Blue Dawn

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
As a classical guitarist studying at the Robert Schumann Conservatory in Dusseldorf, Germany, Kamal soon felt constricted by the limitations of classical music. He took up the bass guitar and played with a variety of jazz and rock bands, always aware that he had yet to develop his own unique style and sound.

After years of band work, in 1984 Kamal discovered synthesizers and sequencers. His experiments excited him as he realized that he could create complex music using various instruments in combination with this technology. The music he has created since then, like all innovative art forms, defies categorization. It is both dynamic and soothing, celebrative and reflective.

Album Description
Emotional and dreamy melodies arranged with soft sounds of the oboe and flute, easy rhythms and quiet sounds of the wind, the rain and the ocean.

Tracks:

Canon In D
'Brandenburg' Concerto No. 3: Allegro
The Four Seasons - The Winter: Largo And Allegro
Fanfare ('Masterpiece Theatre' Theme)
Camerata Romana: Air For The 'G' String
'Eine kleine Nachtmusik': Allegro
Piano Concerto No. 21 ('Elvira Madigan' Theme): Andante
Introduction To Symphony No. 5
'William Tell' Overture: Finale
'Aida': Triumphal March
On The Beautiful, Blue Danube Waltz
'The Nutcracker': Waltz Of The Flowers
'1812' Overture: Finale

Tracks:

Sabre Dance
'Light Cavalry' Overture: Finale
Carmen: The Toreadors
' Midsummer Night's Dream': Wedding March
Radetzky March
Symphony No. 9, 'Choral': Finale
'Prince Igor': Polovstian Dance No. 17
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
Peer Gynt: Solveig's Song
Sleepers, Wake
Water Music: Hornpipe
Symphony No. 9, 'From The New World': Largo
Emperor Waltz
'Emperor' Quartet: St. Anthony's Chorale
'The Tales Of Hoffman': Barcarolle
L'Arlesienne: Farandole
'The Nutcracker': Dance Of The Mirlitons
'The Nutcracker': Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy
'Rhapsody In Blue': Highlight
'Orpheus In The Underworld': Can-Can

Tracks:

Introduction To 'Also sprach Zarathustra'
Symphony No. 4, 'Italian': Saltarello: Presto
Piano Concerto No. 20: Romance
'The Valkyrie': Ride Of The Valkyries
'The Four Seasons' - The Spring: Allegro
Toccata and Fugue
Trumpet Voluntary
'Royal Fireworks Music': la rejouissance: Allegro
'Moonlight' Sonata: Adagio Sostenuto
London Festival Orchestra: Overture To 'The Barber Of Seville'
Piano Concerto No. 2: Adagio Sostenuto

Tracks:

Carmina Burana: Introduction To 'Carmina Burana'
Peer Gynt: Dawn From 'Peer Gynt'
Lohengrin: Prelude To 'Lohengrin'
'Lieutenant Kije': Troika From 'Lieutenant Kije'
Adiago For Strings
'Carmen': Habanera From 'Carmen'
'Double' Concerto: Allegro From 'Double' Concerto
The Marriage Of Figaro: Overture To 'The Marriage Of Figaro'
(Rondo) Alla Turca
Xerxes: Largo From 'Xerxes'
Symphony No. 5: Allegro vivace From Symphony No. 5
'Swan Lake': Scene: Enchanted Lake From 'Swan Lake'
Clair De Lune
Bolero

Customer Reviews:

CD set is misnamed.......2007-06-08

They should have titled this "classical music for people who love classical music" because most of the selections are typical classical music. The title suggests it would be lively selections of "light classical" music that is more upbeat, i.e. Sabre Dance, etc. I really don't hate classical music at all and have many classical CDs in my collection but I really wanted to hear more exciting selections. I won't be purchasing any more of this set but if you like traditional classical music these are good one.

Do not Buy.......2007-02-21

I do know it says classical music for people who hate it, but serioulsly you would have better luck never listening to classical music again. The recordings are awfull and do not do justice to any of the composers. Buy something else.

Classical Music for People Who Hate Classical Music.......2007-01-30

We love this set of CD's. I just got a new copy because my kids keeping taking our first copy with them so that they can listen at work or in their bedrooms but then I can never find them.

