California

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
the artists compiled here all live, work and play together in a true and pure music collective. substance records is the conduit for this sound, helping to take these recordings from the street to your homes. this compilation is our first release, soon to be followed by albums produced and recorded in our own studios.

Album Description
this compilation is a sample of what is pure, real and immediate on the los angeles underground music scene. these recordings are straight from the studios of the artists to your ears, and is the gritty and raw sound of working musicians unhindered by the wants of a commercial recording industry.

Tracks:

All Summer Long (new stereo remix)
Catch A Wave
Hawaii
Little Honda
409
It's OK
You're So Good To Me (new stereo remix)
Then I Kissed Her (new stereo remix)
Kiss Me, Baby
Please Let Me Wonder (new stereo remix)
Let Him Run Wild (new stereo remix)
The Little Girl I Once Knew
Wendy (new stereo remix)
Disney Girls (1957)
Forever
Friends
Break Away
Why Do Fools Fall In Love
Surf's Up
Feel Flows (featured in the motion picture Almost Famous)
All This Is That
'Til I Die
Sail On, Sailor (featured in the Oscar-winning motion picture The Departed)
Cool, Cool Water
Don't Go Near The Water
California Saga (On My Way To Sunny Californ-i-a)
California Dreamin'
The Warmth Of The Sun

Amazon.com

In a sense, The Warmth of the Sun is to 2004's double-platinum Sounds of Summer as 1975's Spirit of America was to the previous year's chart-topping Endless Summer. Both Summer compilations feature the obvious hits, and their followups collect less famous--though still worthy--tracks like "Hawaii," "409," and "Little Honda." But the 21st-century collections are sequenced by the Beach Boys themselves, and that means this volume's songs are second-tier in fame only. The casual fan whose curiosity was piqued by Sounds of Summer and picks this up for "All Summer Long" will be captivated by Brian Wilson's stops on the road to Pet Sounds ("Kiss Me Baby," "Please Let Me Wonder," "Let Him Run Wild," "The Little Girl I Once Knew"), moved by the father-son collaboration "Break Away" (in many ways the Beach Boys' farewell to the '60s), and floored by a string of five songs from the early '70s--a few of which had their genesis in the ill-fated Smile project--that are a perfect showcase for the maturity the group, especially Brian and Carl, managed to attain less than a decade after penning "Pom Pom Play Girl" ("Surf's Up," "Feel Flows," "All This Is That," "'Til I Die," "Sail On, Sailor"). Taken together, these two volumes provide an extraordinary portrait of a band attempting to straddle popularity and artistic vision, spotlighting each facet just long enough to make you want more. (Collectors note: many of these songs appear in new stereo remixes--they may not be the original Brian Wilson productions as he heard them, but being able to distinctly make out the vibraphone in "Let Him Run Wild" is worth it.) --Benjamin Lukoff

Amazon.com

Compiled and sequenced by The Beach Boys themselves, The Warmth Of The Sun offers a rich view of the artistry and complex legacy of a band that has produced some of the most brilliant music of all time. This new career-spanning, 28-track collection illuminates much of The Beach Boys' most accomplished work. The Warmth Of The Sun is the perfect complement and companion to 2004's double-platinum Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys.

Beach Boys Photos

More from The Beach Boys

Sounds of Summer
Pet Sounds
20 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits

Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys
Endless Harmony
Endless Harmony DVD

Customer Reviews:

My feel-good music.......2007-07-21

Beach Boys music never fails to make me feel good and always brings great memories to mind.

The WARMTH of the SUN~it won't ever die..........2007-07-18

The WARMTH of the SUN;SOUNDS of SUMMER;PET SOUNDS;& SMILE comprise the magnum opus of BRIAN WILSON and his legendary touring/recording session band,THE BEACH BOYS.Yes,Carole Kaye;The Wondermints;superb studio musicians;guest artists(like Roger McQuinn)and writers like Van Dyke Parks are more than pulling slack on some of these albums. But the above-named are America's greatest pop band's classics of classic Americana.The BEACH BOYS are to the USA what the Beatles were to Britain.Elvis remains King of Rock'n' Roll(nobody questions the hundreds of Presley comprises).Dylan remains America's pop Poet(with McQuinn of BYRDS renown still troubadour Prince of pop and electronic Folk)...

Brian Wilson is the genius who created a unique American music that is fun and sometimes JOYOUS to hear.If you never heard The BEACH BOYS in concert, seeing the Brian Wilson touring ensemble built-around The Wondermints is probably the best substitute.But give yourself a break~ The Beach Boys have been around more than 40 years,and made millions of listeners of all ages and musical "sophistication"happy: their WARMTH of the SUN...their choir-rich harmonies...won't ever die.

