Little Radio

Editorial Reviews
Eric “Roscoe” Ambel
"Very cool record."

J. Eric Smith, (live review) Metroland Magazine, July, 1998
"he's literate, sings in a charming, octave-jumping deadpan style and offers thought-provoking songs that balance whimsy with pathos, angst with redemption, horror with humor."

Album Description
With past honors like Alternative Musician of the Year (Hudson Valley Magazine) and Best Male Solo Acoustic Performer (Metroland Magazine), Stephen Clair returns with Little Radio – the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Altoona Hotel, whose title track garnered airplay on both sides of the Atlantic, establishing Clair as a highly respected songsmith, guitar player, and performer.

After living in Austin, New Orleans, San Francisco, upstate NY, and the south of France, Clair has finally settled in NYC. The satisfaction of having a place to call home has never come easy to Clair, whose records have often focused on a perpetual discontent in his own locale – wherever that happens to be. On Little Radio's opening track, "Blame it on Your Town," with its blasé strut, Clair declares: "Blame it on your town/Cos there’s another one down the road/And it can’t be as bad as this one/Until you call it home."

Clair thinks differently now.

Little Radio makes it clear that Clair’s newfound satisfaction is in planting roots in NYC. In "Dancing in NY" and "Jen in Her Underwear," Clair embraces the Gotham lifestyle, while in "Fatten Your Landlord," he confesses: "When you sign your name/they open up a vein/a lease can feel like your life/now some real estate mogul/is sitting’ on your dough/there’ll never be an option to buy."

Many of the songs are odes – to people ("Watching You," "Lemonade", "Record Sleeve"), places ("Dancing in New York"), and things ("Little Radio"). On the title track, with its powwow of plunking guitars, banjo, and spaghetti western guitar line, Clair pronounces his love for the AM/FM listening device he holds in his lap late into the night: "I’m sitting on the floor/hunched over my little radio/my forehead is practically touching it/I get the best sound/by putting my head down/next to the speakers."

Little Radio

Average customer rating:

Not his best
THE FUNNIEST AND BEST CD EVER
A Little Bit Special
Very Funny & Dark Humor!
unbelievably wrong and funny at the same time

A Little Bit Special
Stephen Lynch
Manufacturer: What Are Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Superhero
The Craig Machine
Stephen Lynch - Live at The El Rey
Harmful If Swallowed (CD & DVD)
Retaliation

ASIN: B00004ZBEG
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Tracks:

Lullaby (The Divorce Song)
Half A Man
Bitch
Intro (Gortengar Trail)
Special
A Month Dead
Priest
Hair
Intro (Super Karate Monkey Death Car)
Gerbil
Walken I
R.D.C. (Opie's Lament)
Mother's Day Song
Intro (Curly McDimple)
HermAphrodite
Tall Glass O'Water
Walken II
In Defense Of A Peepshow Girl
Jim Henson's Dead
Intro (A Tribute To Multigrain Bum)
Gay
Walken III

Customer Reviews:

Not his best.......2007-04-11

There is some really funny stuff on the CD, but his newer stuff is so much more thought out and keeps you rolling. Good sick fun for those with sick minds.

THE FUNNIEST AND BEST CD EVER.......2007-04-10

Stephen Lynch is the most HILARIOUS guy ever. I laughed so hard I almost peed. This CD is a little controversial- with songs about dating a dead girl, homosexuality, and gerbil sex.
However- it is all AWESOME.

A Little Bit Special.......2006-11-03

This is one you love to listen to and then loan to a friend, put it away for a while, listen to it again, loan to another friend etc.,etc.,......
Crude but funny. Where IS Stephen these days?

Very Funny & Dark Humor!.......2006-08-17

Stephen Lynch is a songwriter and comedic singer who usually performs just with his guitar; a coworker reommended him to me, because I have a warped sense of humor. His songwriting, Musicianship, and epecially his voice are first rate, which makes the contrast with what he's singing about all the more arresting (grin). It's as if your brain is going "How can this angelic voice be singing about this stuff?", like Love Songs for Fallen Priests, or Hermaphroditic Girlfriends (just for Starters.. lol). While listening to his songs, I was struck by the thought that his material is very much like what I might expect from Gahan Wilson or Charles Adams (see), if they had done comedy songs.
That being said, I do feel I need to temper my praise with what I perceive is the album's one shortcoming - it is done as a studio album, and not recorded in front of a crowd. This is not a slam on this album, but more an observation of Comedy Albums in general. I have always found that Comedy Albums that are live, be they Standup or Musical Comedy, do better, and the humor seems a lot more apparent when there are other people laughing along with you.
This is a good early introduction to Stephen Lynch, who I eagerly look forward to both hearing more of, and hopefully seeing. I would however reommend "Superhero", his later album, as a first offering, as it's done in front of an audience, and I think it's a better album.

unbelievably wrong and funny at the same time.......2006-08-11

i really can't get enough of stephen lynch. all of his songs, unfortunately, make you want to sing along. just hope you're not around certain people during certain songs, or you might get rocks thrown at you, but around friends it great!!! the lyrics are catchy and, if you get nothing else from this cd (which is impossible), at least you'll have a way to make people give you weird looks (like if you walk down the street singing about having one ball or your girlfriend that's a guy, that's a girl...that's a guy...). anyway, if you're cool, you'll love it!