Seek better versions.......2006-12-09

If you are fairly new to classical purchases then compilation CD's can be useful for deciding what to buy next. Sometimes you only need a small taste of a piece to inspire you to buy a release with the whole performance on. The problem with this compilation however is that most of the versions are poor in performance or recording quality (or both) when compared to the best versions and the fact that the conductors aren't even credited on the track listing made me suspect that this would be the case. One of my favorite classical pieces is Tchaikovsky's 1812 festival overture but if the first CD version I had heard had been the finale excerpt that is on this compilation I may not have gone on to buy the whole thing. Luckily I heard Adrian Leaper's version first and Adrian's version is rather good.
My classical CD buying experience is limited to only a couple of dozen discs but I have found that the Naxos and Deutshe Grammophon releases are fairly safe. Avoid any release which does not name the conductors on the track listing or sleeve notes.

It Is What It Is.......2006-10-27

It's fitting that this page is fraught with the same kind of silly snobbery that turns people off from classical music (and necessitates collections like this) in the first place.

Any criticism of this compilation, which focuses on the quality of the performances or the fact that many tracks are excerpts, misses the point. This is not a collection for people who consider such things, nor does it purport to be. The idea is to package as many ultra-famous classical melodies as possible in one affordable collection and market it to people who have never purchased a classical recording. As such, top-tier performances are likely too expensive to be sold so cheaply and are unnecessary anyway. Those of us who already know and love a piece or two can forgive the compilers the inclusion of sub-par recordings, when we are exposed to so many other beautiful pieces for the first time.

It probably comes as a shock for some to hear that most people are not familiar with these classics. We may hear snippets on TV or movies, but are left with no idea as to the composer or historical context. With that in mind, it is extremely intimidating to begin buying classical. I suppose those among us, who so thoroughly dismissed the very notion of a boxed set like this, would have us begin by buying full albums by reputable interpreters. Surprisingly enough though, the majority of people would consider that a tad cost-prohibitive.

To conclude, this is a STARTER collection. It will either affirm a listener's feelings about classical music or lead to an interest in purchasing better recordings. Ideally, I suppose the interpretations would be better, but, for reasons mentioned above, that just isn't in the cards for a collection of this nature. If you're familiar with 50 different recordings of "The Ring" series, or have season tickets to the New York Philharmonic, then this probably isn't for you. For us cretins with limited foreknowledge of classical music though, it serves as a succinct introduction with little to complain about.

Average customer rating:

Repeatedly unexpected. Serious jazz remakes old favorites.
Sweet as Tupelo honey
One of the Best of the '90's
A fine song stylist
learn to love it

Blue Light Til Dawn
Cassandra Wilson
Manufacturer: Blue Note Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000005HBI
Release Date: 1993-11-02

Tracks:

You Don't Know What Love Is
Come On In My Kitchen
Tell Me You'll Wait For Me
Children Of The Night
Hellhound On My Trail
Black Crow
Sankofa
Estrellas
Redbone
Tupelo Honey
Blue Light 'Til Dawn
I Can't Stand The Rain

Amazon.com essential recording

Cassandra Wilson is a postmodern jazz singer, a conceptualist who sees no dividing lines between genres. If her career had commenced in the 1970s rather than the label-conscious 1990s she would have been marketed as a mainstream pop diva. Her magnificent voice and interpretive genius mark her as a jazz singer for the ages, however. She finds her material wherever her fancy takes her and remakes it in her own image, whether it be the country blues of Robert Johnson's "Come On in My Kitchen" and "Hellhound On My Trail," the soul of Ann Peebles's "I Can't Stand the Rain," the elegant R&B of Charles Brown's "Tell Me You'll Wait for Me," the melodic pop of Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow," and Van Morrison's "Tupelo Honey," or her own "Redbone"--and the title track, accompanied by steel guitarist Gib Wharton. --John Swenson

Customer Reviews:

Repeatedly unexpected. Serious jazz remakes old favorites........2006-03-23

Repeatedly unexpected. Spare, care-ful arrangements, each specifically formulated for each song, each matching her rich, dark alto. First and foremost, serious jazz, but also something entirely different, reflecting an eclectic song choice (e.g., Robert Johnson, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Ann Peebles, herself). Sometimes a primal awareness, but mainly a remarkable artistic sensibility. She DEMANDS attention, completely remaking even old favorites into something totally new. S: tr 2-Come on in my kitchen; tr 4-Children of the night, tr 5-Hellhound on my trail; tr 7-Sankofa; tr 10-Tupelo honey.