Recycled Package #102.......2007-07-17

Do you know how long it has been since the Beach Boys released an album with new original material? I do. That would have been in 1992, fifteen years ago, when they released the totally execrable "Summer in Paradise," an album so bad that it could have been recorded by Aleutian Eskimos pretending to be the Beach Boys. Do you know how many compilations or collections of old material the band released since then? I do. If you include imports and all of the collections that they licensed to others, there have been 101 separate releases. That is not a misprint. In the past fifteen years, one hundred and one cd's have been issued containing recycled material. While Mike Love and his cohorts complain about (and sue) Brian Wilson in absentia, they write nothing of consequence, but repackage everything they can get their hands on, especially the stuff that features the real mainman, Brian Wilson. I can understand when an old band tries to coast on its reputation, but 101 re-packaged pieces of product is so far beyond the pale and so abusive of the band's core audience that it's a wonder anyone cares any more.
I, for one, cannot review "The Warmth of the Sun" on the merits of its songs, because it would be painfully redundant to do so. All that exists here are a few classic tracks intermingled with a few obscurities. As a rule (and especially when applied to the Beach Boys catalog), the more obscure the tune, the worse it is, and this collection practically screams that point. So, why would you buy this collection? I don't know. Maybe if you never bought a Beach Boys album in your life, this would be worthwhile, but with 101 other compilations to choose from, I see no particular advantage for this specific collection. Perhaps you are so masochistic that you feel compelled to buy anything that has the band's name attached. If so, I feel so truly sorry for you, as well as your ex-wife, your estranged children and your mortgage company.
Meanwhile, Mike Love is probably sitting at home right now, arranging the next batch of songs for next week's compilation. That can't be healthy for him, so let's do him a really big favor. Let's ban all future recycled collections credited to the Beach Boys. If our goal is achieved, we might force Mike to do something with an iota of creativity attached. Wouldn't that be nice? D- Tom Ryan

Interesting Album.......2007-07-14

This album is not just another collection of Beach Boys Greatest Hits. These are alternate mixes (not remakes) of many of their best-known songs. A few are not quite as good as the original mixes while others are superior. In any case, it makes for an interesting experience, listening to our favorite Beach Boys tunes from a slightly different perspective, sort of like sitting in a different part of the auditorium at a concert. The recording quality is very good throughout. I was not disappointed with this CD.

Lackluster.......2007-07-13

There are very few really good songs on this CD. Most of these songs must have been the "B" sides of thier hit records because neither I nor any of my friends had heard most of them. Even after listening to the CD several times, it still didn't "grow" on me. I real waste of money.

Average customer rating:

Welcome to the Hotel California
4 1/2 stars.
This isn't Wasted Time
Can't check out
Eagles at their absolute height.... bring back Felder!

Hotel California
Eagles
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Supergroups | Classic Rock | Styles | Music

General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Eagles - Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975
The Long Run
Desperado
Hell Freezes Over
Rumours

ASIN: B000002GVO
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Hotel California
New Kid In Town
Life In The Fast Lane
Wasted Time
Wasted Time (Reprise)
Victim Of Love
Pretty Maids All In A Row
Try And Love Again
The Last Resort

Amazon.com essential recording

It's no accident that The Eagles Greatest Hits might one day pass Michael Jackson's Thriller as the best-selling album of all time-- the Eagles made great singles. By contrast, their albums could be spotty and strained by self-conscious artistry. Hotel California was arguably the band's best single album--it was certainly the Eagles' biggest original disc-- and it also underscored the band's need to make a big statement. The title tune reflected the album's theme of paradise lost in California, painting this picture with a musical arrangement that punctuated strumming guitars with dramatic drums, and perhaps the band's most famous lyric: "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave." "New Kid in Town" was an equally fine albeit much more traditional Eagles ballad. "Life in the Fast Lane" aspired to hard rock but largely gunned its engine without taking off. The rest is okay, but nothing more than secondary Eagles songs that happened to be nestled into the album that came to define the `70s supergroup. --John Milward

Album Description

From the original master tapes on 24 karat Gold disc. Booklet includes complete original artwork. Standard jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

Welcome to the Hotel California.......2007-06-10

This is quintessential Eagles. The CD is chocked full of tunes that made the Eagles famous. A fine collection any fan of the Eagles would enjoy. One of my favorite CDs in college. You can check out, but you can never leave. A classic line that really brought back my days of struggling through my first year adjusting to college and being away from home. A great CD, in my humble opinion.

4 1/2 stars........2007-04-07

the hotel california, baby. in my neck of the musical woods (been listening to a lot of john coltrane lately) you are supposed to dislike the eagles. pure snobbery. i will have none of it. this is a fantastic album. the closing number, "the last resort," is reason enough alone to have this thing in your home. an absolutely beautiful song. seven minutes and twenty-five seconds of exquisite songcraft. not really a dud song anywhere on the album, in fact. this is the eagles masterpiece. no doubt. commercial music that is heartfelt, emotional, and fine. don't be a snob. check it out.

