Black Angels

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
The title to Kronos's most bleak album comes from a nearly 20- minute-long composition by American composer George Crumb that unfolds over 13 distinct parts. That ominous number only hints at the horror Crumb intended as an ode to the Vietnam War. War informs the whole CD: Shostakovich's Quartet No. 8, composed near the height of the Cold War, in 1960, was dedicated "to the victims of fascism and war." "Doom. A Sigh," by Istvan Marta, incorporates field recordings of two Romanian women singing personal laments of fallen friends and relatives; their grief is so intense as to render listening incredibly difficult. The original text to 16th-century composer Thomas Tallis's "Spem in Alium" (originally a 40-voice motet) recalled a biblical battle. And late American composer Charles Ives is heard singing (yes, singing) "They Are There!"--a ditty he wrote during the Great War and revisited for World War II; he's joined here by the Kronos, half a century after his death, in an act of studio magic that is ingenious if not musically stimulating. --Marc Weidenbaum

Black Angels, Music, George Crumb, Thomas Tallis, Istvan Marta, Charles Ives, Dmitry Shostakovich, Hank Dutt, David Harrington, Joan Jeanrenaud, John Sherba, Kronos Quartet, 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard, Chamber, Chamber Music & Recitals, Chamber Symphony, Choral, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Miscellaneous Vocal Music, Quartet for Four String Instruments, Renaissance Motet, Vocal

Average customer rating:

A Doorway Into Darkness

Wow

Do Not "Passover"

absolutely great

The sound of potential

Passover
The Black Angels
Manufacturer: Light In The Attic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
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The Black Angels

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Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks)

ASIN: B000EPF76S
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Tracks:

Young Men Dead
The First Vietnamese War
The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven
The Prodigal Sun
Black Grease
Manipulation
Empire
Better Off Alone
Bloodhounds on My Trail
Call to Arms

Amazon.com

Every now and again a band capable of not just capturing the spirit of a bygone era but portraying it with uncanny authenticity and accuracy arrives, and in an era where music lovers seem increasingly ravenous for psychedelic-inflected rock, Austin's the Black Angels are precisely that act. Following on the heels of their recent Turn On, Tune In, Drone Out EP, the quintet transports listeners to a land of napalm-bright LSD flashbacks with an elegantly unholy sound that proves both eerie and ethereal. "Young Men Dead" and "The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven" walk the line between celebratory dance and grief-filled dirge. These tracks unnerve the conscious mind with unsettling drones and vocals that seem to have emerged from some parallel universe where the struggle, strife, promise, and even the seedy underbelly of the Love Generation lives on in each primal drum beat and louder-than-loud bent note from a guitar that could not have been built anywhere on Earth, but has been drenched with the sweat and blood of a generation on the verge of either victory or collapse. If there is an act in American popular music with a future brighter and vaster than the cosmos, the Black Angels are it. --Jedd Beaudoin

Customer Reviews:

A Doorway Into Darkness.......2007-06-01

Droning dirges, dark lyrics, desolation, heavy psychedelia... if this is your cup of tea, you will love The Black Angels. Their music evokes a sense of deterioration, a sense of longing, and yet, somehow, a sense of hope. They present a musical vision of hell, and they play as if their lives depend upon finding their way out.

If The Black Angels sound so dire, why do I enjoy their music so much? I have to say it is because they connect with me on a level below that of conscious or rational thought, which leads to "letting go" while listening. They connect with me at gut level, with little or no pretense. The musical arrangements are simple, but beneath the simplicity lies complexity, found in the lyrics, in the reverb-laden production, in the overall sound of quiet desperation that suggests an inner determination to survive the roller-coaster of human emotions in one piece. The musicians present the listener with a universal sort of primal scream, and thus the music has become therapeutic for me with repeated listening.

According to the band credits in the CD, the organist plays "drone machine". From what I could tell when I saw this group play live recently, that is an apt description. Adding to the drone, one band member played an electric sitar. The whole of the sound is very psychedelic, stripping away outer layers of emotions to reveal something much deeper and heavier: reality. The band provides a doorway into darkness. It's like they are describing an emotional worst-case scenario, or a bad trip... but the listener is left with a feeling that maybe life isn't as bad as all that, or that "this too shall pass".

Take a long drive at night, and put this CD in your player. Embrace the darkness of the Black Angels, and be uplifted!

Wow.......2007-05-25

You would think a band that sounds like so many others (BRMC, Dead Meadow, Warlocks, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3) and doesn't really do anything extraordinary musically on its debut full-length would be destined to fail.

Then along come The Black Angels to prove you wrong.

Relying almost entirely on one tempo (plodding), one sound (fuzzy) and one style (60s psych rock filtered through the blues) would seem so plain in any other band's hands, but The Black Angels provide enough youhtful vigor and earnestness in what it is doing to completely floor you.

From start to finish (even on the 'lackluster' cuts like First Vietnamese War and Better Off Alone) The Black Angels pull you up by the nostrils and then drag you through a nigthmarish world that is oh-so-scary because it is real, it is now, and it is here.

Young Men Dead, Sniper at the Gates of Heaven, The Prodigal Sun, Black Grease and Manipulation are great songs sure to stand the test of time. That song about the Vietnam War (One, two, three what are we fightin for....) is good but dates itself; The Blacks Angels deal in pointed criticisms that are vague enough to make sense now or the next time the United States decides to play schoolyard bully and push some poor people around.