The Great War: Classical And Popular Selections From The Time Of World War I (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

Average customer rating:

Music and the Great War
How a Century Has Change Our Perception of War
Excellent Recording!
Good music, bad title

The Great War: Classical And Popular Selections From The Time Of World War I (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Great War
Over There - Songs From America's Wars
Words and Music of World War II
The Roaring Twenties
Songs That Got Us Through WWII

ASIN: B00000HXKX
Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

Military March No. 1 In D Major, Op. 39: Pomp Ad Circumstance
Waltz Fom Der Rosenkavalier Suite
'Von der Schonheit' From Das Lied von der Erde
'De l'aube a midi sur la mer' From La Mer
Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Op. 25 'Classical Symphony': III. Gavotta. Non troppo allegro
L'histoire du soldat Suite - IV. The Royal March
L'histoire du soldat Suite - V. The Little Concert
Le tombeau de Couperin - V. Menuet
Le tombeau de Couperin - VI. Toccata
Sinfonia From Pulcinella Suite
Walzer From Funf Klavierstucke, Op. 23
Interlude From Wozzeck, Act III
Prologue From Music Ffor The Theatre
'Shine On Harvest Moon'
'Alexander's Ragtime Band' - Irving Berlin
'Over There'
'How You Gonna Keep'em Down On The Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?'
'The Man I Love' From Stride Up The Band
'West End Blues'

Amazon.com

The first two-thirds of this disc is a fascinating cram course in concert music around the time of World War I. The programmer has put together some fascinating juxtapositions--for example, Strauss's Rosenkavalier leads almost seamlessly into Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, and Schoenberg sounds out of context with everybody (including Berg). The selections are all short, and performance quality runs from great to mediocre, but this is still a thought-provoking educational experience, even though Bartók and Ives are conspicuously missing. The popular selections are less interesting, often campy, and although vintage recordings are used, they aren't always the right vintage. And someone missed a point by separating Copland's jazzy "Music for the Theatre" from Louis Armstrong, who could have followed immediately. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

Music and the Great War.......2007-05-14

This is a fascinating compendium of popular and classical music from the World War One period. It evokes all the turmoil, anguish, and also humor, of the age, and is a vital CD to own if you have an interest in the Great War and the music it inspired or was inspired by.

How a Century Has Change Our Perception of War.......2005-10-29

War. Tough subject these days - tough subject since the beginning of time. Yet Americans tend to mend wounds and gradually allow the atrocities of yesteryear to fade into coated cases that signal more memories of 'how things used to be' rather than learning from the tragedies with which war has scarred the planet. National Public Radio issued this excellent memoir at the turn of the millennium and one wonders if it now has the same response that greeted it in 1999.

Linda Kobler reconstituted this mix of classical and popular music with a keen sense of history. The CD is twice divided (in both the classical and the popular music) into 'Before the War' 1901 - 1917, 'During the War' 1917 - 1922, and 'After the War' 1922 - 1928. In the first era are the works of Elgar ('Pomp and Circumstance'), Strauss (a waltz from 'Der Rosenkavalier'), Mahler (excerpt from 'Das Lied von der Erde'), and Debussy ('La Mer') joining the songs 'Shine On Harvest Moon' and 'Alexander's Ragtime Band'. The War period is represented by Prokofiev's 'Symphony No. 1', Stravinsky's 'L'histoire du soldat', and Ravel's 'Le tombeau de Couperin' in tandem with 'Over There'. After the war include Stravinsky ('Pulcinella Suite'), Schoenberg (Waltz from 'Five Piano Pieces'), Berg (excerpt from 'Wozzeck') and Copland ('Music from the Theatre') with popular songs 'How you gonna keep 'em down on the farm', 'The Man I Love', and 'West End Blues'.

The excerpts selected for this survey are exceptionally good: orchestras include NY Phil, LA Phil, Philadelphia Orchestra, London Symphony, and the Columbia Symphony under such batons a Ormandy, Bernstein, Salonen, Tilson Thomas, Schippers and Stravinsky; soloists include Glen Gould, Robert Casadesus, Lili Chookaskian, Louis Armstrong, et al. The sonics are very fine and the performances are each from significant full recordings remaining in the catalogue.

The booklet accompanying this concert of memories is written by Linda Kobler who uses each selection as a pivotal point in the atmosphere of the globe that accompanied the Great War: it is very well written and informative. This is one of those recorded collections that goes far beyond an accumulation of bits and pieces and instead gives food for thought about how our political and social actions intertwine with the arts in a prophetic way. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

Excellent Recording!.......1999-03-13

(It was called The "Great" War, because nobody knew about WWII at the time and it was the biggest war anyone had ever seen.)

I think this CD may be a bit choppy to "easy" listeners, but for anyone who has a sincere interest in delving into the musical senses of earlier generations it's VERY good! I recommend the entire NPR Milestones of the Millennium series to such aficionados.