This isn't Wasted Time.......2007-04-01

This is one of the Eagles two best albums(the other being Desperado) and that doesn't mean that their other albums weren't good, however, both of these albums really are great from beginning to end. Okay so the first three songs were/are played to death on the radio. This is another album that surprises me that it was a hit because it's so dark for the most part and doesn't sound like the other stuff that was being played on the radio at the time. A song like Wasted Time reminds me of an updated tourch song and not really anything like the Bay City Rollers or Tony Orlando And Dawn(big hits at the time). Originally this was going to be the last Eagles album but the record company had other ideas. This is also the first with Joe Walsh in the band and his main song on the album Pretty Maids All In A Row is the best song he's ever written. Randy should be pointed out for his tune Try And Love Again which is also the only song on here in which the band does it's country/rock thing. Once again, I would suggest going with the box set and getting the mini lp sleeve version.

Can't check out.......2007-03-13

Time has passed Bachman Turner Overdrive, Ted Nugent and thankfully, The Hansens by, for reasons that only the gods and Robert Hilburn know. Bands may have their peak, but they don't often stay at the summit for decades to haunt the listener with a new nuance or an unheard overtone or a lyric that takes on new meaning or a vocal that pulls a tear when years before it generated a giggle. Time proves the mettle of the band in the maelstrom of public opinion and in the pop culture mindset of society.

A review of Hotel California in the classic sense of a track-by-track critique is folly. It's like going to the symphony to discover that Mahler should be capable of more subtlety, or to take issue with the color of the Golden Gate Bridge. The CD (or the "album" as we remember it) is now a part of us. To take it down to its component parts is like pulling the cornerstone from the Chrysler Building out for inspection. Pick it apart all you like, but there's no replacing a masterpiece of memory. It's not going anywhere. It's the Petrified Forest of rock.

Great music, music that transcends, that transports, is for all time, and messing with the components risks an awakening of evil spirits, a cacophonous clash of cultural traps, a probable trip to the edge of the abyss. DON'T GO THERE. The Eagles are as they were, an aural collection, and recollection for the ages.

Eagles at their absolute height.... bring back Felder!.......2007-03-09

The title says it all. I scrouged $5 of pocket money from my parents in 1977 to buy the vinyl LP and it stayed on my turntable for about a year (only occasionally to be replaced for a breif moment by other greats such as Dark Side of the Moon). This is the Eagles at their peak and not a throwaway track on the album. 30 years later it is on my iPod. The title track is haunting and the ripping guitar solo at the end is a simply brilliant guitar interplay between two of the most under-rated and genius rock guitarists about, Joe Walsh and Don Felder. The album is a nice blend of hard ripping rock (Felder's solo on Victim of Love is simply "wicked" - supposedly done "live in the studio" with no overdubs) and lovely melodic softer tunes (I really like Randy Meisner's often passed over "Try and Love Again"). Only bands of the quality of the Eagles can do this variety on one album and pull it off. The guitars are alternatively, haunting (like Henley's vocals), melodic (like G.Frey) and hard edged. Lyics are bitingly cynical and still relevant today... how many people still say the famous line "...you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave?"
Eagles are also brilliant live. If you like this you will also like Joe Walsh's "You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind" CD and The Eagles Farewell 1 Live DVD (it's great except there's no Felder [boo-hoo], but otherwise Joe is great....). Try also Jay Ferguson's "Thunder Island" for more cruisier stuff from the same year.

Live at the Roxy, Hollywood, California, May 26, 1976 - The Complete Concert

Average customer rating:

if memory serves me correctly
Gift for a good friend
Long Live Bob
Poetry In Motion
Best live album ever!

Live at the Roxy, Hollywood, California, May 26, 1976 - The Complete Concert
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Manufacturer: Island
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

International | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Babylon by Bus
Live!
Uprising
Survival
Kaya

ASIN: B00009V7T0
Release Date: 2003-06-24

Tracks:

Introduction
Trenchtown Rock
Burnin' & Lootin'
Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)
I Shot The Sherif
Want More
No Woman No Cry
Lively Up Yourself
Roots Rock Reggae
Rat Race

Tracks:

Positive Vibration
Get Up Stand Up/No More Trouble/War

Customer Reviews:

if memory serves me correctly.......2007-07-21

then this CD is from the Babylon By Bus tour (1976), which really jump-started Bob Marley's popularity here in the USA. Like Babylon, this is also a live CD, although it is recorded in a much smaller venue, LA's Roxy, right up on Sunset Boulevard, right next to The Rainbow, and down the block from the Whisky A Go Go. anyone who likes Bob Marley will enjoy this CD, every song is great.

Gift for a good friend.......2007-04-08

I was pleased how quickly this CD arrived. It was a birthday present for a dear friend, so I haven't heard it yet, however, I'm sure it's excellent. After all, it's by Bob Marley.

Long Live Bob.......2007-02-03

This is an awesome CD. Many hours of listening pleasure to anyone who purchases this product.