Sweet as Tupelo honey.......2004-11-23

Hands down one of the best covers of Tupelo Honey I've heard. For some reason this stands out as one Cassandra's best recordings to me. Great range of voice and songs in this outing.

One of the Best of the '90's.......2004-01-25

Of all of the vocal jazz albums released in the 1990's, this remains one of the best. Ms. Wilson shows tremendous range and diversity here: from a cover of "Tupelo Honey" that outdoes Van Morrison (if that's even possible), to a wonderfully evocative "Hellhound on My Trail", to "You Don't Know What Love Is". to the African-based trio in the middle of the set, it doesn't get much more eclectic than this. Yet, it's all interesting, with always interesting instrumentation. I think Cassandra Wilson falls in the mold of Billie Holiday--one with a relatively limited voice who just brings it all to the table--but with wider diversity. Very highly recommended.

A fine song stylist.......2003-10-25

Ms. Wilson has a wonderful voice that reminds me somewhat of that of Cleo Laine. The problem for great voices--now I'm also thinking of Whitney Houston--is that they don't always make great albums.

This one is what I would describe as late night music, the kind of thing that you put on when you have arrived home having drunk rather too much, and want to hear something clear and pure to clear your head.

My favorite track on this is the Robert Johnson number Hellhound On My Trail, which is beautifully done with solo guitar accompaniment. I would like to have heard more of Ms. Wilson in this mode, but this album is a bit of a sampler--eclectic if you like--mixing blues, jazz and country, with violins creeping in every now and again.

Not a bad album at all, but I suspect that Ms. Wilson is capable of an even better one, so I reserve judgement a bit. I also have a feeling, and this is just a hunch, that this album may appeal more to female listeners than to the guys.

My star rating system goes like this:

5 stars--an absolute classic
4 stars--the artist is on top form here, a good buy
3 stars--fans of this artist should enjoy this album
2 stars--some good stuff, but inconsistent
1 star--just not good enough

learn to love it.......2003-03-28

So Cassandra's "New Moon Daughter" is a gem too, but this album is less known and, while it didn't make an immediate impression on me, I now listen to it a lot more. There's basically more variety in song style and arrangement and, if you like Cassandra, then just the sound of her voice is heaven. (If you haven't heard her, her voice is about as distinct as Nina Simone's.) The key point with Cassandra is: nobody sounds like her so if she isn't in your collection then nothing like her is in your collection. Her voice is deep and sultry, her music spacious, unrushed -- there's something distinctly southern about it. She is one of Nora Jones' inspirations, but where Nora's voice is a gentle breeze, Cassandra's is a gathering cloud, and there is no lounge sound to Cassandra's music -- the instruments bleed raw notes.

The Longest Day: The Ultimate World War Movie Theme Collection

Average customer rating:

These are not the same arrangements as the original movie soundtracks
An outstanding compilation
The really good ones are missing.
"many were winners by the Academy for best scores"

The Longest Day: The Ultimate World War Movie Theme Collection

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Longest Day: Music From The Classic War Films (Soundtrack Anthology)
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The Battle of the Bulge: The Original Score by Benjamin Frankel

ASIN: B00020R02O
Release Date: 2004-05-25

Tracks:

The Longest Day
Attack On The Iron Coast
Band Of Brothers-Prelude
Band Of Brothers-Theme
Battle Of Britain
The Battle Of The Bulge
The Blue Max
Das Boot
The Bridge At Remagen
The Bridge On The River Kwai
A Bridge Too Far
The Caine Mutiny
The Captive Heart
Casablanca

Tracks:

Coastal Command
The Cruel Sea
The Dambusters
The Diary Of Anne Frank
The Eagle Has Landed
Empire Of The Sun
The English Patient
Fear And Desire
Force Ten From Navarone
Gallipoli
The Great Escape
The Guns Of Navarone

Tracks:

Hanover Street
The Hindenburg
In Harm's Way
Is Paris Burning?
King Rat
Lawrence Of Arabia
Lifeboat
Macarthur / Patton
Malta G.C.
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Midway
The Mountain Road
1941

Tracks:

The Naked And The Dead
The Night Of The Generals
Paradise Road
Paths Of Glory
Pearl Harbor
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler'S List
Sergeant York
The Sharkfighters
Sink The Bismarck!
633 Squadron
Where Eagles Dare
The World At War
The Longest Day

Customer Reviews:

These are not the same arrangements as the original movie soundtracks.......2007-01-21

I was disappointed that these are not the same arrangements as the original movie soundtracks. For example, in Colonel Bogey, the countermarch from the movie soundtrack is not included in the arrangement on this CD. Don't get me wrong, the songs are good, but I would have preferred the same arrangements as the original movies.

An outstanding compilation.......2006-08-25

This compilation is superb and a real must-buy. From Band of Brothers to A Bridge Too Far: every war movie theme is represented here. An all time classic.

The really good ones are missing........2005-07-18

While this compilation has some masterpieces such as the theme from The Great Escape and Is Paris Burning, it's missing some of the finest tracts ever written. Where is the theme from Victory and Ernest Gold's stirring epic from Cross of Iron? The closing theme from Inchon was also a feast for the ears, but it's not here. It was written by Jerry Goldsmith, one of the foremost soundtrack composers of our time. Instead we're subjected to the likes of Hanover Street and The English Patient. I'll admit Inchon and Victory weren't Academy Award winning movies, but their soundtracks were second to none. As John Stossel would say," Give me a break"!!!

"many were winners by the Academy for best scores".......2004-05-26

Silva America presents the essential in film music during the period of World Wars ~ "Longest Day:Ultimate World War Movie Theme", featuring some long forgotten cues, 53 to be exact that sent chills and thrills into the pulses of world events ~ selections from a limited collectors edition that would make any "film-score-buff" green with envy.

Released to commemorate the sixth Anniversary of D-Day, never has there ever been such a tribute compilation package from any other label and Silva comes to the forefront ~ featuring The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (Paul Bateman, Nic Raine Tony Bremner and Carl Davis as conductors), The Philharmonia (Kenneth Alwyn, Jerry Goldsmith, Mario Klemens and Paul Bateman as conductors) and also the world renown Crouch End Festival Chorus (David Temple as choir master) ~ what a gathering of talented musicians and singers fill this collection supreme.

The lineup of composers is a Who's Who in the world of film music ~ John Addison, Tomaso Albinoni, Kenneth J. Alford, Paul Anka, John Barry, Arnold Bax, Elmer Bernstein, Eric Coates, Carl Davis, Klaus Doldinger, Antonin Dvorak, Benjamin Frankel, Gerald Fried, Hugo Friedhofer, Jerry Goldsmith, Ron Goodwin, Bernard Herrmann, Maurice Jarre, Michael Kamen, Jerome Moross, Alfred Newman, Clifton Parker, Alan Rawsthorne, Ryvichi Sakamoto, Lalo Schifrin, Gerard Schurmann, David Shire, Max Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin, Ralph Vaughan Williams, John Williams, Gabriel Yared and Hans Zimmer ~ set the stage for compositional human drama while exploring the deepest troves of musical emotion ~ one masterpiece after another, each cue manages to display both a convincing authenticity of the times and places ~ experience every tracks passion and skill for striking the exotic orchestral colors, explosive power and spectacular works of full large scale orchestral arrangements previal at every turn.

We are grateful to James Fitzpatrick (producer), Reybnold da Silva (executive producer), Rick Clark (associate producer/album sequence), Marion Garden (associate producer) and the whole gang at Silva America who have resurrected many of the soundtracks for the "film-score-buffs" in all of us.

Tracks:

Canon In D Major - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Piano Concerto No.21 'Elvira Madigan': Andante - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Madame Butterfly: Un bel di - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Romeo And Juliet: Fantasy Overture - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Polovstian Dances 8 And 17: Prince Igor - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Tristan And Isolde: Overture - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Symphony No.3, 'Organ': Poco adagio - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS

Tracks:

Air For The 'G' String - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Moonlight Sonata: Adagio sostenuto - Dubravka Tomsic
Swan Lake: Suite - Scene: Enchanted Lake - London Festival Orchestra
Piano Concerto No.2: Adagio sostenuto - Garrison Kent
Clair de lune - Anna Lelkes
Aida: Celeste, Aida - Jose Perez
La Boheme: Che gelida manina - Jose Perez
Symphony No.9, 'From The World': Largo - Berlin Symphony Orchestra
Martha: Ach, so Fromm - Jose Perez
The Planets, Op.32: Venus (The Bringer Of Peace) - Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Bolero - Radio Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

'Peer Gynt' Suite: Morning Song - Slavonic Philharmonic Orchestra
Xerxes: Largo - London Festival Orchestra
Piano Concerto No.20: Romance - Svetlana Stanceva
The Nutcracker Suite: Arabian Dance - Berlin Festival Orchestra
Pavan - London Festival Orchestra
The Afternoon Of A Faun: Prelude - London Festival Orchestra
Giselle: Adagio: Waltz - Philharmonia Orchestra Of London
The Carnival Of The Animals: The Swan - London Festival Orchestra
Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Romanze: Andante - Camerata Academica
The Tales Of Hoffman: Barcarolle - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Cavalleria Rusticana: Intermezzo - London Festival Orchestra
Daphnis And Chloe - Slavonic Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

The Sleeping Beauty Suite: Pas d'action: Andante - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Scheherazade: The Young Prince And Young Princess - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Clarinet Concerto In A Major: Adagio - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
On The Beautiful, Blue Danube - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Dawn Until Noon On The Sea: La Mer - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmen: Intermezzo - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmen: Seguidilla - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmen: Habanera - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmen: Nocturne - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmina Buraba: Omnia sol temperat - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmina Buraba: Amor volat undique - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Carmina Buraba: Dies, nox et omnia - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS
Symphony No.6, 'Pathetique': Adagio lamentoso: Andante - CLASSICS FOR LOVERS

Customer Reviews:

Greatest Collection of Classical I have........2006-12-14

I don't care much for compilation CDs. Usually they are someone else's favorite set of songs from that genre or composer. I usually like the songs, but when I get into listening to the other songs in the genre or by the same composer I find songs that I'm more fond of.

This collection is different.

I try not to be too generous with my top ratings in iTunes for songs, I don't give out a four or five stars to just anything, but many of the songs from this collection make up a good chunk of my top rated songs. I just love this collection.

This is not a good digital recording.......1999-07-27

There is a 'record player' hum in the background when you try to listen to various tracks on these CDs. The compilation is wonderful. The Quality of the recording is very disappointing. The outside of the album cover reads DDD which I thought to mean clean and clear all digital recording. Don't be deceived by the cover.

String Quartet Tribute to New Order and Joy Division

Average customer rating:

A Great Idea, Poorly Executed

String Quartet Tribute to New Order and Joy Division
Caerwin Martin , Guenevere Measham , Richard Dodd , Peter / Curtis, Ian / Sumner, Bernard / Morris, Ste Hook , Peter / Gilbert, Gillian / Sumner, Bernard / Morris Hook , Tom Tally , Kerryn Coulter , Tom Talley , Anja Grant , and Keiko " Mocha" Ishibashi
Manufacturer: Vitamin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000AM6KY
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Tracks:

Love Will Tear Us Apart
She's Lost Control
Isolation
New Dawn Fades
Bizarre Love Triangle
Blue Monday
Love Vigilantes
True Faith
Regret
Waiting Here (Original Composition)

Product Description

1. Love Will Tear Us Apart
2. She's Lost Control
3. Isolation
4. Atmosphere
5. New Dawn Fades
6. Bizarre Love Triangle
7. Blue Monday
8. True Faith
9. Love Vigilantes
10. Regret
11. Taken (Original Composition)

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

A Great Idea, Poorly Executed.......2007-02-12

Like one of the reviewers of the Cure String Quartet Tribute album, I excitedly grabbed this from the shelf of my local music store. Figuring that it would be impossible for this not to be fabulous, I decided to forgo the opportunity to listen to it in the store first. The music of both of these bands is so evocative, distinctive and well arranged it seemed obvious that it would lend itself to classical interpretation; there are even strings on the original Age of Consent. Would that the Quartet had stuck with interpreting. Instead they seem bent on translating these songs, practically note for note. Perhaps they were trying to avoid being labeled as Muzak; perhaps they were aspiring for an edgy 'Alt Classical' flavor ala the brilliant group Rachel's. The result is nervous, jittery, overdone and even frantic at times. One of the things I love about New Order is the way that they instilled electronically flavored music with emotional sincerity, especially on their earlier work. Paradoxically the Quartet appears to be trying to bring out the electronic aspect over the emotional. The one cut where they seemed to back off and let the feeling emerge was Love Vigilantes, and it works beautifully- but then again the original Love vigilantes isn't electronic. I have given this album several plays. I really want to like it, but I'm going to return it. There's more than enough Joy Divsion and New Order material for the Quartet to make a second effort. Hopefully they'll read my review first.