Good music, bad title.......1999-02-11

Since when is war great? Life in the trenches waiting for the germans to attack you worrying about whether mustard gas is gonna loft your way isn't exactly like sipping chablis.

Average customer rating:

Debussy is the BEST
Beautiful!
Debussy IS for Relaxation

Debussy for Relaxation

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Rachmaninoff for Relaxation
Chopin For Relaxation
Mozart for Relaxation
Vivaldi for Relaxation
Beethoven for Relaxation

ASIN: B00000IFOY
Release Date: 1999-04-13

Tracks:

For Relaxation: Prelude: L'Apres-midi d'un faune (Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun)
For Relaxation: Suite Bergamasque: 3 - Clair de Lune
For Relaxation: Reverie
For Relaxation: Preludes, Book 1 No. 4: Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l'air du soir (Sounds And Perfumes Stir In The Evening Air)
For Relaxation: Quartet In G Minor, Op. 10: 3 - Andantino, doucement expressif
For Relaxation: Fantaisie pour piano et orchestre: 2 - Lento et molto espressivo
For Relaxation: La plus que lente
For Relaxation: Nocturnes: Nuages (Clouds)
For Relaxation: Preludes, Book 1 No. 8: La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl With The Flaxen Hair)
For Relaxation: Children's Corner: V - Le petit berger (The Little Shepherd)
For Relaxation: Pour le piano: Sarabande
For Relaxation: Danse sacree et danse profane

Customer Reviews:

Debussy is the BEST.......2002-03-05

This CD is Excellent for relaxing. I listen to it every night.

Beautiful!.......2001-03-14

If you are new to Debussy, this CD is great to start. If you are already a fan, this CD is the perfect weekend companion. It features a well chosen selection of pieces from several of his works, both orchestral and solo piano. Best of all (as the title indicates) these pieces are all adagio/lento that are pleasant to listen to and relax... It is also very well priced, so it is a good CD to recommend.

Debussy IS for Relaxation.......2000-06-13

This CD's title says it all - just for relaxation.

Debussy is for soul searching time, contemplation of the universe or just vegging out.

Tracks:

Sensemay
Ocho por Radio
La Noche de los Mayas: I
La Noche de los Mayas: II
La Noche de los Mayas: III
La Noche de los Mayas: IV
Homenaje a Federico GarcLorca for Chamber Orchestra: I
Homenaje a Federico GarcLorca for Chamber Orchestra: II
Homenaje a Federico GarcLorca for Chamber Orchestra: III
Ventanas
First Little Serious Piece
Second Little Serious Piece

Amazon.com

Tellingly, classical albums whose liner notes are translated into Spanish--in addition to the traditional English, French, and German--tend to be those that contain music by Spanish-speaking composers and ensembles. This distinction goes to the heart of the "discovery" of the music of composer Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940) during the mid-to-late 1990s, evidenced by a steady series of releases after decades of near silence. And silence does not suit Revueltas, who favored enthralling, brash, maximalist symphonic expression, and whose work will not sound entirely new to new audiences, even though his clout as a major cultural figure stops at the border of his native country, Mexico.

This sort of déjà entendu familiarity is generally the case with any composer who absorbs "folk" material (think Béla Bartók or, especially, Aaron Copland). To hear regional military horns bellow through Revueltas's large-scale Ventanas for Large Orchestra is to have dozens of western films flash through the mind's eye. And to hear subtle mariachi motifs inform the arrangement of the same composition, or in the countless set-piece segments of the highly varied Ocho por Radio, is to hear a thorough imagination at play. Revueltas understood foremost that simple themes magnified to an orchestral scale require additional detail to fill the space, and he achieves his goal with richly embroidered counterpoint, overlays of dissociated themes, and strong writing for single instruments, as with the woodwind patter in First Little Serious Piece. That said, conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen's renderings seem a bit removed from Revueltas; he can unnecessarily reinforce the film-music-like quality of some of the material. This is lively, at times volatile, and often humorous music, and should be played as such. --Marc Weidenbaum

Customer Reviews:

TRUST ME!!!.......2006-02-10

So yeah, Revueltas is not one of those big name 20th century composers like Stravinsky or Copland - especially when he's from Mexico - but you got to give him a chance. When I listened to his music, I was immersed with such sensation.

His music is one of a kind, with distinctive rhythm, exoticism, and Latin-American feel. His orchestration is one of the most colorful and fascinating things I have ever heard - things you may never get in traditional or even 20th century European Classical music. This is especially apparent in his two masterpieces: "Sensamaya" and "Night of the Mayas".

Unless you're some stubborn ultra-conservative person who enjoys Mozart more than Beethoven, and utterly denouce 20th century music, you definitely got to buy this album - a whole new world of Classical Music awaits! TRUST ME!!!!!

Modern Mexican Music.......2006-01-28

The Mexican expressionist composer Silvestre Revueltas, now well known for his incessant rhythms, wanted to change the state of authentic, Mexican-based classical music, from nationalistic folk-based sounds, to his more urgent and dissonant style of expressionism.