Poetry In Motion.......2007-01-11

With the pace of the arrangements adding even more powerful meaning to the vocals and music, Bob Marley & The Wailers deliver an astounding concert before an appreciative audience in a small club on Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, during the Rastaman Vibration tour.

The pristine sound captures Marley at his poetic best, as his songs of protest & redemption draws the listener into the music. The performance touches the senses in highly subtle ways, which are uniquely found in Want More & No Woman No Cry. The vocal interplay between Marley & Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt tugs at your soul.

Even the obligatory - for American rock audiences - I Shot the Sheriff is delivered with an added punch. The extraordinary set (Disc One) culminates with Rat Race, with the band returning (Disc Two) for an encore of 28 minutes; Positive Vibration and Get Up Stand Up/No More Trouble/War.

This is Marley the artist at the peak of his creative powers and one of the best live performances ever captured on CD.

Best live album ever!.......2007-01-10

When I look at my music collection in its entirety, my favorite albums tend to be the live ones, recorded at small halls or large arenas (think DMB, Zeppelin, U2, Frampton, Stones, Doors, etc). There is something unique, exhilarating, and almost unattainable about capturing the greatness mixed with spontaneity of live music. Live at the Roxy is my all time favorite live album. Incredibly good sound quality, just the right volume of crowd interaction, and Marley's poetic, lyrical leadership at the peak of his grasp of the power of his message and sound all combine to make this concert a priceless jewel. If you're like me, you'll put this double cd set in your car stereo and leave it in there for weeks. Makes you want to grow dreads and join the cause.

Average customer rating:

to michael smith
California
Magnificant
just not feelin it
Artwork!!

California
Mr. Bungle
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Metal | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music

Innovators | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Disco Volante
Mr. Bungle
Peeping Tom
King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime
Mit Gas

ASIN: B00000JG41
Release Date: 1999-07-13

Tracks:

Sweet Charity
None Of Them Knew They Were Robots
Retrovertigo
The Air-Conditioned Nightmare
Ars Moriendi
Pink Cigarette
Golem II: The Bionic Vapour Boy
The Holy Filament
Vanity Fair
Goodby Sober Day

Amazon.com

Nobody ever accused Mr. Bungle of being suckers for a good melody. The syncopated blasts of cartoonish noise that fill 1991's Mr. Bungle and 1995's Disco Volante are one part speed metal and one part Speedy Gonzalez. Initially, the band served as a more aggressive outlet for singer Mike Patton, widely known for his work in Faith No More. But with Faith No More no more, Patton and Mr. Bungle decided to sweeten the Bungle batter with a little songcraft. California boasts harmonies (yes, harmonies!) that would make the Brothers Wilson proud. Opening with a chorus of seagulls and crashing waves that gives way to slide guitar, strings, and Patton singing (not screaming), the poppy yet symphonic "Sweet Charity" announces that this is not your bike messenger's Mr. Bungle album. Songs like the easy strummin' "Retrovertigo," the sultry Scott Walker-esque "Pink Cigarette," and the orchestral "Vanity Fair" make California 1999's golden-hair surprise. --Bill Crandall

Customer Reviews:

to michael smith.......2007-06-03

what a dumbass. the chanting has been around much longer than that. mike just borrowed the idea and incorporated it into an amazing song.... kind of like the new tomahawk album... native american songs were around long long ago... but patton took the ideas and made them into a metal/alternative/electronic album. there's a difference between copying something, and being influenced by something and creating your own genius music with those influences. you're probably too dumb to realize that though if you had to post a review just to say something so incredibly dumb and ignorant.

ps-california is a good album :)

California.......2007-03-30

I love everything Mike Patton has done. Mr. Bungle is my favorite of all of his projects. When California came out I was completly blown away. They yet again had turned in a new direction and even though it is more along the lines of "Music" compared to the other albums California is a masterpiece of modern music.
The songs are all very easy to listen to but if you pay close attention you will notice that there is a huge amount of instrumentation and vocalism going on.
This is by fary my favorite Bungle album, even more than the self titled Debut. I just bought this for the third time (stolen twice now) and I am so happy to have it back in my collection. If you like Patton at all and have not heard California, get it.

Goodbye Sober Day

Magnificant.......2007-03-13

'California' is definately a very different item in the Mr. Bungle catalouge. The unnervingly demented experimentation of 'Disco Volante' is watered down, and the unhinged, derranged circus vibe of the first self-titled release is completely gone with the exception of a couple of songs. So what makes this one a hit? What makes 'California' stand out?

'California' is by far the most listenable of the Bungle albums. Before you potential Bungle-heads (If you are a true Bungle-head you already own this) turn an run at the word 'listenable', please understand what I mean. Mr. Bungle truly reached their musical potential with this album. Rather than focusing on extreme and random noises, Mike Patton shows us that even though still delightfully bizzare and unconventional, he is a truly magnificant vocalist capable of carrying a very melodic and captivating tune. Matching Mike's more melodic vocal style, 'California' soars above most experimental music with soothing melodies, and well executed atmosphere. This more melodic and less nonsense approach is obviously going to make the music more 'listenable', but fear not, 'California' still visits every corner of the musical spectrum. With styles from salsa, to metal, to surf, 'California' is still unmistakably a Mr. Bungle release.

