in 1983. He was indeed an affecting and haunting singer and something supernatural hangs over his music. Whatever it was, it lingers still.

PLEDGING MY LOVE !.......2006-07-02

Johnny Ace will be most remembered for this soul stirring ballad. His life might have ended, but his music lives on. It's a shame his life ended by playing a "game" of russian roulette. What was he thinking? Such a terrible tragedy. R.I.P. !!

Has Finally Been Updated.......2005-11-21

This has, for thirty years, been the only collection of the late Johnny Ace's material. It's rather skimpy - 12 tracks, about thirty minutes long. But it's still great, with the selection leaning heavily on Ace's ballad work, with a few r&b ravers thrown in for variety. Just this past summer of 2005, a new Johnny Ace compilation was released with twice the amount of material and new remastering and liner notes. The new cd is the obvious version to pick up. It's about time.

I wish I was born when Johnny Ace was alive........2005-03-15

I have listened to the blues kind of music for a long time and my very favorte is Johnny Ace. I wish he made more music and I wish he didn't die.

Average customer rating: Some of their best music Musicians are Cowards! Close to my heart. Yeah, It's Alright In many ways, tops their first album

Born into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-la-la Band Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Come on Die Young Sings Reign Rebuilder ASIN: B00005Q62R Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

1. Sisters! Brothers! Small Boats Of Fire Are Falling From The Sky!
2. This Gentle Hearts Like Shot Bird's Fallen
3. Built Then Burnt (Hurrah! Hurrah!)
4. Take These Hands And Throw Them In The River
5. Could've Moved Mountains
6. Tho You Are Gone I Still Often Walk With You
7. C'mon Come On (Lose An Endless Longing)
8. The Triumph Of Our Tired Eyes

Customer Reviews:

Some of their best music.......2006-07-03

The music on this album might be the best flowing of all ASMZs releases. The tracks are almost all linked together to give the listener a very smooth listening experience. The vocals are superb with more effects on them, which set these vocals apart from their other releases. The music also sounds as if they are trying to uses a different approach, the album starts off very much like the other ASMZ releases, but as it progresses, the sound slightly alters to give the music a different kind of feel. It still sounds like ASMZ, but it is intriguing how the structure has changed since the band started.
The music on this album (like every ASMZ) is beautiful and slow moving. It takes patience, like the others, but once again seems to fulfill more than most music (in my opinion). The last track, titled The Triumph of Our Tired Eyes may be my favorite ASMZ song. It is terribly beautiful with some incredible lyrics.
All in all, a truly phenomenal album that will be appreciated by anyone who likes ASMZ.

Musicians are Cowards!.......2006-05-11

So screams Efrim in the closing track of "Born Into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward," closing an immaculately desgined and created album. Begun as a side-project of the huge Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion was really just Efrim's way of trying to express more gloom and less doom. Godspeed makes black records, but its black on a grander scale (read: the end of the world). ASMZ focuses more on the lonely, sad, and personal aspects of...well...sadness.

Similarities to GY!BE run rampant. Starting with the name of the band itself, there is an implied level of pretentiousness to this music. The band name that just keeps growing, the syntactical non-sequiturs, etc., serve to throw a distancing spike between the music and the listener. I think that's just what ASMZ are trying to do. By not allowing the listener to connect with the band, the focus is placed on the music, and not those creating it. They become a caricature- larger than life- and thus can serve as adequate vessels for a haunting message. The sentence-long song titles (i.e. "This Gentle Hearts, Like Shot Birds Fallen," one of the shortest titles) serve the same purpose.

As most GY!BE and ASMZ records, there are few words, and those that are present are spoken. The album opens with tape-effects, slowly layering in dual violins, playing a dissonant, terribly sad piece. A 3/4 piano joins as the violins fade out, a minor-key waltz that promotes anything but dancing. Sophie re-joins with her violin, and a cello provides the low-end back-up.

And that was the first four minutes of track 1. Honestly, I could write paragraphs like that for every 4 minutes of this album. For the next 54 minutes, ASMZ take you though sorrow, joy (small amounts), loss, gain, pain and finally...hope. The transitions are perfect, and the music simply drenches you with the slow, sad melodies. The record bends and swirls around a few key hooks, and the instrumentation is all but flawless (as can be expected from these guys).

Time is taken at the beginning of the third track for a monologue read by a young boy. It is, at its surface, a happy message ("Lets have a parade! Its been so long since we've had a parade"), but I think it is being used ironically in this position in the record. The title of the track ("Built then Burnt (Hurrah! Hurrah!"). The parade is only on the surface, but below the jubilation is still a Jericho waiting to fall, and fall it does. I still can't decide how I feel about it. When I'm alone in my chair in the dark, listening to this entire record, it fits perfectly. When I try to listen to the song itself, however, it seems pretty silly. I suppose it is a thematic device, and its really my fault for trying to consider it as a singularity.

The record's final track is entitled "The Triumph of Our Tired Eyes." Honestly, the record would be worth buying if this was the only track it contained. Yes...its THAT good. It is the only track on the album with lyrics...and also the only track on the record that I could call hopeful. The loss and destruction found in the previous seven tracks are finally met...with defiance and hope. "C'mon friends...to the barricades again.."...perfect.

The record (like most of GY!BE and ASMZ's work), is ultimately a political statement. They are fiercely anti-American, and much of their works revolve around what they see as the evil of the United States. Railroads are torn up to build strip malls, and things of beauty are torn down to build Wal-Marts. There is futility in fighting, they realize the bulldozers will eventually come to tear up what has been built, but they build in spite of it (to paraphrase the liner notes). The "barricades" are defiance itself. The message is both disturbing and hopeful, and one worth thinking about

Of course, your appreciation for Efrim's vocal stylings will ultimately determine if you can even find it listenable, but read below, and perhaps you can get past his voice. There is also much debate on the inclusion of Efrim's singing on this album (as opposed to HHLUABSOLSPTCOOR, which was purely instrumental). Though it is dissonant, most often flat, and thin- I think it is perfect for its thematic role. There needs to beauty in the song itself, only in that the message gets through. It is sung by a man tired from the long and losing fight, yet still hopeful through his tears. I love it.

Close to my heart........2005-06-15

This is probably my favorite Silver Mt Zion album, the other two registered within my brain being their debut "God Has Left Us Alone..." and their recent, more vocalized "Horses in the Sky". Though I 'might' dare say the other two albums have more climatic moments individually (re: 'might'), "Sparks" is all around the most enjoyable listening experience to be had, and is probably the first album I'd give to someone introducing the band, for multiple reasons.

Simply put, it's gorgeous. The first track is stunningly beautiful. Amazing. Romantically charged and haunting. Silver Mt. Zion simply compose beautiful melodies -- more beautiful than virtually every other band around -- and 'Sisters! Brothers!..." is one of their prettiest. Thereafter, the album follows with another beautiful piece, the angelic and mystical, somber and devestating 'This Gentle's Hearts'... Wonderful, haunting stuff. The third track, likewise.

After the album's initial twenty minutes, however, things change a bit. "Take These Hands..." is a ferociously charged vocal piece filled with various dissonant layers and echoed voices. If anything, it comes as a great change of pace, if not impressing as much musically (though it's still a great piece). 'Could've Moved Mountains', the next piece, might be the slowest on the album, and one definitely need a decent pair of headphones to hear the intricies here; harmonized vocals in different channels makes it a far more interesting listen on repeated, closer listens.

Unfortunately, however, tracks 6 and 7, while admirable, don't do much for me. They recall more of the mood of Silver Mt Zion's initial album, and are a bit too abrasive for me. Furthermore, they simply clash with the generally timid nature of the first half of the album. The latter of the two has some wonder within the chaos, but it's just not enough.

The album ends with a soft, high note, and recalls the beauty of the strongest points of the album. The thing with this album is that there are highs and lows, but the highs are truly high -- near heavenly -- and that's why I award such an album five stars. You've got at least 30 minutes of amazing music, and probably 45 minutes of great music.

If you're a fan of Godspeed you Black Emperor!, get it.

Yeah, It's Alright.......2005-05-14

When I first got this album I was mildly obsessed with it but I abstained from writing a review with the hopes that someday I could view it a little more objectively. That day has come.

This album is certainly not A Silver Mt. Zion's best, but it's definitely not their worst. Efrim's voice is more prominent on this album than it was on the debut, but is less prominent than on later releases. It may seem jarring at first, but it eventually does become endearing. Besides, some of the world's most renowned singers have horrible voices, but they're great writers and why shouldn't they be able to sing their own words? (See also: Bob Dylan, Jeff Mangum, Jeff Tweedy, Conor Oberst...) That being said, the second track is the most monotonous piece of music I have _ever_ heard. The transition between tracks three and four is superb, but my favorite part of this disc is the birds at the end of track four. I don't know why.

Overall, it's an average album from an honest, hardworking group, but it is certainly not their defining moment. I'd advise getting A Silver Mt. Zion's albums in order of release just so you can see the evolution of the vocals (and because they get progressively worse).

In many ways, tops their first album.......2005-04-26

The most obvious thing about this album (aside from the expanded name and band) is that the group is moving further away from godspeed's sound. While there are still similarities between the two groups, mt. zion really establishes themselves as a separte band with this record.

All of the emotions that the group pulled out of you on the first record are pulled out again with this record, but it's a much more intense experience. There's more to the music and to the instrumentation. Of course the artwork is amazing, just as it is with almost everything Contellation releases. If you're just piddling around with a few of this label's releases, you need to stop it and start buying up everything they've released. Some albums are better than others, but they've yet to release a bad record.

Average customer rating: - He should consider voice lessons Stunning, heartfelt, raw masterpiece. "Oh my broken lamb, I worry when you cry..." Pretty good

Horses in the Sky Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra , and Tra la la B Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static Sings Reign Rebuilder ASIN: B0007W221G Release Date: 2005-04-05

Tracks:

1. God Bless Our Dead Marines
2. Mountains Made of Steam
3. Horses in the Sky
4. Teddy Roosevelt's Guns
5. Hang on to Each Other
6. Ring Them Bells (Freedom Has Come and Gone)

Customer Reviews:

-.......2006-09-18

I do not understand how some can be so quick to judge this album. The very first track is one of the best they've recorded / one of the best I have ever heard, and it definitely would not be the same without efriam's beautifully crafted lyricism. I do not think the lyrics are whining at all, but if one was to use such terminology, I would think they are only so whining as the other instruments used to create this orchestral brilliance.
& how could you possibly say Canada is not an oppressive country? Just because America isn't quite Nazi Germany that doesn't mean America is not oppressive, & just because Canada is not quite America, that doesn't mean it is not oppressive.
But to get back on track, this is a wonderful album! & if you ever have a chance to go to one of their shows, you should definitely take it up. I couldn't move out of sheer awe.

He should consider voice lessons.......2006-05-30

I've followed the progression from GYBE! and i like the instrumentals because they have a beautiful cryptic flow. His voice, which is really added to this album more than any other I have run into, is not. He sings off key and whines and complains and throws away anything entrancing or entrenching about the music. I find myself skipping through entire tracks trying to find tracks where he's not singing so I can feel I haven't wasted my money, but to no avail.

And as for the lyrics, I'm sorry, sir but Canada is not an oppressive country. Stop fooling yourself and get some voice lessons.

Stunning, heartfelt, raw masterpiece........2006-05-15

There is no better (post?)modern band than A Silver Mt. Zion. Not musically, mind you, but as an overall emphasis on sheer, unadulterated emotion; I have yet to come in contact with a band of the past half decade that holds a candle to the immense, affecting fire ASMZ sparks, and that includes the wunderkind known as Godspeed You Black Emperor! from which they spawned.

Like Godspeed, ASMZ is one of the more ambitious bands I've ever encountered. Unlike Godspeed, however, ASMZ is not only epic in scope, but as personal and intimite as the highest art forms. Simultaneously they manage to evoke both of these senses.

I think it's as simple as this. Godspeed is from the brain; ASMZ is from the heart. Shallow and blasphemous, really, but I think that vague analysis gets the message across. Godspeed, great as they are, could never even DREAM about writing anything as haunting as "13 Angles Standing Guard 'Round the Side of Your Bed", from ASMZ's debut album. That particular piece, for me, is perhaps the most personal and loving that I have ever heard in my entire life, and I'm not overstating in the least. While nothing on Horses in the Sky reaches that level of ardor, it's this same sort of sentiment that makes it such a masterful work.

The first song on the album will probably be the first listener's will cling to, primarily for it's pop-nature within the first ten minutes. At least, this was the case with me. However, from the moment that a harmonic chorus shouts "When the world is sick, can't noone be well", the album begins to really become a raw, glaring testiment to the soul.

Efrim's lyrics here shine more than ever before, in my opinion, and I personally never had one problem with his vocals. Don't see why one should, honestly; they fit the tone of the music too well. He is a poetic, expressive singer who never resorts to schlocky, melodramatic lyrics.

This album is the best album I heard in 2005, and one of my favorite albums, period. With this review I try to write as impressively as I can, but in truth that is exactly the antithesis of what this music is -- selfless, infinite Love.

"Oh my broken lamb, I worry when you cry...".......2006-03-12

This album is pure beauty. Words cannot descibe my love for this band and this album.

Pretty good.......2006-02-08

This is a very good albums. I think the lyrics add alot, especially when thinking about the difference in the music between Silver mt. Zion and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The vocals are alittle rough, however, and need some getting used to. The whole downbeat style of the album is amazingly supported by the minimal strings that are added. My biggest problem with this album is the track entitled "Teddy Roosevelt's Guns" i find the line "oh Canada, oh Canada, i've never been your son" to be kind of lame. And being that that is the core of the whole song, i find it hard to get into. However, the harmony at the end of "God bless our dead marines" is phenomenal, and really what made me initailly purchase the album. Except for track four though, i find this to be an excellent album, and if your into this sort of music, then it is a must buy.

Average customer rating: Not Bad, Not Great funky and beautiful tribute to the late and dear Elliott i still miss Elliott... Well, they had good intentions From Portland with love

A Tribute To Elliott Smith Various Artists Manufacturer: Double D Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Pop | Compilations | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Rock | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: To: Elliott From: Portland Thumbsucker New Moon The String Quartet Tribute to Elliott Smith Home to Oblivion: Elliott Smith Tribute ASIN: B0007XU39S Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

1. Oh Well, OK (Max Vague)
2. Say Yes (Cord Stone)
3. A Quiet Afternoon (Zen Withstanding)
4. Thirteen (Frenzy)
5. Ballad Of Big Nothing (The Foxymorons)
6. Become (The Mind's Eye)
7. Waltz #2 (Middle States)
8. It Takes All Kinds (8889)
9. Miss Misery (J. Peschiutta & N. Shelar)
10. Forcing (And In August)
11. Pretty Ugly Before (Fluid Ounces)
12. Isn't It Good (Cord Stone)
13. Rose Parade (Trappers Cabin)
14. Thief In The Night (Jamie Boyer)
15. A Fond Farewell (Joel Martin)
16. The Enemy Is You (Marauder)
17. Clear Your Tab (Union Hill Conviction)
18. Drive All Over Town (Zen Withstanding)
19. 4 A.M. (Joshua West)
20. Quicksilver (Abbie Huxley)
21. Twilight (The Mind's Eye)

Product Description

"A Tribute To Elliott Smith" features some of the best Independent bands from all over the world honoring the late, great Elliott Smith with an outstanding collection of covers and originals inspired by Elliott Smith’s music. The musicians represented here are a diverse crowd hailing from across the USA, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. Each was selected because of the quality of their unique and interesting music, to bring a wide range of takes on Elliott Smith's music worthy of a tribute to his legacy. This fully licensed tribute complements any Elliott Smith fan’s CD collection – each cover is treated with the respect it deserves while at the same time exhibiting a fresh take on these classic songs. The originals on the album are all from musicians who were inspired to perform and create by Elliott Smith’s music. Unlike many tribute albums, the track listing of “A Tribute To Elliott Smith” flows seamlessly from one song to another, really keeping the listener in an Elliott Smith state of mind and coming off as a cohesive album rather than a hastily thrown together collection of songs. Each song and artist was chosen with care to ensure a heartfelt tribute that gets everything right. With 21 tracks and over 77 minutes of music, "A Tribute To Elliott Smith" is absolutely loaded to capacity with great music. From slow and mellow songs to full on rockers, this album covers the whole musical spectrum while still retaining that special Elliott Smith flavor on each and every track. A portion of all proceeds from this release will be donated to the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund.

Customer Reviews:

Not Bad, Not Great.......2006-04-13

A passable collection of covers; some are excellent, a few totally mutilate the originals, and the remainder are mediocre imitations of Elliott.

To be honest, I've heard work that's as good or better from unsigned artists. If your interested, you can find Elliott covers aplenty here

funky and beautiful tribute to the late and dear Elliott.......2006-03-28

Wonderful compilation that makes me feel closer to Eliott Smith's angst, pain and joy.

i still miss Elliott..........2006-03-01

this cd makes me miss Elliott - we lost him too soon. I like this cd very much but it is still sad to know that he is gone. this seems to be a heartfelt tribute and I don't understand how anyone could fault it. it makes me question their motivation to fault a sincere tribute from a small indie label when this tribute benefits the Elliott Smith foundation.

Well, they had good intentions.......2006-02-27

Maybe if they had chosen bands with more character that would cover an Elliott Smith song with a little flavor this cd would have been better. I listened to It 3 times all the way through just to make sure I wasnt missing something, and I wanst. Nothing worth hearing here. at least they had good intentions.

From Portland with love.......2006-02-16

Tribute albums tend to fail their intended audience time and again, mainly because the audience they target are purist fans of the original work. More often than not, these fans view any reworking of the material as a form of sacrilege. Sadly, this is already the case for what is in reality, an outstanding tribute to Elliott Smith, "To:Elliott/From:Portland." Reading the message boards on various Smith fan sites, it doesn't take long to see that this release is loathed by his fan base. The crux of their collective wrath seems to be aimed at the non-sparse production, the reverse of which was a Smith trademark. Unfortunately, they are missing the real worth of this CD - that he was a remarkable songwriter, and given that fact, even relatively unknown artists (all of the bands on this disc are from his hometown of Portland) have a hard time sounding bad when given such a great song to work with. The CD kicks off with the best known band of the bunch, The Decemberists, and their cover of Clementine, and it's performed
almost as sparse as Elliott's original - acoustic guitar, harmonica, and the sound of a crackling fire in the background. The fire is a great effect - and reminds me how few of today's songs would actually sound so good at night in the woods with the smell of burning brush and branch permeating the air. From there, the production gets more lavish as each of the artists takes on the task of honoring his work. In spite of this, these artists do a fantastic job with Smith's material - and for people who were not a part of the near lunatic fanaticism that made up Smith's fan base while he was alive, I think they will be drawn even closer to his original work. Much like one of Elliott's biggest inspirations, The Beatles, a great song still sounds like a great song - even if performed by a guy at the corner pub. Unless you live in Portland, you won't know many (if any) of these artists, with the exception of the Decemberists and Eric Matthews - but please don't let that stop you from discovering this fine CD.
You'll thank yourself later for owning it.

Michael Monahan
Atlantabluesky.com

Average customer rating: Not their best work Closing Out the Decade Last of the classic A-ha Dark Delight Haunting memories

Memorial Beach a-ha Manufacturer: Wea International ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Norway | Scandinavia | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Dance Pop | Compilations | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music Rock | Imports | Stores | Music Similar Items: East of the Sun, West of the Moon Minor Earth Major Sky Lifelines Analogue Stay on These Roads ASIN: B00004SALH Release Date: 1999-07-15

Tracks:

1. Dark Is The Night For All
2. Move To Memphis
3. Cold As Stone
4. Angel In The Snow
5. Locust
6. Lie Down In The Darkness
7. How Sweet It Was
8. Lamb To The Slaughter
9. Between Your Mama And Yourself
10. Memorial Beach

Album Description

Import edition of the Norwegian adult alternative act's fifth album, originally released in 1993 on Warner Brothers.

Album Details

The Final Album of the First Phase of the Norwegian Group Includes the Hit Single "Move to Memphis".

Customer Reviews:

Not their best work.......2007-02-08

There are a few really great songs on here, but it's not the best work they've done.

Closing Out the Decade.......2006-12-05

Even though this album was released in 1992 it was really an end to a-ha's output of the 80's. There are some great tunes here reminiscent of their glory days but there is also a new feel and direction evident. In all this is a good album from them.

Last of the classic A-ha.......2005-03-28

This album, though made during the early days of the stripping down period of their career, still contains traces of the original songwriting formula they used on the earlier classics. Even though by this time the keyboards were notably absent, at least there were still some cool drum machine loops going on. "Cold as stone" has a cool repeating loop that sticks with you. This one is as dark as their first album, maybe darker. The piano used here has a very "Doors" sound to it. The band admits to being influenced by that band and it does show.

"Dark is the night" was a great single, catchy riff, meaningful structure and singing despite only a little organ sound from the 'boards. All the other songs have a darker "Here I stand.." or "Love is reason" feel to them. "Lie down in darkness" has a cool groove to it and cool background vocals that force you to sing along. This is about the last album where all the tracks sound distinctive, despite the lack of 'boards throughout the album. Well worth owning if you're a classic A-ha fan or if you just want to hear something different.

Dark Delight.......2005-01-31

A suprise change after their "East of the Sun" album. I like how it has such a dark, melancholy feel. The vocals are striking and sincere. The guitar work is simple, but effective. This album won't cheer you up, but it will keep you company during the darker, pensive periods in life. I am a huge AHA fan, and I think this is their best album!

Haunting memories.......2004-07-05

I was a young teen in 1993, grunge was in full force, I would listen to bands like Screaming Trees, Tad, Paw and ofcourse the mighty Nirvana. Then I fell in love with a girl from Norway and she was into this band A-HA. This album came out and what I thought I would hate became an album that has stayed in my collection since 1993 and that always brings out a melancholic side to a day. Even as I sit here in this beautifull warm day in summer, as Memorial Beach comes out of the speakers I am taken back to a time when everything was so much more simple and innocent. Be it "Memorial beach" haunting piano and chorus, or "Angel in the Snow", with its hearfelt lyrics and romantic guitar, this album is all around solid. Not being an old school A-HA fan or anything, I cant compare it to other albums or anything, but as a lover of good music I strongly recomend this album. It just has all the elements that make an album great such as amazing lyrics, in that the music actually reaches inside and touches you. Anyway, once again I recomend this album, you wont regret it.

Average customer rating: Excellent Django lives !!

Memorial Django Reinhardt Manufacturer: Empire Musicwerks ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD France | Continental Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music Gypsy | Eastern Europe | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music European Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Similar Items: 1933-1943: Django Reinhardt and the Singers Djangology Quintette du Hot Club de France: 25 Classics 1934-1940 The Best of Django Reinhardt The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order ASIN: B000F6ZIOW Release Date: 2006-05-02

Tracks:

1. Topsy
2. September Song
3. Danse Nuptiale (Moppin The Bride)
4. Brazil
5. Anniversary Song
6. Swing 49
7. Djangos Blues
8. Mano
9. Blues Primitif
10. Gypsy With A Song
11. Danse Norvegienne
12. Blues for Barclay (take) 1
13. Ill Never Smile Again
14. Confessin'
15. Night and Day
16. Fantaisie
17. Blues En Mineur
18. Manor de mes Rs
19. Babik
20. Swing 39

Tracks:

1. Mdie au Crscule
2. Fie
3. Dinette
4. Minor Swing
5. Swing 40
6. Artillerie Lourde (Heavy Artillery)
7. Peche a la Mouche (Fly Fishing)
8. Stockholm
9. Nuages
10. Del Salle
11. Vendredi 13
12. Sweet Chorus
13. Crscule
14. Song dAutomne
15. Folie mphion
16. Swing Guitars
17. Belleville
18. Douce Ambiance (Sweet Atmosphere)
19. Swing de Paris

Album Description

The subject of books, movies and the adulation of guitarists, poets and writers from all over the globe have made the elusive gypsy one of the most memorable figures in jazz. Since his death in 1953, his fame and popularity has grown exponentially with every year that has passed since. His reputation as the greatest guitarist of all time is further immortalized by the fact that his fretting hand was partly paralyzed since the age of 18 - leaving him the use of only two fingers. The recordings presented here detail the year 1947 - the year he recorded many of his famed original compositions. Originally released on LP in three volumes by the Period label shortly after Django's untimely death in 1953, the "Django Reinhardt Memorial" series was, to many Americans, the first comprehensive glimpse into the legend that jazz enthusiasts up until that time had only heard about. This set contains the complete 3 LP Memorial series lovingly remastered on 2 CDs.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2006-11-27

This is a good example of Django's interest in bebop and several cuts on this 2 CD set feature him on electric guitar. Since Django, as a swing-era musician was constantly brimming with ideas when he improvised, it was only natural that he would gravitate towards bebop and the electric guitar. But I was amazed, even with his experimentation how he never lost his identity, the sound is still pure Django Reinhardt. The sound quality on this CD is excellent and it is reasonably priced.

Django lives !!.......2006-05-07

Very very nice to see these tracks out on the market in the US. The great '47 sessions that yielded so many Django originals including a very nice, hard to find version of Nuages with the lineup that included the clarinetist Maurice Meunier - The transfers are the best I've heard and very pleased to see the accurate personell info and informative liners. A great package despite the cheap price - sure beats spending 40 bucks on an import. Very well done and a great piece for the Django fans who are not familiar with this experimental period of the King of all Gypsy guitarists. A fitting memorial indeed

Average customer rating: Fantastic Boo in your face heavy goth Kings Of Gothic Metal I did not see this one coming

Memorial Moonspell Manufacturer: Steamhammer Us [Spv] ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Eclipse The Great Cold Distance The Antidote Karmacode The Adversary ASIN: B000F1HG7E Release Date: 2006-04-25

Tracks:

1. In Memoriam (Intro)
2. Finisterra
3. Memento Mori
4. Sons Of Earth
5. Blood Tells!
6. Upon The Blood Of Men
7. At The Image Of Pain
8. Sanguine
9. Proliferation
10. Once It Was Ours!
11. Mare Nostrum
12. Luna
13. Best Forgotten
14. Atlantic

Album Description

Following two years of intense touring for the 2003 release of The Antidote, Memorial marks the return of Moonspell to Woodhouse studios (Germany) where they worked again with long-time producer Waldemar Sorychta (Wolfheart, Irreligious, Sin). Memorial is, again, a ground-breaking album which shows not only that the eternal spark of Moonspell's creativity is at its maturity's peak but also recreates traditions and influences that have helped the band to conquer their rightful place at the top of the Gothic Metal scene in the Nineties. The most famous and successful Portuguese band ever presents us a work of the finest art, where power and soul flow together in a heavy, dark and atmospheric album, rarely heard in today's Gothic Metal scene. Memorial is a feast for the senses, food for thought and a light for the soul. Memorial is something you will like to hold on to and to remember forever.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2007-05-18

I quit on Moonspell after Irreligious, re-invented my interest with the Antidote, but this album is definitely Fantastic, seriously thanx for it, haven't heard anything so powerful in quite a while. It's superb comeback!

Boo.......2007-02-28

This cd has nothing that old Moonspell used to have. It's too watered down and artistic. It really seems like they tried a little too hard to be "unique" and ended up being boring. I am pretty dissapointed.

in your face heavy goth.......2006-11-15

It goes from a gothic type of atmosphere to a very up front hardcore appeal with mystical lyrics (some of the best lyrics I've ever read). Songs 2 and 3 set the tone and there are the weird in between songs that give it some creative balance. My only beef is the vocals are a little too loud on this album, especially the grunts/screams. Saw them live last night and much more evened out. The songs live on this album really sound awesome.

Kings Of Gothic Metal.......2006-09-03

In the genre of true Gothic Metal, there is no better band to bring it to the table than Moonspell. Heralded as the most successful Portuguese band ever, they return to us after a couple of year's absence from album releases with "Memorial" - it is an album that holds you in its dark grip from beginning to end without question. Musically this effort is one of the strongest I have heard from the Gothic Metal sector in my times observing the genre and to the bands credit, working with producer Waldemar Sorychta (Lacuna Coil, Sentenced, Tiamat) was probably the smartest thing they could have done with this album. Gloomy and intense instrumental intros lead you into a thunderous display of musical power that is so dramatic you feel as though you are listening to a horror movie put to music. "Finisterra" and "Mememto Mori" and among my favorite numbers along with "Sanguine" as they especially deal with darker subject matter and are written it would seem by Darkness itself. Leader Fernando is mesmerizing across the length of the album and as each song plays you can almost envision him atop a moonlit mountain as mists and other workings of the midnight sky happen all around him. Another track with heavy appeal is "Luna" which has a mostly clean vocal from Fernando along with the haunting voice of Brigit Zacher. Moonspell have outdone themselves with this recording and I feel that those who have only sampled the band before do themselves justice and grab a copy of "Memorial". While it is not the bands first effort, it is very clearly their best to date. This will be an album that true Gothic Metal is gauged and rated against so other bands who deliver this aspect of the genre will do well to study it. I think the main part of the records appeal is the fact that it does not totally follow the Gothic definition by being overly depressing and melancholy. The keyboard use and the deeper clean vocals and guitar chord structure make the Gothic vibe come to life, but the album is also very energetic, heavy and darker than the abyss. A lyric and photo booklet is included which will serve to enrapture you more into the midnight world of Moonspell. This is an album for all fans of Atmospheric, Dark, Progressive and Gothic Metal. It's a winner from beginning to..................End.

I did not see this one coming .......2006-08-15

Seriously, I have to wonder when I see something get consistently lavished with praise. The word that springs to mind is "overhyped". But, this album is by far one of the finest efforts I've ever seen from Moonspell. This is quite possibly the most interesting and diverse album I've heard in at least 10 years. Someone mentioned in another review that each song is basically unique. I would agree and further it by saying that each song has its own soul. They literally come alive. I think what I appreciate most is that the songs sound real. They sound professional but do not have that over-produced glossy Pro-Tools sound. Basically what I'm trying to say is that if you see this band live, they will sound just as good as they do on this album. Make no mistake, this album is heavy, and the vocals are very characteristic of past Moonspell releases. I think those familiar with this band will be very pleased with this release, and anyone who appreciates imaginative, powerful music will feel like they've discovered something special.

Average customer rating: Some profoundly moving lows, and some not so profound ones Great stuff A Note on Theme Just listen to it, without prejudice Why sing?

"This Is Our Punk-Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band with Choir Manufacturer: Constellation ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: f#a# (infinity symbol) Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static L' Eclat Du Ciel Etait Insoutenable ASIN: B0000AKPM9 Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

1. Sow Some Lonesome Corner So Many Flowers Bloom
2. Babylon Was Built On Fire/Starsnostars.
3. American Motor Over Smoldered Field...
4. Goodbye Desolaterailyard

Customer Reviews:

Some profoundly moving lows, and some not so profound ones.......2006-04-11

Marred by unneccesary repetition in lo-fi sing alongs with effrin's confusion with equating vulnerability with consciously garbled vocals, there is still some triumps to be found throughout, expecting at least nothing less from this crew..I hope the constant creative output from effrim on these projects does not water down his intake with godspeed, as unfortunate as it is, the most amazing moments on this disc come when he ushers in that beautifully doomed gutair sound he has crafted and articulated so well for his true band...

Great stuff.......2006-03-10

This is a fantastic album by a very intriguing band. The beginning of the album is practically flawless, the first two of four tracks are amazing beyond belief. Tracks three and four take some getting used to, but are almost equally good. What is so fascinating about this band is the similarities yet profound differences between Godspeed You! Black Emperor and ASMZ. There are members from GY!BE in ASMZ which would make up for the similarities, but the sound of ASMZ is such more minimal than the epic sound of Godspeed. Not to mention the lyrics. What sets this album apart from the rest of the ASMZ releases is the choir, which is most closely seen on their newest release "Horses in the Sky". I personally love the choir, but i can see where some wouldnt. As good as this is, i think any new listener should start with "He has left us alone but..." because i believe that that is the most easily accessible.

A Note on Theme.......2006-02-13

Trying to lay a hand on describing the music created by Canadians Godspeed You! Black Emperor and A Silver Mt. Zion is like trying to summarize a cubist painting. It is simultaneously beautiful and haunting; mesmerizing and disturbing; gleeful and despondent. At times it is chaotic and tumultuous, at others a single melody drifts through the speakers. If no other descriptor fits the entirety of their discography, it is brilliant.

The history, philosophy, and politics of this nebulous group of Canadians are well-known, so one can focus on this album as a singularity of their work. The opening track, perhaps my favorite on the album opens hushed, with what sounds like a dance instructor repeating eight-counts. Guitars then drift ever so slowly in, rounding around a few central themes. In typical post-rock fashion, new elements are introduced in a rounding fashion, including voices and the "complete amateur choir" ASMZ assembled for this record. The vocals done in the first third of this track are, for me, one of the highlights of the entire album. Something about the tone and rhythm of that section really strikes a chord with me. The rest of the album bends and swirls in much the same way, with elements added and deleted almost seamlessly as the record wends its way though to its conclusion.

The common complaint, it seems, is the tonal quality of leader Efrim Menuck's (Gasp! A last name!) voice. Unfortunately, we have to look back at the record itself to understand where his voice fits in to the mix. This is most assuredly a concept album, and one with a political agenda. Unfortunately, I can't find a review anywhere that has really parsed out the meaning behind the title of this record. The entire concept of the album is metaphorical; this is rusted satellites gathering together to sing punk rock, songs against the establishment that created them. ASMZ are commenting on the futility of our race for technology, and the waste and disenfranchisement that it leaves careening in its all-consuming wake. We throw satellites into space only to forget about them and let them rust. What was once the pinnacle of our technology becomes an unwanted, outdated, and scorned byproduct. This is those satellites coming to sing a requiem for their own existence, and lash out against their creators.

So we have, in essence, a dirge sung by a group mourning itself. It mourns its own being, and it mourns those who see nothing but creating more of them. It is in this spirit that Efrim begins recording his voice. It is in a spirit wrecked by a crushing grief, and he does a shockingly amazing job of conveying that grief aurally. To record perfectly pitched vocals sung through trained pipes would be to ruin the entire spirit of the record. This record touches on the uselessness of our society's attempts to section our lives off from eachother and nature (The fence around your garden/wont keep the ice from falling), and in doing so shows the loneliness we are having to deal with as a result of this compartmentalization.

All this is done through masterfully woven guitars, strings, percussion, and voices. The music is as lovely as it is haunting. There is even hope woven into the key changes in the final song. This is not only an amazing record, but a shining example of how music can be art, politics, and religion all simultaneously. Go buy it.

Just listen to it, without prejudice.......2004-09-04

Do so, and you will find that this album opens your mind. I find myself lost in this music. The singing part makes it all complete, it's an extra. I really, really like this album. It's a little more human than the GY!BE cd's.

So, if you vote the right way and REALLY listen to it, you may find yourself buying it..

Really G*R*E*A*T album. Sorry folks, but I like it!

Why sing?.......2004-08-05

The music is of the same caliber of GYBE, but it's hard to pay attention to because Efrim's annoying voice is crooning. I really wish they would have just stuck to instrumentals... what they do best.

Jazz Music:

1. Midnight Special
2. Miles Davis and Milt Jackson Quintet/Sextet
3. Monk
4. Music from South Pacific
5. Musings of Miles
6. New Orleans Jazz
7. Newer Than New [Import] [Original recording remastered]
8. Oh Baby [Import] [Original recording remastered]
9. Ohio Style
10. On the Corner Meets Benny [Import]

Jazz Music

jazz music