Revueltas' most famous work, Sensamaya, based on the poem Song to kill a snake, is evocative of his style. Constant rhythms, with authentic Hispanic percussion, and modern orchestrations, gritty melodies and harmonies, create an almost industrial sound. On this recording is the 1938 fully orchestrated version of near bombasticity. Two other works on this disk are also written for full orchestra: La Noche de los Mayas and Ventanas. La Noche de los Mayas is intended to evoke ancient Mexican tribal feelings from the Mayan culture. Almost in symphonic form, the four movements follow a classical structure, moderate first movement, scherzo, lyrical third movement, and a theme and variations for the final movement. The incredibly serene and melodic opening, with occasional majestic outbursts of brass and percussion, shows Revueltas' innate ability to combine Mexican culture with classical music. The scherzo second movement, subtitled Jaranas, is almost a classical Mariachi, with witty lightness; whereas the third movement, subtitled Yucatan, has a melancholy calm featuring lush strings, woodwind melodies, and folk-like elements. Extra-musical effects, extensive percussion, and variation technique, show Reveultas' capabilities of diverse compositional techniques as a 20th century modern composer. Interesting sounds and combinations make a very engaging conclusion. Much like Sensamaya, Ventanas is very rhythmical and industrious sounding, featuring in this case, the brass section and tuba solo. Angular melodies, sometimes folk sounding, other times classically based, and clashes of dissonance, along with perpetual motion (even during the subdued middle section), is evocative of expressionism and the influence of Stravinsky.

Three chamber works are also included on this CD: Ocho for Radio, Homage to Frederico Garcia Lorca, and Revueltas' set of two Little Serious Pieces. Each has a unique assortment of instruments and are in smaller proportions to the previously mentioned portions of the disk. Ocho for Radio is a musical answer to a mathematical equation. Featuring eight players, the music has so much going on, it nearly sounds Ivesian. The main idea prevails, however, including a mariachi trumpet and string section, along with two woodwinds and one percussionist. The Homage to Lorca, in three movements (Dance, Sorrow, and Sound) begins with familiar sounding Mexican ideas, with slightly humorous dissonances and motives, includes piano, piccolo, and tuba. The ambiguous sounds of the middle, give an uneasy feeling of impatient monotony, while the concluding movement is in a revelatory and joyous mood with occasional clashings of dissonance and jazzy inflections. The two Serious Little Pieces are charming miniatures: the first, a swift pointilistic whirlwind, the second, a slow waltz. Scored for wind quintet with baritone saxophone, a rustic sound is created.

I personally like to explore new music, and this all Revueltas CD seemed appropriate. The music is diverse, featuring classicism, Mexican folk attributes, expressionism, and tribal rhythms and modes, not to mention the diverse literary sources and instrumentations. The music is modern sounding with particular influences of Stravinsky, dissonance and polytonality are often used. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and the Los Angeles New Music Group under Esa-Pekka Salonen play admirably on some rhythmically virtuosic music. Salonen elicits very different sounds from work to work, making the CD varied. After listening, I am personally not astounded by the compositions, nor put off, but satisfactorily interesting. Make sure you like the music before purchasing. In any case, if you are looking for different and new music, this is a quality CD with a good performance, although, you may want to compare other compilations under conductor Eduardo Mata.

Silvestre Revueltas: A Too Short Life but a Rich Musical Legacy.......2005-10-19

MUSIC OF SILVESTRE REVUELTAS is one of those CDs that, once in the library, is a disc that enjoys frequent hearings. This is music of deep convictions by a composer who seemed on the brink of entering the highest echelon of 20th Century composers when he died from alcoholism in 1940 (at age 41!). He brought the sounds, pulsations, exotic rhythms, and folk music from Mexico to the classical concert stage in a way that is as important as what Stravinsky did for the Russian idiom, Copeland did for the American idiom, and Bartok is for the Hungarian idiom.

This superb CD includes a fine overview of Revueltas' output. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the L.A. Philharmonic's New Music Ensemble in both large and small works. The 'La Noche de los Mayas, suite for orchestra' is as lush and gorgeous a work for orchestra as anything he wrote. But it is in 'Homenaje a Federico García Lorca for Chamber Orchestra' that the complexity and the drama of Revueltas' compositional powers are clearly evident. Also included are the now standard 'Sensemayá', 'Ocho por Radio', 'Ventanas' and two 'Little Serious Pieces'.

The performances are clear, transparent, full of bite and energy and very much in line with the quality of sound and interpretation we've come to expect form Salonen and his forces. In Salonen, Revueltas has found a solid supporter and we can only hope there will be many more recordings of this sensual and exciting music! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, October 05

Five stars for Revueltas and Salonen!.......1999-08-30

Silvestre Revueltas was an enfant terrible of 20th century music in Mexico (compare his compositions to those of the more conservative Carlos Chavez). His works are highly appealing to the contemporary ear by virtue of their intense rhythmicity, creative orchestration and dark undertones which are often counterbalanced by brilliant Mexican motifs. After listening to this enlightening selection of some Revueltas' finest works for full orchestra and chamber ensemble, I wondered what other masterworks might have been composed by one who died too young. Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians really do justice to these innovative pieces. Highly recommended!