By far the most 'musical' (in the traditional sense) Mr. Bungle album, 'California' is a perfect place to start if you are new to the band, and is an essentual piece to any avant-garde musicians' collection.

just not feelin it.......2007-02-20

I just cant see the whole Mike Patton thing,I mean yeah hes a great vocalist and i CERTAINLY THINK HIS BEST WORK IS BEHIND HIM. Faith No More had a COUPLE of good albums,and im not talking about Epic, but drivel is drivel is drivel. Maybe I have been spoiled by some real cutting edge music,or some of the vastly talented bands that metal has to offer,even on the progressive side. I'm sorry guys,this stuff to me while interesting,is just a complete cacaphony of noise. Perhaps Mike Patton should get together with another vocal icon who has long since run out of gas,Axl Rose,and can do some 50's doo-wop and perhaps some ballroom standards. Now THATS cutting edge.

Artwork!!.......2007-01-06

Wow! Thats about the best I can put it. This is the first Mr. Bungle album I bought and it was a hell of an adventure from the beginning to end. It takes a special group to be able to take different styles of music from the whole spectrum and make it flow like that. My favorite song is probably the last one. From the Arabic vocal patterns to the Heavy Metal thrash, it was a blast to listen to. Anybody who's looking for a blend of music with no limits, Mr. Bungle is the way to go. Like many other reviewers have mentioned before, this one is the most accessible CD they put out, and I mean that in the most relative sense.

Average customer rating:

In the Hills of California
Good stuff!
Outstanding!
What great Concert!
This is what music should sound like

In the Hills of California
Greg Brown
Manufacturer: Red House
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Live Albums | Folk | Styles | Music

Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music

Country Folk | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Evening Call
Honey in the Lion's Head
Dream Cafe
If I Had Known (CD & DVD)
Further In

ASIN: B0002O06Q2
Release Date: 2004-09-07

Tracks:

For All
Wash My Eyes
Never So Far
The Way My Baby Calls My Name
Spring and All
Slow Food
Ina Bell Sale
Tequila and Me
China
Introduction to Kates Guitar
Kates Guitar
Say a Little Prayer
You Really Got a Hold on Me
I Want My Country Back
I Shall Not Be Moved
Two Little Feet

Tracks:

Introduction to Lord I Have Made You a Place in My Heart
Lord I Have Made You a Place in My Heart
Poet Game
Think About You
Where Is Maria
Lullaby
Almost Out of Gas
Livin In a Prayer
Introduction to Mose Allison Played Here
Mose Allison Played Here
Rexroths Daughter
Vivid
Kind Hearted Woman Blues
Just By Myself
Your Town Now
Dont Let Me Down

Amazon.com

Rare is the voice that is both as deep and as warm as Greg Brown's. Though the veteran troubadour boasts the most weather-beaten baritone this side of Johnny Cash, there's sunshine in the smile of his wry phrasing and a disarming playfulness in his work. This two-disc set includes recordings from six years of California's annual Kate Wolf Music Festival and, while it lacks the flow of a single performance, the easy intimacy that the Iowa bard enjoys with his audience offsets any disjointedness from track to track. The generous selection of material (more than two and a half hours) includes nine songs Brown has never recorded before. Highlights range from the sly sensuality of "The Way My Baby Calls My Name" and "Slow Food" to the social commentary of "I Want My Country Back" and the droll evocation of life's ironies in "Where Is Maria." The conviction he brings to Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and the Beatles' "Don't Let Me Down" transforms familiar favorites into testaments of faith. --Don McLeese

Album Description

One of America's greatest singer/songwriters returns with one of the finest "live" CDs of roots music ever made...recorded at northern California's idyllic Kate Wolf Music Festival. The only artist to appear every year in the festival's history, he has a strong emotional connection to the event and these stunning performances reflect it. 9 tracks are previously unrecorded and the other 20 are classics with all-new and surprising treatments. Proceeds from this project go to support Jugalbandi, a "Music and Arts as Education" program in northern California.

Customer Reviews:

In the Hills of California.......2007-04-11

If you've never heard Greg Brown's live performance, this at least gives you a taste of what he can do. As I see it, live shows are Greg's forte, and I thoroughly enjoy listening to this 2 disc album. Greg has such a wonderful stage presence. I think more than anything it just feels authentic and honest with a simplicity to it all.

Good stuff!.......2007-01-10

The sound quality is not the same as his studio work, but for a live outdoor show it is very well done. The tradeoff is that you get an energetic, unscripted performance. Nice double CD set.

Outstanding!.......2005-12-09

This cd is a staple in my diet of "soul food". I have had this cd for a year now and I can never play it enough. I have found a profound love for the message, meaning, and feeling of greg brown's music.