The political messages coupled with classic scuzzy blues-based rock mesh into one fine album. Chalk me up for first in line when the next album by The Black Angels comes out.

Do Not "Passover".......2007-04-20

What a wonderful and creative debut. Bottom line: If Jim Morrison were alive today, this is the band he would be in. Be sure to catch them live, they sound great.

absolutely great.......2007-04-04

I really really love this cd.. But If you are not a fan of Psychidelic rock music then this may not be for you.. But if you do! Then i would definetly recommend this cd

The sound of potential.......2007-03-27

There are things that I adore about this record. Overall, the sound is amazing. Big, reverberating, clangy and stoned. The playing is top notch, but it's the lyrics that sometimes make me roll my eyes. While I appreciate a good anti-war song as much as anyone, some of the wording here is just a little corny. I chalk it up to the fact that The Black Angels are a very young band, and just go along for the ride. If these guys keep it up, they have the potential to become one of the best bands around.

Oh yeah- almost every song reminds me of either "The End" or "The Unknown Soldier" by the Doors, but hey, that's not a bad thing.

Average customer rating:

A Good Debut, But Their Best Comes Later...
A fine debut, but be mindful of your expectations.
A bad start for an otherwise fantastic band
Power Metal
4.5 actually

Angels Fall First
Nightwish
Manufacturer: Century Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Goth | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Oceanborn
Wishmaster
Century Child
Over the Hills and Far Away
Once

ASIN: B00005A0N4
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Tracks:

Elvinpath
Beauty And The Beast
The Carpenter
Astral Romance
Angels Fall First
Tutankhamen
Nymphomaniac Fantasia
Know Why The Nightingale Sings
Lappi (Lapland): I. Eramaajarvi
Lappi (Lapland): II. Witchdrums
Lappi (Lapland): III. This Moment Is Eternity
Lappi (Lapland): Etiainen

Customer Reviews:

A Good Debut, But Their Best Comes Later..........2007-03-02

I am the proud owner of five Nightwish CDs, all of which I love. I must say however that Angels Fall First is my least favorite of the five. Once, Century Child, Wishmaster, and Oceanborn are all better than Angels Fall First, but I guess that is to be expected; often times bands need to improve upon their first album and refine their sound. Well, Nightwish did just that, and the proof is any of their later releases. Angels Fall First is still essential for the true Nightwish fan though. Get the other four first, and if you still desire more Nightwish, by all means, pick up this title. It's pretty good.

A fine debut, but be mindful of your expectations........2007-02-03

With reasonable expectations, a Nightwish fan should thoroughly enjoy a listening of this album. One should expect that on this album, the band does not display the song-crafting prowess that can be heard on later efforts like Century Child and Once. One should also not expect to hear the amazing production quality found on the Once record. Those who complain about these aspects are clearly ignorant about the natural progression of a great band.

A true fan of NW SHOULD own this record, and treasure it as the beginning of the Nightwish journey. To describe the music as a whole, it is mostly very dark and gothic, with tinges of power metal influence. The slower ballad-style songs, such as the title track, are impressive and moving.

The worst song on the record by far is The Carpenter, being drenched with some of the worst male vocals ever recorded (a fact that Tuomas Holopainen, NW composer now admits freely). In spite of these weak moments; however, Angels Fall First is a record worth owning. Fans newer or totally new to Nightwish; however, should start with Once (for symphonic/melodic metal fans) or Wishmaster (for power metal fans). Each of these records is more accessible and gripping than Angels'.

To conclude, if you are building your Nightwish collection, buy this album last, but DO buy it. I do not recommend it as a first exposure to the band. If you're a fan of dark, off-beat, gothic music, make your purchase.

A bad start for an otherwise fantastic band.......2006-11-23

If you want to know what exactly Angels Fall First sounds like, let me offer you the following scenario. Combine Wishmaster and Century Child, strip off the bass and half the keyboards, add in some of Simone Simon's extremely forced vocals from Epica and Tuomas's flat tenor, and throw it all into a car crash. That is what Angels Fall First sounds like. I was very disappointed with this first album, especially considering how incredible their other albums were. The two best songs (meaning four out of five stars) were Elvenpath and Know Why the Nightingale Sings, followed by This Moment Is Eternity and Beauty and the Beast. The rest were frankly hard to listen to. Look to Oceanborn and Once for Nightwish's best performances, because you won't find them here.

Power Metal.......2006-10-29

This is a great cd. Just enough metal and folk to make it a rather perfect cd. Tarja has beautiful vocals, and the mix of keyboard and guitar make it a great listen. BUY IT!

4.5 actually.......2006-08-27

first off i not a kid ect. This album is excellent, but the only thing I didnt like was the male vocals, but Tarja's voice is beautiful. Anway except for the male vocals, this was an amazing CD.