Cool!.......1999-05-10

What fun music! Salonen's other discs are great, but this is like a breath of fresh air. Revueltas's music is highly entertaining and pleasant to listen to. The LAPO plays fantastically and the recording quality is excellent. Go ahead and buy this one, it won't disappoint!

Average customer rating:

Witty and Charming

Ill-Conceived PDQ Bach Anthology

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Percussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The Wurst of P.D.Q. Bach
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Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion
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P.D.Q. Bach in Houston - We Have a Problem!

ASIN: B00000FDBK
Release Date: 1998-11-24

Tracks:

This Is Professor Pete
1712 Overture (S. 1712)
Introduction
II. Aria With Chorus: 'Howdy There'
Recitative: 'It Wasn't Long'
III. My Heart
Recitative: 'When Oedipus Heard'
VI. Chorale And Finale
Introduction
Love Me
WTWP Station ID
Oo-La-La Introduction
Oo-La-La: Cookin' French Like The French Cook French - Dana Krueger
Introduction: The Musical Sacrifice (S. 50% Off)
I. Fuga Meshuga - Susan Palma
Introduction
Classical Rap (S. 1-2-3) - Grandmaster Flab
Introduction
I. C Major - Christopher O'Riley
Introduction
II. Simply Grand Minuet
Introduction
Little Bunny Hop Hop Hop
Introduction
Minuet Militaire
Enough Already

Customer Reviews:

Witty and Charming.......2000-08-15

This CD is fun and action packed as much as you could hope for in a CD. He uses quotes from many famous folk and classical songs and implements them into his own compositions with a bit of a twist. For example, in Classical rap, where he raps about being the best rapper in the world with terrific brass interludes between the verses. The orchestra plays a clip from Vivaldi's "Spring" and then he twists it into a record "wicky-wicky" to the same tune. He introduces every peice before it is played in a hilarious manner in which he talks about the peice and something else that was going on in the composers mind as he wrote the peice. Starting at the begining-

This is Professor Pete- Peter Schickele introduces himself as well as P.D.Q.

1712 Overture- A takeoff of the 1812 overture of course, with snatches of some famous folktunes thrown in here and there.

Oedipus Tex- A parady of the Greek Myth Oedipus Rex where he murders his father who is the King. Oedipus Tex lives a life like his brother but in Texas style.

The next tracks are more comedy than exactly music like the WTWP station giving options over the phone about how you would like to hear a certain peice of music. Cooking French... is a woman cooking a French gourmet meal but flubbing up the entire time.

Tracks:

Introduction
I. Grand Entrance
II. Simply Grand Minuet
III. Romance In The Grand Manner
IV. Rondo Mucho Grando
Introduction
I. Mr. Minuit's Minuet - David McGill
II. Panther Dance - David McGill
III. Dance Of The Grand Dams - David McGill
IV. The Lowland Fling - David McGill
Introduction
I. Maestoso Animoso
II. Daintissimo
III. Allegro, But Not Too Mucho
IV. Molto Moderato
V. Vivace Cucarace
VI. Moving Right Alongo
Introduction
Lip My Reeds
Door Prize Scene
Introduction
March Of The Cute Little Wood Sprites
Introduction
Last Tango In Beyreuth
Closing

Customer Reviews:

The consummate Schicekle.......2004-01-07

This isn't the old PDQ Bach, e.g., Concerto for Horn and Hardart--which was also good. It's "evolved," insofar as PDQ Bach is capable of evolution...

When my wife gave this to me for Christmas, I turned it on and thought it was a live performance, like the first albums--and like the Schickele performances we've happily attended. It took a few seconds to realize that it was a mock performance, of the Turtle Mountain Naval Base Tactical Wind Ensemble (who are also, as announced by Professor Schickele, busy protecting North Dakota from naval attack, a clever comment making the CD all the more worth it!) at a convenient North Dakota location.

As a Wagnerian, I was attracted to "Last Tango in Beyreuth," the last musical number on the CD. If I may paraphrase Schickele's statement of a long time ago, when you listen to it, be prepared to hear things you've heard before (PDQ's real talent having been in plagiarism, after all.)

And, since Schickele was a bassoon major, it's amusing that he picks on that instrument--for perhaps the best piece ever composed for bassoon and tuba. Then there are the pieces by the Tennessee Bassoon Quartet, an ensemble for which there are surely limited venues...

I heard one of PDQ's other numbers, Concerto for Two Piano's vs. Orchestra a few years ago. Schickele gave an hysterical historical presentation on that piece. I talked with him about it afterwards and suggested that too be put onto a CD. He said in essence that the market may not have room for it these days; renouned violinists and pianists are not sellable these days. That's distressing as Schickele's comedy form is beyond genius, and unique. So, while you can, listen to what's available. This is a gem!

Hysterical and not at all Esoterical.......2001-01-06

P.D.Q. Bach brings a funny irreverance to his subject material that is charming. He is at times on NPR (National Public Radio) and if you've ever heard him, you know what I mean. He obviously is an expert in his field, but he is outrageously funny in his parodies of famous music. Who would have thought one could bring a sense of humour to Wagner? Get this cd - or anything by PDQ - and I guarantee you're in for some laughs. You may even learn something!