What great Concert!.......2005-11-02

If you Love Greg's Studio Albums but have never seen him Live you Have to check this out. I sat down with my old friend the other day and threw this album on he had never heard of Greg Before but instantly loved it. Grab this album sit down with a bottle of good Whiskey and set the mood, and Greg Will do the rest.

This is what music should sound like.......2004-12-16

Greg Brown's newest release has already embedded itself into my list of one of the best Cds I've ever listened to. I just saw Greg at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco and was left with a warm fulfilling feeling that only great music can give you. Greg Brown has a way with words and has a voice that just takes you over. The fact that this CD was recoreded at different performances dosent take away from the continuity of the album, but im my mind adds to it. You can really get a feel for Gregs deep connection with Kate Wolf and the festival. I recommend "Kate's Guitar," "Lullabye," and "Two Little Feet."

Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel; Why Patterns?

Average customer rating:

Pioneering Minimalism
Stark and Eerie
My introduction to Morton Feldman
not quite soporific
Ambient Beauty

Morton Feldman: Rothko Chapel; Why Patterns?

Manufacturer: New Albion Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Morton Feldman: Piano and String Quartet / Aki Takahashi, Kronos Quartet
Give My Regards to Eighth Street: Collected Writings of Morton Feldman
Feldman: Crippled Symmetry
Morton Feldman: For Samuel Beckett
Morton Feldman: Triadic Memories

ASIN: B000000R2Z
Release Date: 1992-09-24

Tracks:

Rohtko Chapel 1
Rothko Chapel 2
Rothko Chapel 3
Rothko Chapel 4
Rothko Chapel 5
Why Patterns?

Customer Reviews:

Pioneering Minimalism.......2006-06-16

Listening to Feldman's music today, it can sound dated and derivative- if only because so many have followed him down that road since. We've heard a lot of this sort of minimalist tone poem from numerous hacks and sci-fi film composers. (I'm sure John Williams keeps a stack of Feldman CDs handy when he writes incidental music for the Star Wars films.) But Feldman can still sound fresh; unlike the hacks, he is fully capable of composing melodies that linger on in the mind long after the piece ends. He's rather stingy with them, but that only makes them even more welcome when- as in the final movement of "Rothko Chapel"- they finally appear.

This, along with "The Viola in My Life", represents the most accessible part of Feldman's work, and probably (I would argue) the part most likely to still be played long after a lot of the boring and overly pretentious work of the 20th century has been condemned to the dustbin. I doubt Feldman will ever rival the great melodic works of the 18th and 19th Century masters- or modernists like Lygeti- for lasting appeal, but I think that he will always have a place in the canon.

Stark and Eerie.......2004-07-26

A repetitive chorus of female voices, moaning, wailing, like a train heard passing from nowhere to nowhere at three in the morning, this is the coldest offering to the ear I've ever heard. And yet, somehow, it fits both Rothko's work and the manner of his death. After the Zen no-mind of the first four tracks, Feldman embraces his listeners and--by proxy--Rothko's spirit--in the 5th track, which offers us a "warm" and charming cello motif, that the composer, in his collected writings, tells us he composed at age 15. Rothko Chapel is then, a radical listening experience of "outside" (as in interstellar space), and "inside" (as in some catchy riff lifted from Dvorak's "American").

"Why Patterns" is more familiar Feldman territory: think aural disjunction, fragmentation, etc.

Exciting, challenging, memorable--these are the three key words I would apply to this CD.

My introduction to Morton Feldman.......2004-06-30

A friend of mine said I should check out Rothko Chapel. He said when he was in college he would go out and play golf and bake in the sun while listening to Rothko Chapel. After hearing this I went right out and got a cd of it. I haven't played golf to it but it's still one of my favorite pieces of music.

not quite soporific.......2003-03-22

Most of the music on this cd is very very sparing -- long tones with real silence between notes. But Morty Feldman also flirts with the baroque in these meticulously composed & arranged, textured pieces. Just don't try to use this music to wake you up. Nor to try to fall asleep to.

Ambient Beauty.......2002-07-31

Morton Feldman may have been the prototypical minimalist. His music, though varied in effect, tends to consist of very soft, discrete sounds which slowly morph from pattern to pattern. Though his music falls into periods, roughly divided by notational practice (early music uses primarily graphic scores and aleatoric procedures, later scores tend toward more precise notation, though the rhythms still remain approximate), the effect of his output is remarkably the same throughout his life. It is intellectually challenging, beautiful ambient music.

Rothko Chapel, written to be played in the famous Houston space, is a wonderful piece, one that should win new converts to the Feldman cause. It isn't daunting in length, like many later Feldman pieces, yet it retains the sonic beauty and delicacy of instrumental color that makes Feldman unique. The piece is also remarkably tonal, unlike many other Feldman works. The gorgeous hushed soprano solo sounds like a distant call to prayer. Feldman talks in the liner notes of the influence of Hebrew cantilation and you can hear it, although it is much more distant than most cantilation. This work is an example of the best kind of ambient music. It is endlessly fascinating, and yet seems to have a physical presence that does not depend on your concentration. You can listen intently or just let the sound wash over you.

Inclusion of Why Patterns? was a good idea. This work is much more typical of Feldman's style. Written for the combination of flute, glockenspiel and piano, the almost 30 minute work is a slow spinning out of subtley dissonant patterns, all at extremely quiet volume levels. The work doesn't seem to start or stop. It's as if we are dropping in on an eternal piece of music, hanging around a while and then leaving again.

As one other reviewer stated, it would be nice to have another version of Rothko Chapel available. With a composer like Feldman, alternative versions can really proove useful. So much of his music depends on chance and the sensitivity of his performers that comparisions are more important than with more standard music. The sound on this CD is wonderful. Thank you New Albion! This is my favorite Feldman CD by far!

King of California
Average customer rating:

King of Alvin Cds

A Must Have

Music That Grows On You

As genuine as it gets.

One of the best folk albums of the 1990s

King of California
Dave Alvin
Manufacturer: Hightone Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music
Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Ashgrove

Blackjack David

West of the West

Out in California

Interstate City

ASIN: B0000005QQ
Release Date: 1994-05-01

Tracks:

King Of California
Barn Burning
Fourth Of July
Goodbye Again
East Texas Blues
Every Night About This Time
Bus Station
Mother Earth
Blue Wing
Little Honey
(I Won't Be) Leaving
What Am I Worth
Border Radio

Amazon.com essential recording

Former Blaster Dave Alvin takes a break from bluesy rock & roll for a folk-country collection of his best-known songs and a few choice covers. Alvin's voice, a raspy and limited yet emotionally revealing baritone, is better served with some electricity at his back, but this unplugged set is still never less than charming. The spare, new versions of Alvin songs such as "Fourth Of July" and "Border Radio" place renewed emphasis on his detail-rich lyrics, although the most memorable moment comes when Syd Straw joins him for a rollicking duet of the George Jones classic "What Am I Worth." --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews:

King of Alvin Cds.......2006-02-25

I'm already a big Dave Alvin fan, and this is probably my favorite CD. A little more stripped down and straight forward than some of the later stuff. An all around great singer/songwriter CD.

A Must Have.......2005-08-23

Whether you are a long time Dave Alvin fan, or only recently started listening to his music, King of California is a must have for your collection. Great CD!

Music That Grows On You.......2004-10-26

I saw Dave Alvin perform at the Strand in Redondo Beach, CA in 1991 with the Blasters. My wife and I were sitting in the front row. The Blasters were over one hour late. They came in and within 1 minute launched the room into 'Marie, Marie'. Phil Alvin's contorted face still a distinct memory. After this, I lost track of Dave Alvin for about 5 years. I guess I was looking in the 'B's' at Best Buy and Borders and finding nothing (this was in the pre-Amazon days). One day, while in the A's at Best Buy, I stumbled onto Dave Alvin again. I bought this CD. At first, I was hoping for the Blasters, so I didn't give the CD too many listens. Then one day, while I was moving, I started listening. This CD was really great, just a different style. Dave Alvin is an acquired taste, like moving from sweet wines to a rich cabernet. After appreciating a cabernet or merlot, it is hard to have a glass of that sweet stuff anymore.
It's very much like listening to Springsteen's Tom Joad or Nebraska after growing up on Born in the USA or Born To Run.

As genuine as it gets........2003-06-11

A beautiful piece of work from the Blasters' hellcat guitarist. Alvin keeps the progressions and melodies simple while finding one devastating lyric after another. The title track will haunt me for years. It may falter a bit toward the end, but "King of California" is an excellent introduction to this roots-music master.

One of the best folk albums of the 1990s.......2003-03-19

King of California is Dave Alvin's career-defining moment. Some songs are slowed-down versions of his old Blasters material (Border Radio, Bus Station), others are from his days in X or early solo ablums. Somewhere along the line Dave learned how his songs should be sung. This is no knock to Phil Alvin, the lead singer for the Blasters. It's just the truth. This album's is Dave's Highway 61 Revisited, and one of the best folk albums of the 1990s. It's sonic poetry.

Average customer rating:

A Song Of Home
A little too slick and a little too much Galway
Very Compelling Classy Classical Appalachian
Is it the music or the musicians?
A National Treasure

Song of Home
James Galway , Jay Ungar , and Molly Mason
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Harvest Home
The Lovers' Waltz
Civil War Classics
Waltzing With You
James Galway ~ Meditations

ASIN: B00006IGQ0
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Tracks:

My Cape Breton Home
Foster's Ladies
Presidential Hornpipes
A Roving On A Winter's Night
The West Texas Waltz
Oh Shenandoah/Shenandoah Falls
The Lovers' Waltz
Bound For California
Heart Of The Heartland
Pretty Saro
The Mountain Ranger
Themes From 'Harvest Home Suite'
Amazing Grace

Customer Reviews:

A Song Of Home.......2005-07-09

You can feel his pride in his heritage in the way he plays on this CD

A little too slick and a little too much Galway.......2004-01-16

Based on the reviews I read about this album, I had high expectations. I am sorry to say that the album leaves me a little cold. The performances are superb, but unspontaneous. Another difficulty is with the orchestrations. In most cases on this album I think the flute just doesn't work. A case in point is Lover's Waltz, which is near perfect in the original Ungar/Mason version. Galway's flute just doesn't exude the same warmth. Another disappointment is Heart of the Heartland, which could have been an interesting conversation between Galway's flute and Ostroushko's mandolin. Instead we get another showcase for Galway with Ostroushko relegated to backup musician--what a shame! The only track I think that works well on this album is The West Texas Waltz, where we get a taste of how a really collaborative album might have sounded. I guess this album makes good easy listening, but it is certainly not the engaging album I would have expected of these folks.

After a year or two of owning this album, I have to say that the performances are even more stale that when I first reviewed it. I wish they'd let me take a star back.

Good for folks who like "easy listening". I like musicians who aren't afraid to challenge each other and themselves. This album had that potential, but falls flat.........

Very Compelling Classy Classical Appalachian.......2003-02-08

I get home from a hard day at the office and put on my headphones and am transported to heaven. If I had only two hours left of life on earth, I would want to listen to this album for one of them and we won't discuss the other hour please! Galway, Ungar, and Mason are superb. My wife and I were already of fan of Galway. Garrison Keillor's recommendation of "Waltzing with You" by Ungar and Mason (Sony) turned me on to Jay and Molly. Then on to "The Lover's Waltz" and "Harvest Home". The subtle blending and play between Galway's Flute, Jay's Fiddle, and Molly's Guitar . . . . God, there is nothing like it. If you buy this CD and don't like, I'll buy it off you and give it to a friend! ... Thanks Sir James, Jay and Molly.

Is it the music or the musicians?.......2002-12-07

During the many times I have listened to this album, I have posed myself the same question: is it the music I like best or the musicians that perform it? The music is compellingly rich for sure, music that makes the home a resonant place to live in the same way that a dancing wood fire speaks to the eyes of the soul. But the music sings with a penetrating warmth because of the seasoned artistry of the musicians who perform it. I have to give the tilt to the musicians who will forever haunt me with the flickering flames of their performance.

A National Treasure.......2002-10-20

This meeting of musical minds was a stroke of creative matchmaking by RCA. James Galway, the renowned flutist blends but does not blur with two of American folk music's more deeply rooted musical thinkers -- Jay Ungar & Molly Mason. Right from the start, "My Cape Breton Home," the art and craftsmanship, the painstaking selection and arrangement is evident. And this CD continues to delight the mind with an hour of the most beautiful music. All tunes, whether old favorites, like Stephen Foster's "Gentle Annie," or new and original, like "West Texas Waltz" by Jay Ungar, come together as naturally as the confluence of many streams. It seems as if you know these songs so well, which in my case is surprising, but perhaps not so surprising from a CD with Jay Ungar on it, composer of the evocative song for all time, "Ashokan Farewell." This piece has become a de facto theme for millions of people who heard it played again and again in the Ken Burns documentary on The Civil War.

The instrumentation, as you might expect, is the main feature of the CD. Flute, fiddle, piano, mandolin, guitar. But at what seems to be exactly the right time, Molly Mason and Ruth Ungar (Jay's daughter) voices sing out in harmony. And there is a deep understanding of the music here too, and therefore, much beauty in the sound. The rendering of "Pretty Saro" could stand alone as a classic, but when you hear it in order and against the background meticulously prepared by these musicians, it has a presence that is truly haunting.

I think anyone with a taste for the roots of American folk music will enjoy this CD. It has deepened my appreciation of the folk music of America and even the rural environment where I live in America. The art and craft are impeccable. "A Song of Home" is from beginning to end, thoroughly enjoyable, much to think about, a heritage to keep.

Cold in California
Average customer rating:
Cold in California
Ingram Hill
Manufacturer: Hollywood Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000SQLBQ8
Release Date: 2007-08-21

The Best of the Gatlins: All the Gold in California
Average customer rating:

All the Gold in California ROCKS!

Harmony at its best

Some of the greatest music of the 70's and 80's

Sure Feels Like Love didn't sound right

Gatlin music at it's very best

The Best of the Gatlins: All the Gold in California
The Gatlin Brothers
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cowboy | Country | Styles | Music
General | Country | Styles | Music
CDs $7 - $10 | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
All Bargain Titles | Country General | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
4-for-3 Country | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band - 17 Greatest Hits

Sing Their Family Gospel Favorites

Gatlin Family Christmas

Christmas With the Gatlin Brothers

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Oak Ridge Boys

ASIN: B000002AAX
Release Date: 1996-03-12