Average customer rating:

Not bad
buy it, i wish more new music was like this
Really good!
One step back equals two steps forward...
Get it now

Vietnam
Vietnam
Manufacturer: Kemado
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Good, the Bad & the Queen
Because of the Times
Icky Thump
Easy Tiger
Sky Blue Sky

ASIN: B000LC4ZOE
Release Date: 2007-01-23

Tracks:

Step On Inside
Priest, Poet, & The Pig
Apocalypse
Mr. Goldfinger
Toby
Gabe
Welcome To My Room
Hotel Riverview
Summer In The City
Too Tired
Bonus Track 1

Customer Reviews:

Not bad.......2007-05-08

Interesting...I like the hippie 70s influence, although it is a little mellow for my taste. Decent overall.

buy it, i wish more new music was like this.......2007-03-17

Got this after reading the article in rolling stone. Was turned off at first by the fact that it appeared that they are behind their time. Then i came to appreciate their uniqueness and musicianship. The guitar work was not phenominal, but it was impressive. The lyrics are mainly political/metaphorical, tho nothing that hasnt been done before. Other lyrics are about living hard and being anti-establishment. They are blues/rock based, laid back, and fluid. Most songs are written around guitar tho one has orchestra (eww, stripped down is best). They have a unique, easy going sound that revolves around hazy and loose sounding guitar. Very nice.

They are more than a hippie-revival band and are rather sophisticated for coming from a american blues sound. Its really a shame that they will never get big in the new pretty-boy emo music scene. Tho they wont be famous, they seem to get satisfaction from saying "F-- you" to the polished corporate-dominated music industry, and i appreciate that more than anything.

Please buy this and support them, they deserve the money for going against the times. Hope they find success somehow.

Really good!.......2007-03-01

Being a big fan of Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, Lightnin' Hopkins, and other folk, southern, roots music...this is a great fit. Definitely good driving music with the windows down and good Summertime music. I would recommend picking this album up and giving it a try.

One step back equals two steps forward..........2007-02-20

Vietnam is finally starting to get the recognition they deserve and it is about time. This band is refreshingly straight forward in the sound they lay down. It has been called psychedelic, and is such, but in the vein of the Velvet Underground. The music is raw and powerful. If you have never heard it imagine a cross between The Jim Carroll Band and mid seventy's Lou Reed. The lyrical content helps carry this description further with constant references to hipster city life that will leave your searching for your old copy of "The Basketball Diaries." A listen will transport you back to addled all night parties and smokey concert halls. Fans of edgy blues and psychedelia do yourself a favor and be sure to pick up this CD.

Get it now.......2007-02-17

Read their article in Rolling Stone and gave it a try. It's hard to find this CD Anywhere, so I got it off Rhapsody. But get it if your into straight rockn'roll and no overproduction. I hate to compare artists but to give you an idea, Dylan and lou Reed is the voice and the band just cranks. A must for anyone sick of todays teenebopper carisma. Have had it in my player for a week straight now. Also check out Rose Hill Drive, The Muggs and American Minor.

Average customer rating:

carly
Every I Shall C Him
Done It Again!
Great Inspirational CD
Worth the purchase

Tell the Angels: Live in Memphis
Lee Williams & The Spiritual Qc's
Manufacturer: Mcg Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Live Recordings | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
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Soulful Healing
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Tell the Angels: Live in Memphis

ASIN: B000A1IKKG
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Tracks:

Whom Shall I Fear
Jesus Rose
God's Got A Blessing
Tell The Angels
He's Coming
Wave My Hand
No, No
It's About Time
Call Him Jesus
Glad To Be Here
Lord I'm Willing
On My Way

Customer Reviews:

carly.......2006-05-16

This album is awesome as everything this group does. There is not a day that goes by that I do not listen to at least one song by this group. Lee Williams has put in words what is in my heart. And "Child of God," if YOU really were, you would know not to judge and if this man is not Annointed, who is?? The power that comes from him, standing in one spot, is nothing less than a blessing from God. No one is perfect and I doubt anybody will try to claim such. Remember, Jesus did not come for the righteous, but so that sinners can be saved. We all fall short somewhere. We are all entitled to our opinions, but when you are talking about someone's connection to God, only God knows. Lee Williams and the Spiritual QC's have touched hearts all over the world and have led me to read many scriptures on account of listening to his songs and the stories about Jonah, Daniel, Moses, etc. and that's just me, you do not know what God has called him to do, so be careful how you judge. Lee Williams and the Spirituals have helped me in praising my God and I can only pray they never stop. God bless you too..........

Every I Shall C Him.......2006-03-18

This is a great album even though it isn't the best from Lee Williams! Yet how do you continue to out do yourself over and over anyway? Considering all their home runs this is still a slam dunk! To the Child of God Review, you've made yourself Judge of this group's salvation and beliefs and you aren't qualified! Only the Lord sees the heart! I Samuel 16:7

Done It Again!.......2006-02-13

Lee Williams and The Spiritual QC's have done it again! This dynamic group has nothing to prove to anyone but they do what they do and do it well! I enjoy the entire CD and my first picks are "God's Got A Blessing", "Jesus Rose", "Call Him Jesus" and "Glad To Be Here". Songs lead by other group members demonstrate a beautiful bond between the QC's. Keep it up!

Great Inspirational CD.......2006-01-12

More of the older generation will enjoy this cd. My father loves it more than any contemporary gospel cds.

Worth the purchase.......2005-12-10

These guys have done it again. Very uplifting and spiritual. Listening to this CD will open your eyes to see how really blessed you are. A must have for your collection

Average customer rating:

Some of his best work
Angels in America - Always Great!
GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Celestial Xpression of Thomas Newman
Amazing work

Angels in America
Thomas Newman
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000TAZB0
Release Date: 2003-12-02

Tracks:

Threshold of Revelation - Thomas Newman
Angels in America (Main Title) - Thomas Newman
Lesionnaire - Thomas Newman
Ellis Island - Thomas Newman
Acolyte of the Flux - Thomas Newman
Umdankbar Kind - Thomas Newman
The Ramble - Thomas Newman
Ozone - Thomas Newman
Pill Poppers - Thomas Newman
Quartet - Thomas Newman
Solitude - Duke Ellington
Bayeux Tapestry - Thomas Newman
Spotty Monster - Thomas Newman
Mauve Antarctica - Thomas Newman
Her Fabulous Incipience - Thomas Newman
The Infinite Descent - Thomas Newman
A Closer Walk With Thee - Lewis, George & His Ragtime Band
Broom of Truth - Thomas Newman
Submit! - Thomas Newman
Plasma Orgasmata - Thomas Newman
Delicate Particle Logic - Thomas Newman
The Mormons - Thomas Newman
Prophet Birds - Thomas Newman
More Life - Thomas Newman
Black Angel - Thomas Newman
Garden of the Soul - Thomas Newman
Heaven - Thomas Newman
Bethesda Fountain - Thomas Newman
The Great Work Begins (End Title) - Thomas Newman
Tropopause - Thomas Newman
I'm His Child - Zella Jackson-Price

Amazon.com

Playwright Tony Kushner adapted his sprawling meditation on the AIDS epidemic of the 80's into an equally epic, Mike Nichols-directed HBO miniseries. But while Thomas Newman's score spans that dramatic landscape with rich stylistic diversity, the young champion of the daunting Newman family musical tradition (his father was Fox legend Alfred; his brother fellow film scorer David; his cousin songwriter/composer Randy) never lets musical bombast get in the way of compelling emotional introspection. Anchored by a delicate wind and string-driven main theme that's as mature as it is bittersweet, Newman proceeds to explore some of the same adventurous, rhythmically restless soundscapes that characterized his work on Erin Brockovich and American Beauty. But that typically moody experimentalism is leavened elsewhere by moments of neo-baroque choral exultation, smokey 30's jazz (courtesy of George Lewis and his Ragtime Band and Duke Ellington) and even flashes of gospel and orchestral post-modernism, all of it served up with a masterful sense of irony-free restraint that's become one of the composer's most refreshing hallmarks. It's easily one of Newman's -- and 2003's -- most accomplished and satisfying film scores. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Some of his best work.......2007-06-12

Most of us know Thomas Newman for his work on his more famous films like American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption, Scent of a Woman and Meet Joe Black, but this soundtrack to the HBO film is right up there with his best pieces of work. The whole album goes through various feelings, shades and emotions, the best tracks for me being Mauve Antarctica and Tropopause. If you're a Thomas Newman fan then you need this in your collection.

Angels in America - Always Great!.......2007-01-03

Love the film, the play and the soundtrack. If you find the topics of Angels in America interesting, thought-provoking and warm to your heart, you will LOVE this. As a man battling HIV, I find it outstanding. Thanks Amazon, for offering all the Angels in America products.

GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-11-01

There are not enough stars on the selection for me to say how good this CD is! It is so beautiful and like classical music. I listen to it all the time!

The Celestial Xpression of Thomas Newman.......2005-08-31

...well, to only write a review is not enough to describe the impressive sound in this record. it is necessary to listen to it. Thomas do not scrimp in efforts to assemble this wonderful musical work. in fact, each one of the melodys, agreed, and instruments (mainly those of wind and strings) even are perfectly connected and performed in litle some more of 70 minutes of music. Transitions from the quietness of a melody to the loudest human chorus, may be hear is this soundtrack (tipically from the original Serie, that I have too in DVD). But everything is not perfect. Must be had included the Henry Mancini song: "Moon River" contained in one of the most sentimental scenes in the film/serie (that i think at least). In a plus, if you are an lover of this kind of productions, it does not have to lack in its collection the "Angels in America Soundtrack". Buy and enjoy it..!

Amazing work.......2004-11-28

After working in film scoring for the past decade, Thomas Newman has finally achieved his masterwork with the soundtrack to "Angels in America." It is a culmination of the different techniques and themes he has worked on in the past, along with a completely new orchestral sound that perfectly underlies the depth and scope of the film. It is a very rare score in that it conveys all the happiness, pain, pessimism and hope that Kushner's work is all about, simply through the nuanced way Newman has written and arranged it. It is an incredibly entertaining score that stands well on its own. A must for any fans of Newman or the film.

Average customer rating:

Kronos Quartet Black Angels
An excellent idea...not the best performances though
Ups and downs
Not for everybody
scary stuff

Black Angels
George Crumb , Thomas Tallis , Istvan Marta , Charles Ives , Dmitry Shostakovich , Hank Dutt , David Harrington , Joan Jeanrenaud , John Sherba , and Kronos Quartet
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Pieces of Africa

ASIN: B000005J0D
Release Date: 1990-06-21

Tracks:

Black Angels: I. Departure
Black Angels: II. Absence
Black Angels: III. Return
Spem In Alium (Sing And Glorify)
Doom. A Sigh
They Are There!
Quartet No. 8: I. Largo
Quartet No. 8: II. Allegro Molto
Quartet No. 8: III. Allegretto
Quartet No. 8: IV. Largo
Quartet No. 8: V. Largo

Amazon.com essential recording

The title to Kronos's most bleak album comes from a nearly 20- minute-long composition by American composer George Crumb that unfolds over 13 distinct parts. That ominous number only hints at the horror Crumb intended as an ode to the Vietnam War. War informs the whole CD: Shostakovich's Quartet No. 8, composed near the height of the Cold War, in 1960, was dedicated "to the victims of fascism and war." "Doom. A Sigh," by Istvan Marta, incorporates field recordings of two Romanian women singing personal laments of fallen friends and relatives; their grief is so intense as to render listening incredibly difficult. The original text to 16th-century composer Thomas Tallis's "Spem in Alium" (originally a 40-voice motet) recalled a biblical battle. And late American composer Charles Ives is heard singing (yes, singing) "They Are There!"--a ditty he wrote during the Great War and revisited for World War II; he's joined here by the Kronos, half a century after his death, in an act of studio magic that is ingenious if not musically stimulating. --Marc Weidenbaum

Customer Reviews:

Kronos Quartet Black Angels.......2007-05-17

This is music to think by as it engages the intellect.

Black Angels has a menace which invites ideas and images into your mind.It will make you a little uncomfortable, but it will remain within you.

Doom.A Sigh has a remarkarble story behind it and invokes an emotional response because the recorded voices carry echoes of something lost. It works a strange magic,drawing you in and giving a glimpse of a forgotten world that perhaps still exists within all of us, somewhere.

The Shostakovich quartet ends this CD as Black Angels began it,completing a cycle, and you will be brought back to the point at which you started your journey but with a sense of something profound having occurred.

This is a CD that will become part of who you are and the only question you need ask yourself is, are you brave enough to listen?

An excellent idea...not the best performances though.......2007-04-04

Kronos' selections are excellent, if a bit eccentric, although I am less excited by the Tallis and Ives...arrangements. How well the main pieces are done is another matter, one being decent, the other somewhat lacking.

Black Angels is a very exciting piece, as well as dark and disturbing. However I've played it, so it doesn't disturb me as much. Kronos is a bit fast sometimes, which can be a slight problem since the numerology is highly significant in this work. Pulling this piece off is not easy, as I can attest to. They do pretty well with it, but there is some "cheating" going on, as the DVD version reveals.

One of the most interesting effects in the piece is the "consort of viols" sections, images 6 and 8, which are trios in which each player plays behind his/her left hand--basically turning the whole technique of bowing and fingering upside down. This is difficult to do, however it is not actually very hard if you practice it for a few minutes. I find it strange that Kronos actually does away with this amazing effect and plays it with normal technique using heavy practice mutes--no big deal for most listeners, but it does alter the sound. So, Kronos doesn't stick to the score completely.

Anyway, the Shostakovich is the performance that is lacking. I like the Fitzwilliam cycle best, and their 8th is excellent, so you might get that one. If you don't mind the odd noises and variable sound the Borodin cycle is good too, but it is harder and harder to find, which is very sad indeed.

Ups and downs.......2007-01-29

I'm amazed that not one of the preceding reviewers mentioned the Brodsky recording of the Crumb, and only two of them seemed to know about the Concord, who were, I believe, the first to record it. The Brodsky is sharp, clean, accurate. The Kronos is none of these. Their performance is fast and sloppy. If you want to hear all the details you have to listen to the Concord or the Brodsky. (I've not heard the Cikada or the new Mode disc with members of the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic.) The Brodsky is a more exciting performance and a better recording than the Concord, plus they couple the Crumb with the Schubert 14th, which makes that famous cameo in "Dark Angels."

That does not mean you shouldn't have this disc. I've heard many recordings of Shostakovich's music, the reverent "we're playing music by the great Soviet composer," the long-faced "we're playing music by a tortured soul," and the vastly superior "we're playing music." I'd put this Kronos performance in the latter category. Ironically, I like it because it's faster than most (and a little bit sloppy). Not so sloppy that details are blurred, though, and fast here means the piece is never allowed to get lugubrious, which too many performances of his music definitely are. (So many people seem unable to listen to music without thinking about nonmusical things, like politics or the composer's putative feelings, and so many performers of Shostakovich seem happy to accomodate them.)

I don't know of any other performance of the eighth that makes the quotations so clear, either. Shostakovich threw in references to several of his own pieces in this quartet, the first and fifth symphonies, the first cello concerto, and most deliciously, the second trio. Kronos plays the quotes from the trio better than anyone else I've heard.

Not for everybody.......2005-05-27

This is probably one of the least accessible Kronos albums I own, largely because of the Crumb piece. Personally, I consider it taxing but nonetheless worthwhile, but even devoted followers of the Kronos Quartet are likely to be turned off by the strident nature of the piece.

The only other piece worth noting is the Marta composition, which has a strange otherworldly quality to it. All I can say about the Tallis "Spem In Alium" is that you would be much better served by listening to the original vocal arrangement. Kronos' version is simply rather boring by comparison. Likewise, Kronos' interpretation of the well-known Shostakovich 8th quartet reveals that while they are at the forefront of modern music (commissioning new works regularly), when it comes the standard repertoire oftentimes they simply do not measure up. There are more recordings than I can count of the Shostakovich 8th that are far superior --- take your pick.

This is an album with as many misses as hits, and the hits are not exactly the most accessible music Kronos has recorded. Echoing another reviewer, it might be worth listening to this before purchasing it.

scary stuff.......2005-03-03

I listened to this piece, Black Angels, and it definitely gave me the creeps. My wife begged me to take it off; I didn't, due to my morbid fascination. In retrospect, what was even creepier was the fact that I just spontaneously played it for the 1st and only time on the night of Sept. 10, 2001 . Coincidence? It's as if something inside of me had a premonition of the true horror of the following morning. Is this possible?

Average customer rating:

Preconceived Epiphanies Lolla '07
Black angels sing
Awesome, totally awesome
Good
Psychedelic music at its best

The Black Angels
The Black Angels
Manufacturer: Light in the Attic
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Passover
Surgery
The Morning After Girls
You in Reverse
Pikul

ASIN: B000BHAO62
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Black Grease
The First Vietnamese War
Winter '68
Manipulation

Album Description

Light In The Attic Records proudly presents the debut of The Black Angels. Armed with the home-grown mantra 'Turn On, Tune In, Drone Out' from deep in the heart of Texas, The Black Angels ring real and rugged like a red moonlit night. Formed in May of 2004, the band's sanctimonious holy racket was born out of life-long friendships drawn up in blood and sealed with a kiss. Their self proclaimed 'Native American Drone `N' Roll' genre has progressed from communal living and the members eclectic upbringings; Bassist Ryan was born on a cult compound, guitarist Bland is the real deal son of a Texas preacher man, organ player Raines grew up in a mortuary, and drummer Bailey and vocalist Maas believe a little girl in a red linen dress haunts the group's home. Taking their name from the classic Velvet Underground tune 'The Black Angel's Death Song', these Angels are far more than classic revisionists with extensive record collections. This is heavy-duty psychedelic rock with an incessant primitive beat that echoes the spirit of the 13th Floor Elevators and early Stones as witnesses to one of their epic 3-hour multimedia hometown performances will attest. The Black Angels reverberate madly with shards of fuzzed out guitar, submarine bass lines, tom-tom fuelled drumming, kaleidoscopic keys, and world-weary singing. With strong success in and around the out-skirts of Austin, a city literally exploding with music, it was the prolific hard working band's sold-out west coast summer 2005 tour that generated increased domestic and overseas buzz; including solid press coverage and exclusive spins on BBC Radio by Zane Lowe. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Preconceived Epiphanies Lolla '07.......2007-04-14

Life changed today. Ridiculously impressive. Reviewing List for Lolla '07 for things I want to check out come August and CCRRRRRRRRRRUUNNCCCHHHH!!!! Pulverized by an incredible band. Not a Neil Young fan but this is what his voice must sound like when he is run down by a slow locomotive engineered by Iggy. I can smell J.M's dirty leathers. Natives scream and eyes peel back to see the sound. How am I hearing Joy Division through all this storm. Inspiration and jealousy are best seved room temperature. Half way through this album on Rhapsody while writing this. No need to tell you to buy this because if you listen.... you will.

Black angels sing.......2007-03-11

The Black Angels are rock'n'roll, pure'n'simple -- they have raw, gritty, intense, droning rock music, redolent of the desert and a shaman's chant. It doesn't hurt that the singer sounds like a bluesier Jim Morrison.

And before they turned out an amazing full-length debut, the Black Angels put out a small EP that showed off some of their best songs. "The Black Angels" won't have much that's new for people who've heard "Passover," but it's a brilliant introduction for people who want some real, sinewy rock.

It opens with the droning guitars and wall-of-sound bass of "Black Grease," which languidly stretches itself over the epic melody. "Slow, you kept me in that storm/You showed me things galore/Made me want much more/And now denied/The things I saw inside," Alex Maas intones in a raw, soulful voice.

It's followed by two songs that also crop up on the debut: "The First Vietnamese War," a sprawling, tightly wound rocker that drones through a rippling melody and some killer riffs, erupting into an epic sprawl of keyboard and guitar. It's absolute mind-blowing and sensually frightening.

... which is when we switch over to the retro-sixties swirls of "Manipulation," which sounds like a long-lost Rolling Stones song (but with better vocals). And there's a song exclusive to this EP: "Winter '68," a swirling little B-side with murky vocals and what sounds like guitar wailing.

Basically, they're blending really raw blues music with swirling, dark psychedelica. It's an unlikely-sounding kind of music, but the Black Angels pull it off with exceptional skill. If there were any justice in the music world, these guys would be chart-toppers.

Granted, "Winter '68" isn't quite as good as the other three songs -- it seems to have less of a melody, and Maas sounds like he's singing through a blanket. Not bad, yet not brilliant. But the other songs are simply phenomenal -- raw, droning guitars and fuzz bass twisted into fiery riffs and looping melodies, as well as some solid drums. The effect is just hypnotic.

And Maas's voice is just great for this kind of music -- he sounds rough and weatherbeaten, like an old shaman who decided to form a band. He groans, murmurs, and intones softly, through the rather simplstic lyrics about storms, girls with pale blue eyes, and wars in Vietnam.

The Black Angels' music is a bit like a fine wine -- it takes a little while to sink in, but when it has, it's intoxicating. And this is a good introduction.

Awesome, totally awesome.......2006-03-21

This cd kills, I don't know how many times I replayed it the first day I got it. Can't wait for a full length to come out. Oh and check them out live, I saw them in January at a free show at Austin's finest venue Emos, and they were great. Their sound is retro without being that annoying we're super retro thing, ya know how that can get old fast. Anyway this thing rocks so buy it, and force your friends to listen.

Good.......2006-02-21

A very droney sounding Austin band with influences from the Velvet Underground hence their band name. If this EP is just a hint at their LP they could be the next big thing in the underground scene. Worth the listen if you're looking for something new-wait for the longplayer and some press if you're economical and/or a pawn.

Psychedelic music at its best.......2006-02-13

The Black Angels are a local favourite of mine. I've seen them live twice, and plan to see them again many more times. They're incredible people, and incredible artists-- their playing is top.

Their take on Psychedelic music is very refreshing. Their most obvious influence is (also from Austin) the legendary 13th Floor Elevators; but their love of BRMC, Warlocks, BJM, and countless other contemporary neo-Psychedelic acts makes their music a combonation of many good things. This EP is very, very good. "The First Vietnamese War" (hypnotic when heard live...) is excellent, and "Manipulation" is also another favourite of mine.

Keep a lookout for their full-length, which is coming out on April 11th on Light in the Attic Records.

Average customer rating:

Blessings

The Judgement
Slim & the Supreme Angels
Manufacturer: Malaco Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Slim and Supreme Angels: Super Set
Soulful Healing
Movin'
In This Place
Blind Man

ASIN: B000MRA3OE
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Tracks:

Glory To His Name
Where Shall I Be
Shame On You
If I Could Just Make It In
Going Home
(It's Gonna Be Sad) At The Judgement
Lift Him Up
I've Got Jesus
On The Other Shore
(I've Got) So Much To Talk About
On A Mission For The King
Death And The Beautiful Lady

Customer Reviews:

Blessings.......2007-04-02

Purchased this CD after hearing The Judgement one morning on the way to church....told my husband, "I've got to get that!" After I found it on Amazon, well, that says it all. We both really enjoy it. Of course you know I had to go to the song I heard on the radio.....then after a while, I started to really listen to the rest of the CD. It is marvelous!

Average customer rating:

Now I know why they make jokes about Hoboken (see below)
Many Undiscovered Treasures
compendium of the richness of American innovation
An interesting sampling of a musical dead end.
Fantastic Collection

American String Quartets, 1950-1970

Manufacturer: Vox (Classical)
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Feldman: String Quartet (1979)
Luciano Berio: Laborintus 2
Luciano Berio: Corale (Sequenza VIII), for Violin, 2 Horns & Strings / Chemins II (Sequenza VI) / Chemins IV (Sequenza VII) / Ritorno degli Snovidenia, for Cello & Small Orchestra / "Points on the Curve to Find...", for Piano & 22 Instrumentalists - Pierre Boulez
Elliott Carter: Piano Concerto; Concerto for Orchestra; Concerto for Orchestra; Three Occasions
Elliott Carter: A Symphony of Three Orchestras; Varèse: Deserts; Ecuatorial; Hyperprism

ASIN: B000001K50
Release Date: 1995-09-26

Tracks:

String Quartet: 92
String Quartet: 144
String Quartet
String Quartet In Four Parts: Quietly Flowing Along
String Quartet In Four Parts: Slowly Rocking
String Quartet In Four Parts: Nearly Stationary
String Quartet In Four Parts: Quodlibet
Quartet No. 3 For String Quartet And Electronic Tape
Summer

Tracks:

Black Angels (Images) For Electric String Quartet: Departure: Tutti, Threnody I - Night Of The Electric Insects; Trio, Sounds Of Bones And Flutes; Duo, Lost Bells; Solo, Cadenza accompagnata Devi-Music; Duo, Dance Macabre (Due Alternative: Dies Irae)
Black Angles (Images) For Electric String Quartet: Absence (Crumb)
Black Angles (Images) For Electric String Quartet: Return (Crumb)
String Quartet No 5: Theme I (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Variations (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Theme II (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Varitaions (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Theme III (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Variations (Hiller)
String Quartet No 5: Theme IV (Hiller)
String Quartet No 2: (Druckman)
Structures for String Quartet (Feldman)

Customer Reviews:

Now I know why they make jokes about Hoboken (see below).......2005-10-27

Man, it's discouraging to see people piddling all over music like this. 1950-65 was a great era for American culture; sure the European influence was lingering but American composers (and artists and filmmakers) were finding a voice, an expression of some quality uniquely American that had never appeared before. American music could be something other than Hoe-Downs, Charlestons, and Nearer my God to Thee (sorry, Charles, and you know I love you anyway). This was a taut and crisp intellectual America that was finally gaining ascendancy, something new to the world, brilliant and beautiful. I think of a wonderful photo of Elliott Carter with Stravinsky in New York at some gallery or concert hall circa 1960 or so. Stravinsky looks old and seedy, like a Russian refugee even though he had years to ditch that; Carter, alert and in a sharp suit, looks like the future-on-the-half-shell. It all got blown out of the water by 60s and 70s-era lack of standards and discrimination and an unwillingness to TRY. Sixties-era, anti-culture crapola that still reigns supreme. To much pot. Hippies ruined everything.

What's startling about the bad review is these quartets are hardly over-intellectualized. In fact most are quite beautiful or evocative; the Cage stunningly so. The LPs this collection came off were among my favorites of that era and I doubt a better or more nightmarish Black Angels has ever been done despite recent attempts by Kronos and others. Amazing playing by committed performers. A deal and a bargain.

For ten bucks this is like gold for free. Have at it!

Many Undiscovered Treasures.......2003-01-08

It's almost laughable not to pick up this disc. The price alone makes the set worth it. Added to that the fact that many of these works are not available in other forms and this disc is a no-brainer for fans of the late 20th century string quartet. The sampling transcends styles, from the almost improvisatory sonic canvas of Earle Brown, to the surprisingly beautiful almost minimal quartet of Cage, the horrific depiction of war in Crumb's justly famous Black Angels, or the almost traditional sounding Schonbergisms of Stepan Wolpe, this is an eclectic collection and well worth the modest investment.

I won't review everything on the album, as there is just too much. Highlights for me include the Earle Brown quartet, which is one of Brown's strongest early works. Since Brown is poorly represented on CD, every release of his is worth having, but the Second Quartet is a masterwork of tonal subtlety. Cage's Quartet was written just before he moved into his more aleatoric phase. It is highly modal and almost a precusor to minimlism, a very pleasing work that should be more widely known. Christian Wolff is also a composer who is underrepresented on CD (though Mode is quickly redressing the imbalance.) Summer is also a protominimalist work, based on stark 5ths. The reading of Black Angels is good, though not anything to supplant the Kronos reading, which is still my favorite. Also interesting are Quartets by Wolpe and Leon Kirchner.

So if you have any interest in American string work of the late 20th century, you need this disc. It is indispensible and very beautifully played. And the Vox Box price is unbeatable.

compendium of the richness of American innovation.......2000-04-05

This is a great showcase of the American string quartet,innovation,vision,iconoclasm,all elements which we often overlook and forget easily.But only Elliot Carter is missing, and that's because he has what! Five Quartets now.Inclusion of the First Carter would have rounded things out. The Earle Brown here is a neglected masterwork. Based on graphic notation the performers don't improvise so much as are given entrance freedoms within a prescribed range. The affect can be mysterious,haunting,also innovative with a wide pallette of extended techniques, at the bridge, sul ponticello,plucking. We often forget the traditional beauty Cage engaged the early part of his career, the Forties. This Quartet is a fine consummate example of that,with soft,gentle lines, very sparce, and transparent,also he limits himself to a few tones,tossed around the various voices. Structures by Feldman is an early work here, the Quartet is treated as one monolith sound,indistinguishable voices playing harmonics,cello playing where the violin plays, same range. All of Feldman's floating gentleness is here as well,perhaps too much at times,like it overspends its welcome. Crumb's Black Angels is another classic, The Kronos has takened this around the block many times, Crumb always works well with a programmatic agenda in place, and here he transforms the Quartets introspective consititution to more a drammatic focus. Druckman as well also works well with a program but here there is none. He has a fine imagination for sonoric structures,balance,but its doesn't seem to amount to much. The Wolpe is one of his best works. His creativity was uneven, here the violence and charged motives he is found of are in place to jump, and reiterate, toss around in an environment of high energy. Wolff's Summer is an early work prior to his metamorphosis into utilization of political imagery by comparison, this is a beautiful work,but cold, Wolff also needs a program,which he profoundly found, He has alater Quartet he wrote in the Eighties that is more compelling.

An interesting sampling of a musical dead end........1999-06-18

Superb analog transfers and excellent playing, I suppose. (I mean, how can you tell with music like this?) OK, I'm not a fan of this kind of music, but at this price I thought the collection was worth chancing. So far, I've found that the best way to listen to this recording is to let the music wash over you while you enjoy the sheer variety of sounds that the composers and players create. And there are some pleasant surprises, particularly the Cage quartet (from 1950) which contains genuine emotion and ends with a brief movement chock full of--gasp!--sprightly tunes. Makes me wonder what might have been had these composers shown more interest in music and less interest in mathematical gymnastics designed to impress their colleagues at the academy. At any rate, I recommend this album as an interesting sonic experience and a good sampling of the dead-end serialist/avant-garde genre that is now being supplanted by a return to music that recognizes tonality. (If you really want great 20th century quartets, incidentally, buy the 6 by Bartok).

Fantastic Collection.......1999-03-24

This set is a must if you have the slightest interest in avant-garde music from the 50s and 60s. Not a single weak piece, excellent sound and performances, and the price can't be beat!

Average customer rating:

Slim and Supreme Angels: Super Set
Slim & Supreme Angels
Manufacturer: Compendia
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Judgement
Have You Heard the News
I'll Rise Again
Blind Man
Mighty Clouds of Joy: Super Set

ASIN: B00019PDNO
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

Jesus Is a Listening
I Wanna Go
What's the Matter Now
I Never Heard a Man
Rise Again
Praise Song
Ziklag
Last Days
Nobody But You Lord
Someone Needs a Miracle

Tracks:

Saints in Praise
Stay Under the Blood
I've Come All the Way
My Soul Loves Only You
Just Wanna Thank the Lord
Mother in Zion
Lord Is Blessing Me
People Get Ready - Slim & the Supreme Angels, Supreme Angels, Doug Williams, Melvin Williams
Crown Life
People Don't Do

Music Review:

Music Review

Vivaldi: Complete Works for Italian Lute

On The Right Track

Urban Chill Session One

Waterscapes

Wenn Der Senator Erzahlt [Import]

Waiting for My Rocket to Come

Vanilla [Import]

The Song Remains the Same [Live]

Vibes a La Red

Supervielle [Import]

Van Full of Pakistans

Seeds Sampler

Black Orpheus