Not to be taken seriously..........2000-10-08

"P. D. Q. Bach. The last and least of J. S. Bach's twenty-odd children (and by far the oddest), this composer would have passed into the mists of oblivion were it not for the determined efforts of the Music Department at the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, directed by Professor Peter Schickele.

This disc, played by the Turtle Mountain Naval Base Tactical Wind Ensemble with some help from the astounding Tennessee Bassoon Quartet, was made during a concert at the University and is introduced by Professor Schickele. The event was clearly organised as an attempt at making the music of P. D. Q. Bach accessible to regular concert goers. It did not succeed: as the intermittent speech between items shows, the programme of P. D. Q. Bach's various works for wind orchestra and percussion managed to drive away not only most of the audience but even the orchestra. Furthermore, the music itself is shambolic: a complete waste of time that makes one wonder how Professor Schickele ever managed to get it published."

Actually, I only half-meant what I said above. This really is the ultimate in what is known as the letting down of hair amongst musicians: every so often, even the most serious of concert performers love to play something that is light-hearted and to be taken simply at face-value, without stuffy programme notes or flambuoyant virtuosity. And P. D. Q. Bach's music, faithfully "edited" by Peter Schickele, is not just light-hearted: it's downright flippant! This disc is a superb pick-me-up in cheerless moments, an entertaining fifty-odd minutes of musical mayhem pushed to interesting and comical limits, and an excellent gift for any musical members of the family who want to add a bit of zest to any classical music collection. Purists may scoff at the fact that this whole thing pokes fun at the music of Bach and other great composers, but it's good clean fun that still retains an element of musicality. Bravo! I just hope they invent a cure for split sides soon....

Great Music.......2000-06-18

This is a very intertaining album. From the Grand Serenade to Mr. Minute's Minuet to the cute little Wood Sprites. It's all very funny--even the booklet is funny. All in all it's very good.

Music at its best!.......2000-06-03

As a high school musician, I have played the piece Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion. Playing it was so much fun and listening to it was too. I'm sure everyone else who listens to this music will enjoy it just as I have. Just imagine a large wind ensemble, serious as can be, playing Grand Serenade!

(Not) Your Standard Spike Jones Collection

Average customer rating:

Great set of wartime rarities
Cure for the Blues
Standard Transcription Collection

(Not) Your Standard Spike Jones Collection
Spike Jones
Manufacturer: Collector's Choice
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Contemporary Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Strictly for Music Lovers
Spike Jones - Greatest Hits
Fonk
Spiked!: The Music of Spike Jones
The Spike Jones Story

ASIN: B00007JR3K
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Album Description

Holiday blues comin' on? Well, put a spike in `em! Here's the zaniest, wildest and just plain sickest Collectors' Choice Music exclusive yet—79 tracks from Spike Jones and his City Slickers! These represent Spike's complete Standard Transcription sides, but these tunes are anything but standard; Mr. Jones brought his full bag of tricks for these non-commercial recordings (made in Hollywood during the early `40s). Add to that the fact that most of these have never been on CD or even LP, and any lover of Spike's mayhem-filled mixture of laughs and hot licks is going to flip over this set! Notes and great pictures accompany this 3-CD walk on the wacky side from the greatest novelty band of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Great set of wartime rarities.......2003-05-14

Spike Jones was the king of the novelty song performers, with hits like "Der Fuehrer's Face" and the parody version of "Sheik of Araby" becoming huge hits during World War II. This is a swell 3-CD set, gathering a full eighty-one of Jones' best tracks from his 1940s heyday, drawn from an extensive archive of radio broadcasts made for the Standard Transcription service. The tightness of his City Slickers band is amply demonstrated in these manic, kookily orchestrated performances. Toots, squonks, blatts and bleats whiz by at lightning speed, as one daffy song after another will delight devoted fans. Amazingly, Jones had the unusual, almost unique ability to perform a repertoire almost entirely made up of comedic material, and yet still be quite listenable and engaging. His jazz chops were hardly in question, and from time to time Jones would dash off a non-novelty ballad or two, just to give the rubes something to think about. Of course, just as often he would perform a song that *sounded* like a straight ballad, but would turn out to be another goof. (One great example of this is the sultry "Serenade To A Jerk," sung in slinky, burlesque tones by Myrtle Horwin.) This collection may seem a little overwhelming, but like his studio recordings, these radio performances have a certain brilliance and joie de vivre about them that will leave you enchanted. Definitely worth checking out!

Cure for the Blues.......2003-04-25

Here's the zaniest, wildest and just plain sickest Collectors' Choice Music exclusive yet-79 tracks from Spike Jones and his City Slickers! These represent Spike's complete Standard Transcription sides, but these tunes are anything but standard; Mr. Jones brought his full bag of tricks for these non-commercial recordings (made in Hollywood during the early `40s). Add to that the fact that most of these have never been on CD or even LP, and any lover of Spike's mayhem-filled mixture of laughs and hot licks is going to flip over this set! Notes and great pictures accompany this 3-CD walk on the wacky side from the greatest novelty band of all time.

Standard Transcription Collection.......2003-04-12

This collection has remastered material from the large stack of Standard Transcription discs from the early 1940's. There are many songs not recorded on RCA, many on the theme of wartime ("48 Reasons Why"), and the quality is excellent. The packaging is threadbare but this is an essential CD package for true music lovers.

The Music Of Satie: Orchestra, Piano, Voice

Average customer rating:

Buy it for the songs
A Laughably Cheap Way to Experience Satie

The Music Of Satie: Orchestra, Piano, Voice

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

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Satie: Piano Works
A Mammal's Notebook: Collected Writings of Erik Satie (Atlas Arkhive , No 5)
Satie: Piano Music
Homage to Satie
Satie: Orchestral Works

ASIN: B000001K4B
Release Date: 1994-08-22

Tracks:

Je te veux
Tendrement
La diva de
La statue de bronze
Dapheneo
Le chapelier
Trois poemes d'amour
Elegie
Danseuse
Chanson
Adieu
Air du rat
Spleen
La grenouille Americaine
Air du poete
Chanson du chat
Choral Hypocrite
Fugue a tatons
Fantaisie musculaire
Pastorale
Choral
Fugue
Choral
Fugue Litanique
Autre choral
Fugue de papier
Maniere de commencement
Prolongation du meme
Lentement
En leve
Brutal
En plus
Redite
Entr'acte cinematographiquie from the ballet

Tracks:

Parade
De l'enfance de Pantagruel
Marche de Cocagne
Jeunesse de Gargantua
Piege de Meduse
Allez un peu
Sombre
Un pen vif
Les Pantines dansent
Grande ritournelle
Marche Franco-lunaire
Valse des mysterieux baiser dans l'oel
Cancan grand mondian
Socrate: Part I
Socrate: Part II
Socrate: Part III

Customer Reviews:

Buy it for the songs.......2005-07-20

For my money, this disc is worth its weight in gold for the magnificent performances of the songs by Elaine Bonazzi and Frank Glazer. Bonazzi's voice is a rich mezzo and her French is impeccable. Furthermore, she invests the songs with just the right amount of wry sophistication. Her personality really brings these little jewels to life. Frank Glazer is the knowing accompanist. You won't be disappointed!!

A Laughably Cheap Way to Experience Satie.......2003-01-08

If you ever wanted to expose yourself to the music of Erik Satie but were not sure where to start, this is your disc. If you are turned off by all of the Satie albums marketed as "the world's most relaxing music" this is also your disc. If you've always thought of Satie as a hack of meagre talent who hid his lack of ability under a facade of cool surrealistic irony, this is your disc. For just over ten dollars, this disc shows Satie in all of his range, from pop cabaret song composer, to artist of exquisite sensibility. At this price, you should lap this one right up.

Most of these recordings are reissues of earlier Vox material from the 70's. I have most of the originals in either tape or LP form, but cannot review absolutely everything on the CD, due to holes in my collection. But what I do know from this series is terrific. The vocal music covers most of Satie's most important music in this form. Je Te Veux and Tendrement are both cabaret pieces, and as such they are revealing of Satie's melodic gifts, gifts not readily apparent in his other work. Both are luxurious 19th century salon pieces in the best sense of the word, well crafted and graceful for the voice. Some of the later songs, including the brilliantly surreal Luditions are exactly what you would expect Satie to write, quirky and yet with something deeper underneath.

The duo piano music is largely unknown to me, with the exception of the Three Morceaux in the Form of a Pair. This piece is very similar to other Satie solo piano works, charming, and seemingly lightweight, but with some disquieting undertones hidden under a childlike exterior.

However the real reason to get this CD is for the orchestral and dramatic works. Parade is a classic of it's kind, the first ballet about nothing to be produced. Concieved by Cocteau, with set and costume design by Picasso and choreography by Massine (i think)the work was a success du scandale in Paris. Musically, Satie's orchestrations are clever and very well balanced and his music is somewhere between minimally brilliant and banal. The banality is an essential part of the work however, so I don't mean this as a criticism.

Relache may have been Satie's most revolutionary work. It is the antithesis of the omnipresent Gymnopodies. This is almost a harsh work, though not in the sense of harsh dissonance. It is devised around a very limited series of ideas and repeats those ideas in subtly varied ways throughout it's length. As such, the work predates minimalism by about 50 years. Satie was often sited by Cage as a major influence. It's easy to believe that this is the work that was most influential on him.

Tracks:

By The Sleepy Lagoon - Slovak PO/Andrew Penny
Robin Hood Ste: March Of The Bowmen - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Adrian Leaper
Bells Across The Meadows - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Adrian Leaper
Coronation Scot - RTE Concert Orch/Ernest Tomlinson
Sketch Of A Dandy - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Adrian Leaper
The Westminster Waltz - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Adrian Leaper
Little Ste: March - Slovak PO/Andrew Penny
Sailing By - Slovak RSO/Ernest Tomlinson
Jamaican Rumba - RTE Concert Orch/Ernest Tomlinson
London Ste: Knightsbridge March - Czecho-Slovak RSOAdrian Leaper
In A Monastery Garden - Slovak Phil Male Chor/Adrian Leaper
Little Serenade - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Ernest Tomlinson
Roses Of Picardy - Slovak RSO/Ernest Tomlinson
Puffin' Billy - RTE Concert Orch/Ernest Tomlinson
Elizabethan Ser - Slovak RSO/Ernest Tomlinso
Tom Jones Waltz - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Adrian Leaper
Vanity Fair - RTE Concert Orch/Ernest Tomlinson
Marigold - Slovak RSO/Gary Carpenter
In A Persian Market - Slovak Phil Male Chor/Adrian Leaper
The Dam Busters March - Czecho-Slovak RSO/Adrian Leaper

Customer Reviews:

A Disc Which is Pure Delight!.......2004-03-02

This cd will lift your spirits from the first song right through to the end. I loved every song, even though I was listening to many of them for the first time. This is one of my all-time favorite albums. Try it, you'll like it!

Excellent Sampler Disc From Important Series!.......2000-01-30

If you have always wanted to try out some of Marco Polo's British Light Music series, here is your chance, and for only pennies. This CD whets your appetite for investigating the rest of the series. At first, it seems strange that the orchestras would not be very idiomatic for this music, but the conductor makes these performances shine.There are a few favorites but many pieces that I have never heard before and are welcome in any collection. My favorites are "Sleepy Lagoon", "Dam Busters March", and "Knightsbridge March".These are by Eric Coates, the most famous person on these discs (at least to American Listeners). Fans of Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops will recognize "In A Persian Market" with the chanting "Bakseesh, Bakseesh, Allah". Arthur Benjamin is represented by the Jamaican Rhumba,his popular hit (although we need more recordings of his serious music.) Edward German is represented by one work,but it would have been nice to have the Henry VIII dances on here also. You will also recognize "Sleepy Lagoon" and "Roses of Picardy" because they were turned into pop songs in America. Try this one out-it is fun!

Milhaud: Boeuf sur le toit Op58; Carnaval d'Aix, suite for piano Op83

Average customer rating:

Totally idiomatic, delightful music-making
Milhaud, The 6 Little Symphonies

Milhaud: Boeuf sur le toit Op58; Carnaval d'Aix, suite for piano Op83

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

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Percussion | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Milhaud: Scaramouche; Le Bal Martiniquais; Paris
Amy Beach: "Gaelic" Symphony; Piano Concerto
Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras (Complete)
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B000001K4D
Release Date: 1994-08-22

Tracks:

Symphony No. 1 'Le Printemps', Op. 43: Allant: Chantant: Et Vif!
Symphony No. 2 'Pastorale', Op. 49: Joyeux: Calme: Joyeux
Symphony No. 3 'Serenade', Op. 71: Vivement: Calme: Rondement
Symphony No. 4 For Ten String Instruments, Op. 74: Ouverture (Anime): Choral (Assez Lent); Etude
Symphony No. 5 For Ten Wind Instruments, Op. 75: Rude; Lent; Violent
6 For Soprano, Contralto, Tenor, Bass, Oboe & Cello, Op. 79: Calme Et Doux; Souple Et Vif; Lent Tres Expressif
L'homme Et Son Desir For Soprano, Contralto, Tenor, Bass, And Orchestra, Op.48
Concerto No. 2 For Piano & Orchestra, Op. 228: Anime; Romance; Bien Moderement Anime
Suite Cisalpine Sur Des Airs Populaires Piemnotais For Cello & Orchestra, Op.332

Tracks:

Le Boeu Sur Le Toit, Op.58
Concerto For Percussion And Small Orchestra, Op.109: Modere
Concerto No. 1 For Viola And Orchestra Of Soloists, Op.108: Anime; Lent; Souple Et Anime
La Muse Menagere, Op.245: La Mienne; Le Reveil; Les Soins Du Menage; La Poesie; La Cuisine; Les Fleurs Dans La Maison...
Le Carnaval D'Aix For Piano And Orchestra, Op.83b: Le Corso; Tartaaglia; Isabelle' Resetta; Le Bon Et Le Mauvais Tuteur...

Customer Reviews:

Totally idiomatic, delightful music-making.......2004-09-15

Milhaud's works do not generally need smooth, sleek lines and perfection of tone. This is bubbly, joyous music that must have the spirit before everything. And this set provides that in great quantity. Just listen to 'Le Boeuf sur le Toit': the Orchestra of Radio Luxembourg are not the finest band in the world, the ensemble isn't everything it should be, but they are utterly inside this music. And it works perfectly- it completely evokes the atmosphere of the slightly seedy Brazilian boite du nuit. And I challenge anyone to listen to the whole piece without raising a smile. Add the pieces which are under the baton of Milhaud himself, and you have a set that's well-nigh indispensible for lovers of 20th century French music.

Milhaud, The 6 Little Symphonies.......1999-11-24

Thoroughly delightful recording. Everything on it is enjoyable, lovely music.

Music: