Universal Hall [Import]
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
While restless musical eclecticism and unabashed spiritualism have been the ruin of many a lesser band, Mike Scott's Waterboys have oft worn them as a badge of honor throughout their rough ‘n' tumble history. And while those shifts from electric to acoustic, anthemic to ethnic have produced nearly as much consternation as transcendence for their listeners, each effort has been true to itself in subtly different ways. That's no less true on this collection of, in Scott's own summation, "one Irish reel and eleven spiritual-based songs." The crypto-religious dimensions of Scott's long dalliance with the Findhorn Foundation are marked from the album's title (a Scottish theater run by the organization) and the upbeat, neo-classicism of the opening anthem, "This Light Is for the World." "The Christ in You" and "Silent Fellowship" continue those themes, but begin to explore the subtle, compelling sonic dimensions that are the album's greatest strength. With fiddler Steve Wickham back in the fold, the band's folk ambitions resonate anew with quiet strength on the lovely "Peace of Iona" and the vigorous reel, "Dance at the Crossroads." Yet "Seek the Light" proves Scott can just as quickly still conjure the challenging electro-angst of the Waterboys "comeback," Rock In a Weary Land , before coming full circle on the expansive, spiritually unapologetic title track.--Jerry McCulley --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Album Description
2003 album, released on their own Puck label, combines elements of pop, gospel, acoustic, & minimalism. 12 tracks.
Average customer rating:
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Real Time: Royal Festival Hall
Van Der Graaf Generator
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
 General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
ASIN: B000QUCX04
Release Date: 2007-08-01 |
Album Description
Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2007.
Album Details
Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork. This is a Triple CD Set.
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Subtle Things
Universal Hall Pass
Manufacturer: Sneaky Records, inc.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
Trip-Hop
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Mercury
- Redshift
- Icky Thump
- Back to Black
ASIN: B000MCIAD0
Release Date: 2006-12-29 |
Tracks:
- Sally's Song
- Cave Radio
- Forms of Imprisonment
- Avatar (Tragic Chorus Remix)
- Dragonfly (Scarce Chaser Remix)
- No One (CIFR Remix)
Album Description
Universal Hall Pass returns with a six song EP entitled Subtle Things. This is a collaboration between Melissa R. Kaplan and former Splashdown band mate Kasson Crooker also known as Symbion Project and the Duke of the popular synthpop trio Freezepop.
Subtle Things takes a beautifully dark "fantastic planet" tinged journey into a three part story of power and melancholy followed by three Symbion Project remixes from UHP's debut album Mercury. The remixes are cut from the same exotic cloth as the first three original songs to give the entire EP a dark other- worldly atmosphere with beautiful string arrangements, artistic drum programming and hints of Raymond Scott's electronic faery dust.
Customer Reviews:
Ahhhhhh.... ear candy!.......2007-07-13
A short follow up to the UHP debut Mercury but enough to satisfy any Splashdown/UHP/Melissa Kaplan fan! Mel seems to plunge even deeper into a dark and esoteric flavor of music with three new tracks for Subtle Things. I'm hoping this is to hold us over while she works on another full length but either way the album is excellent. Recording quality has much improved and Mel's voice is gorgeous as ever... although she could sing the alphabet and my eyes would roll back. Anyways, I won't drag on about each song other than to say they have a dark yet beautiful tone and I find myself, as with all of Mel's stuff listening over and over and over.... bliss!
Average customer rating:
- What a debut!
- The Genius of Melissa Kaplan
- Fantastic!
- addictive
- out of this universe...
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Mercury
Universal Hall Pass
Manufacturer: Sneaky Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Dance & DJ
| Styles
| Music
General
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Alternative Rock
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
General
| Pop
| Indie Music
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- Subtle Things
- Redshift
- I Megaphone
- Speak for Yourself
- The Good, the Bad & the Queen
ASIN: B00074OLQI
Release Date: 2004-10-23 |
Tracks:
- Tutelary Genius
- Dragonfly
- Misdirected
- No One
- Katrinah Josiphina
- Six-Step Dragon
- Avatar
- Solar/Lunar
- Special agent
- Quiet use of Charm
- Outro
Album Description
"Mercury" An album aptly named for it's ever-morphing musical backdrops with extremely adventurous song writing, a unique voice, and lyrical content covering truth, coyness, charm, and mythos.
UHP's debut album starts off in a bizarre Beatle-esque pop-rock electro surfer song, moves into the jazz-noir / electronic Dragonfly with trumpet solo and lush strings, only to find oneself smack in the middle of Misdirected a moody and explosive art rock piece. This is just a sampling of the first three songs. The album moves on in this fashion and delights the listener with the unexpected even within songs. Lyrics range from overcoming self-sabotage, metaphorical dragonflies, the dangers of divination, and dragons on a mountainside.
Customer Reviews:
What a debut!.......2007-01-03
Talk about roaring out of the gate! Mercury is an album that deftly flies from one musical modality to another with the ease and skill of a circus trapeze act!
The album opens with "Tutelary Genius", a breezy, deftly executed pop tune that becomes an instant ear-worm, then seemlessly shifts gears into "Dragonfly", a superbly crafted electronica piece with a subtle jazz feel. This basically goes on through the entire album, each song a delightful surprise, and you find yourself listening to these widely varying genres, loving and savouring each one of them. The attention to detail shines through the entire album, from the kung fu film beauty of "Six Step Dragon", to the mystical lyrics and latin inspired music of "Katrinah Josephina".
Now for the ONE con. Unfortunately, the mix itself has some problems. There are sometimes differences in overall volume of the individual mixes, and in certain areas, some sounds are overwhelmed while some boom out and overwhelm the others, such as the bassline in "Dragonfly". Still, I've heard worse, and the virtuosity of the album proper more than makes up for the slight problems in the mix. Buy this album, it's a treat!
The Genius of Melissa Kaplan.......2006-11-06
I won't lie, I've been a Splashdown fan for years, ever since I heard "Ironspy" on the local radio station in college. I cried and was depressed for weeks when I heard Splashdown had split. However, Melissa has carried on, and has handled adversity with class and style.
The voice of Melissa Kaplan is phenomenal--her moods range from Bjork to Emiliana Torrini to Sarah Blackwood, but it always sounds like Melissa. She can go from warm and comfy to longing and lonely in the span of one whole note. She has superior command over her vocal cords, and has the ability trill her voice in the manner of the music of Asia and the Middle East.
A run-down of the tracks are as follows:
1. "Tutelary Genius" Smart lyrics over an epic sounding set of verses, with a rocking, pop chorus. The middle of the song segways into a sweet melody and countermelody over the sticcato notes of a xylophone, then launches straight into the chorus again. The diversity of this song alone foreshadows the rest of the album.
2. "Dragonfly" The beginning of the song has a mysterious quality to it, and resides most definitely in the realm of trip hop. The beat is trip hop, but with trumpet over the beat in the middle half of the song. Melissa comes back in, and her voice is longing and mournful. A masterpiece. This song can be found on the UHP website.
3. "Misdirected" A haunting piano intro, the song begins delicately, then surges into the chorus. Melissa pounds the piano to make her point; the notes accentuate her voice. "Misdirected" goes quiet again, with Melissa's voice almost a whisper, then she cranks up the intensity heard earlier in the song. This tidal movement of the music conjures up an old Splashdown lyric from "Sugar High": "You can be the flow and I can be the ebb..."
4. "No One" Another classic Melissa Kaplan piano song. She seems to be singing of a relationship gone wrong. "No One" reminds me of something you would hear in one of those detective movies from the '50s, in which the PI goes to a lounge late at night in the heart of a city, and there on the stage, illuminated by a spotlight, is a singer in a sparkling dress with a soulful song to sing. He is captivated. If "No One" does not make you feel hypnotized, you should probably check yourself for a pulse.
5. "Katrinah Josephina" A ballad in which Melissa is accompanied by a phenomenal countermelody during the verses, but there is complete harmony during the chorus. The end of the song adds a trip hop beat, with the mysterious sounds of Melissa singing through what should remind the listener of a turn-of-the-century phonograph. It works very well for the song.
6. "Six-Step Dragon" Absolutely mindblowing. Melissa channels all of her Far Eastern influence on this gem. A very Asian-sounding melody and beat, but with a trip hop edge. As always, her voice soars, and the beauty of the song blooms like a lotus flower. The imagery of the song reminds me of the cinematography at the end of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Fantastic violin work that truly captures the sound of eastern music. This song alone is worth the price of the album.
7. "Avatar" She makes singing sound so effortless. Another piano intro, with small bits of percussion and strings joining in later. The sound soon grows larger, and begins to add bits of synth, but still sounds organic. How does she do it, and do it so well?
8. "Solar/Lunar" A faster tempo, and wouldn't sound out of place at a dance club. It sounds very futuristic in both tone and lyrics.
9. "Special Agent" Simply put, this song rocks. Driving guitars and an upbeat tempo make it belong on a rockin' road trip CD. The lyrics have attitude and insight. A fun melody upon layers of sound, with Melissa's vocals on top of it all. Alternative songcraft well done.
10. "Quiet Use of Charm" Haunting piano with fast drum machine breaks. It sounds as though Melissa put her voice through another filter during the verses; it has the sound of coming off an old 45, but the chorus is not distorted. It is a rare singer indeed who sounds great in both cases.
11. "Outro" This is the song that will confound most listeners who are not familiar with Splashdown. "Outro" is very, very experimental, but is still inspired. To be honest, I don't understand the song, but I do not attribute it to bad songwriting--I attribute it to my being nowhere near the plane of existence in which Melissa Kaplan resides.
Another reviewer said that it takes 2-3 listens to Mercury to truly appreciate it. I would say that this is true, not because the songs are bad, but because it takes multiple listens to train one's ear to their complexity.
In a just world, Melissa Kaplan would be more well-known than she is. My only conclusion is that Earth is not ready for her music, from both Splashdown and Universal Hall Pass.
Fantastic!.......2006-03-01
I've had this one for months now and it is as good as the first time I played it. Avatar is my favorite. Keep up the good work Mel!!
addictive.......2005-11-29
I bought UHP on the back of Splashdown and was prepared to be disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised to find the album diverse and brilliant. Dragonfly was familiar from the free downloads on the UHP website and stands out as one of the best songs, however there are many to choose from with Avatar and Tutellary Genius being my personal favourites. The blend of upbeat pop and eastern influences with bluesly ballads makes a wonderfully addictive album and while I think all splashdown fans will always hope for a reunion, UHP undoubtedly makes the separation easier to bear.
The only track i havent loved is quiet use of charm, although it seems to be popular with many other people, i find the vocal effects a little irritating and with a voice like that there really isnt any need for them!
Overall a throughly recommended and enjoyable cd.
out of this universe..........2005-11-16
I fell madly in love with Splashdown through the influence of a SF-dj friend of mine, and nearly cried when the band broke up. So glad to see Melissa Kaplan is still putting her brilliance to work in Mercury. Stand out tracks are: Solar/Lunar- which would fit happily on Space Mountain or the Serenity soundtrack, Six-step dragon- an absolutely beautiful synth-asian peice, and Dragonfly.
A word of caution:
As with the case of much of Splashdown's stuff, you may not like this music the first time you hear it. It's very dissonant, oddly unlike what western ears are trained to hear. KEEP LISTENING. After the 3rd time through the album, you will start to pick out the marvelous subtleties in the music.
Average customer rating:
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Commitment
Jim Hall
Manufacturer: Universal/a&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Bebop General
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Cool Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
ASIN: B000BR2OOM
Release Date: 2005-12-26 |
Tracks:
- Walk Soft
- One Morning in May
- Lament for a Fallen Matador
- Down the Line
- When I Fall in Love
- My One and Only Love
- Bermuda Bye Bye
- Indian Summer
Album Description
Limtied edition Japanese pressing has been remastered and comes in a miniature LP sleeve. A&M. 2005.
Average customer rating:
- Just Plain Bad.......
- what happen?
- Mike Scott...paging Mike Scott
- The spiritual shines through
- Mike Scott has Lost his Edge
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Universal Hall
The Waterboys
Manufacturer: Minty Fresh
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Alternative Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Christian & Gospel
| Styles
| Music
Christian Contemporary Music
| Christian & Gospel
| Styles
| Music
Folk Rock
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
General
| Celtic
| International
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
- Too Close to Heaven
- Bring 'em All In
- Room to Roam
- A Pagan Place
- Rock in the Weary Land
ASIN: B0000AQS74
Release Date: 2003-09-09 |
Tracks:
- This Light Is For The World
- The Christ In You
- Silent Fellowship
- Every Breath Is Yours
- Peace Of Iona
- Ain't No Words For The Things I'm Feeling
- Seek The Light
- I've Lived Here Before
- Always Dancing, Never Getting Tired
- The Dance At The Crossroads
- E.B.O.L.
- Universal Hall
Amazon.com
While restless musical eclecticism and unabashed spiritualism have been the ruin of many a lesser band, Mike Scott's Waterboys have oft worn them as a badge of honor throughout their rough `n' tumble history. And while those shifts from electric to acoustic, anthemic to ethnic have produced nearly as much consternation as transcendence for their listeners, each effort has been true to itself in subtly different ways. That's no less true on this collection of, in Scott's own summation, "one Irish reel and eleven spiritual-based songs." The crypto-religious dimensions of Scott's long dalliance with the Findhorn Foundation are marked from the album's title (a Scottish theater run by the organization) and the upbeat, neo-classicism of the opening anthem, "This Light Is for the World." "The Christ in You" and "Silent Fellowship" continue those themes, but begin to explore the subtle, compelling sonic dimensions that are the album's greatest strength. With fiddler Steve Wickham back in the fold, the band's folk ambitions resonate anew with quiet strength on the lovely "Peace of Iona" and the vigorous reel, "Dance at the Crossroads." Yet "Seek the Light" proves Scott can just as quickly still conjure the challenging electro-angst of the Waterboys "comeback," Rock In a Weary Land , before coming full circle on the expansive, spiritually unapologetic title track.--Jerry McCulley
Album Description
2003 album, released on their own Puck label, combines elements of pop, gospel, acoustic, & minimalism. 12 tracks.
Album Details
12 Songs of Pop, Acoustic and Minimalist Elements. Leader and Producer Mike Scott Describes the Album as "Full of Love and Fire, with a Bright, Elemental Sound". Waterboys' Fiddler Steve Wickham Returns to the Fold and Contributes Mercurial Description-defying Fiddle to the New Songs. Other Musicians Include Piano Player/Flautist Richard Naiff While Mike Scott Complements his Usual Guitar and Keyboards with a Variety of Unusual Sounding Instruments Including Earth Resonator, Harmonium, Micro-synth and Tambron. The Album was Recorded in Five Weeks in January and February 2003 at the Basement Studio Beneath Universal Hall, the Remarkable Building Pictured on the Album Cover and Situated at the Findhorn Community in Scotland.
Customer Reviews:
Just Plain Bad..............2006-07-11
I've always been a fan of the Waterboys, and believe that Mike Scott is a great talent, but this album is causing me to re-evaluate my opinion. Waterboys albums are sometimes spotty affairs, but usually have moments of brilliance that transcend the mediocre material. This album,however,has none. In fact,it is just plain terrible. Okay, Mike is getting into this spiritual thing, and that's fine (see "Bring Em All In" - wonderful!),but his songs this time around sound embarrassingly amateurish. Let's hope he comes around and finds the fire that he used to bring to his music. This one's a dud.
what happen?.......2006-04-27
mike scott & the waterboys one of my top 5 all time bands since their first album.
this album is so bad that makes me want to cry , all this time waiting for a new waterboys release and... this is it?
i hope the next album gets back in track because this one was a total dissapointment.
i just cant understand how a songwritter as genius as mike scott came up with this album
this is not the sea ..not even a river ....
Mike Scott...paging Mike Scott.......2005-10-15
I am so sad. What happened to you Mike Scott? I get it. You're a reclusive genius. Good for you. I haven't been this disappointed in an album since Elton John released "Victim of Love" in 1979, which is generally regarded as one of the worst albums of all time. There's maybe two songs on "Universal Hall" that are tolerable, but I don't know if I like them or it's because they're so simple to remember. (Sort of like when you find yourself humming a really annoying Volvo commercial and you don't know why.) Is this supposed to be a meditation album? Is this a demo album? I think it is. I guess you don't need to finish songs before you release them anymore. How about an album of you grunting in the shower? That would be infintely more interesting.
But I digress. I've always thought the Waterboys we're the greatest band in the world. We all argue about the best album; some think "Fisherman's Blues" is brilliant and I think "A Pagan Place" is brilliant. If you are a true Waterboys fan you have come to accept the changes and even reverse earlier positions on songs or albums that you once hated. I never forsee a time that I can accept this insulting drivel.
Okay, everyboby's entitled to a mistake. Mike Scott's reluctance to cater to the masses or a genre is legendary. Or is it? Hasn't he been marketing himself as a reclusive genius for years? I'm sensing a huge ego and some even greater hypocrisy with the release of this album. Maybe he could have recorded these songs privately and given them as a Christmas gift to his friends instead of shoving it down my throat. And I wish that some of you (and you know who you are)would stop saying this is a great album just because you love the band so much. I love the band, too. Because so many people do not like this album does not make it misunderstood or us listeners heathens. Sometimes bad is just bad.
The truth hurts, Mike. You've been preaching it for so long you should appreciate it. Please call me when you finish the album. I'll be listening to "Victim of Love."
Tom Johnson
The spiritual shines through.......2005-04-05
This is one mixed bag of songs that is surely likely to get equally mixed reviews. Yes, the lyrics are largely disappointing for Mike Scott and yet the spiritual is there without a shadow of doubt. One huge spiritual light that shines through the minimalism. And the musicians, the Waterboys backing Mike produce absolute brilliance in every note. I am not disappointed except for the one track "seek the light", a noisy track that just does not fit on this album.
Maybe I wouldn't pay the full price but why not?! The spirit such as produced by these musicians is not that easy to find these days. Earlier Van Morrison, U2, Radiohead, and OK now the Frames. Keep up the good work Mike and The waterboys!
Mike Scott has Lost his Edge.......2004-12-13
44 minutes. I don't get it. In the wake of re-issuing the first three Waterboys albums with extra cuts and missing tracks that were "intended to be included" but had to be cut to fit sound quality limitations of 22 minutes per side of vinyl, Scott releases a 44 minute CD in 2003! If that's not a sign that he hasn't got much to say, I don't know what is.
The liner notes feature wonderful details of Universal Hall, both architecturally and in stained glass artistry. Lovely to look at. I wish I could say as much for the music on this CD. Really. The Waterboys deserve so much more than I can honestly say in this review.
Read the song list. That's about all you'll get lyrically anyway. There is no depth or complexity to any of the songs beyond the title names. And there's little depth there anyway. "This light is for the world." What light? Light from where? For what purpose? What is the world supposed to do with it now that we've got it? And then later with "seek the light/find the light/feel the light/be the light." What light? What's so special about this light as opposed to some other light? oh, it's THE light, I see now...
"I give myself to you beloved, every breath is yours beloved." Who is this beloved you speak of and why do you prostrate yourself before her/him? Are you expecting everyone to follow your example just because you are devoting yourself to some undefined, vague idea of "beloved?" Where's the engaged, active, let's change the world Mike Scott? "Ain't no words for the things I'm feeling." Obviously, you didn't write any significant words in this entire album.
"E. B. O. L." I wonder what that is. An acronym. It's bound to have some clever layers and juxtapositioning, because this one is titled differently from all of the other songs. The others all come out and state flatly in the title the whole essence of the song. This one has got to be different. Wrong again. "You are an eternal being of love." Did I just hear that right? Eternal? Love? Two of the most intangible concepts in the English language and the listener is expected to have an epiphany from this phrase and one other, "you are the light of the world." OMG!
Scott gives an ever-so-small nod to his musical roots with one reel, "Dance at the Crossroads" written by Steve Wickham, but this song really feels out of place in this album of worn-out born-again christian catch phrases. A couple of other songs are entrancing from their sustained march feel, echoing an 18-minute track from Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. "Peace of Iona" is the stand out example. And it alone borders on brilliance. I'm listening to the album in my car several times and every time it hits this song I think, "That's clever. Piece of Iona, piece of the glancing, dancing waves, piece of the stones... etc. I wonder if he realizes it could also be Peace of Iona, etc." When I saw that the title was actually "Peace of Iona" I realized that he never intended the dual layers of meaning. That is exactly what this album lacks. Layers. It's nothing more than a thin coat of Magic Shell on my ice-cream, only without the ice cream.
I almost get as entranced with "Silent Fellowship" and "Universal Hall" except that on some tracks there's this annoying drum machine, sorry "loop archaeology", which underscores everything.
This album feels like many of the songs on his first solo album "Bring 'Em All In" but while in the earlier album Scott is resolving issues, tying up loose ends and seeking answers, on Universal Hall all he is doing is sketching some phrases, sipping his lemonade and watching the sunset, but without really sharing the sunset with us. All we get is "Yumm. Tastes sweet. So pretty." Universal Hall, the album where the Waterboys have lost their edge, their heart and their soul.
Average customer rating:
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Best of
Tom T Hall
Manufacturer: Universal/Spectrum
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Country
| Styles
| Music
General
| Bluegrass
| Country
| Styles
| Music
Country
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
Similar Items:
- The Essential Tom T. Hall: Twentieth Anniversary Collection-The Story Songs
- Country Songs for Children
- Classics
ASIN: B0000258F4
Release Date: 2001-09-18 |
Tracks:
- (Old Dogs, Children And) Watermelon Wine
- Ballad Of Forty Dollars
- Homecoming
- Year Clayton Delaney Died
- I Love
- Margie's At The Lincoln Park Inn
- Ravishing Ruby
- I Like Beer
- A Week In A Country Jail
- Willy The Wandering Gypsy And Me
- Faster Horses (The Cowboy And The Poet)
- I Washed My Face In The Morning Dew
- Old Five And Dimers Like Me
- That's How I Got To Memphis
- Shoeshine Man
- Nashville Is A Groovy Little Town
- I Took A Memory To Lunch
- I Can't Dance
Average customer rating:
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New Amsterdam: Live at Heineken Music Hall
Counting Crows
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
General
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Pop Rock
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
ASIN: B000G03QAK
Release Date: 2006-06-26 |
Tracks:
- Rain King
- Richard Manuel Is Dead
- Catapult
- Goodnight L.A.
- 4 White Stallions
- Omaha
- Miami
- Hazy
- Good Time
- St. Robinson In His Cadillac Dream
- Perfect Blue Buildings
- Hangin Around
- Goodnight Elisabeth
- Hard Candy
- Holiday In Spain
- Mr. Jones (Live At The Ahoy Holland)
Album Details
Counting Crows Celebrated their Stellar 15 Year Career with this Rousing Live Album, Recorded at Amsterdam's Heineken Music Hall in 2003. The Performance Captured the Band at their Best, Showcasing their Awesome Live Presence and featuring Many Counting Crows Favourites, Including 'holiday in Spain', 'rain King', 'hanginaround' and 'hazy', which was Co-written with Gemma Hayes. This Special Edition also Includes a Special Bonus Track, a Live Version of their Massive Hit 'mr Jones', Actually Recorded at a Different Date in Rotterdam's Ahoy Club!
Average customer rating:
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Commitment
Jim Hall
Manufacturer: Universal Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Bebop General
| Bebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Cool Jazz
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Modern Postbebop
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
Jazz
| Imports
| Stores
| Music
ASIN: B00024Z9AK
Release Date: 2004-07-12 |
Tracks:
- Walk Soft
- One Morning in May
- Lament for a Fallen Matador
- Down the Line
- When I Fall in Love
- My One and Only Love
- Bermuda Bye Bye
- Indian Summer
Customer Reviews:
An under-rated classic. .......2005-08-16
I love this recording! It contains some of the warmest and most intimate playing of any Jim Hall album I've ever heard. I've never understood why it never caught on with many other Jim Hall fans or critics. I suppose, it's been overshadowed by his other wonderful CTI recording "Concierto". And many people simply prefer his less highly-produced live or small group recordings. That's understandable since, of course, that's the pure stuff for any Jim Hall fan. Still, most Hall fans love "Concierto" so I can't understand why this album hasn't gotten the respect it deserves.
Although I love "Concierto" as much as anybody, I personally enjoy "Commitment" as least as much. Although it's a relatively slickly-produced CTI recording, it nonetheless has a very live and intimate feeling to it. The intent was to showcase Hall's playing and compositions in a variety of relaxed settings, playing with friends. And it works admirably. The result is a series of thoughtful, occasionally playful and consistently engaging performances from all of the superb musicians on the album. The tunes range from lush ballads to lightly-but-definitly-swinging standards to an accoustic guitar and drum calypso duet to the beautiful "Lament for a Fallen Matador", Don Sebesky's arrangement based on Albinoni's Adagio in G Minor" included as a follow-up to the "Concierto de Aranjuez" arrangement on "Concierto". I've heard at least one critic complain about Hall's wife's singing on "When I Fall in Love". (A simple voice-guitar duet give to listeners a peak into the casual music Hall and his wife make at home.) Look. She's not a professional singer and that complaint entirely misses the point of why this piece was incluced here. And really, for an amatuer, her singing is much better than 90 some percent of us could do. I personally really liked her phrasing. (Critics can be such jerks.) Finally, I think Jim's performance on "My One and Only Love" with Tommy Flannagan is as good or better than any Jim Hall balad playing on record, bar none. I cannot fathom why it wasn't included on "Balad Essentials".
Admittedly, I'm biased. This was my first Jim Hall album and it turned me into a life-long fan. About 27 years ago I bought it (in vinyl) on a lark based on the beautiful D'Aquisto on the back. I was about 17 or 18 and my guitar instructor then was all about Pat Martino and I was looking for something more to my own tastes. After hearling Jim Hall play on this album, I was hooked for life. So this album has sentimental value to me. Still, I think it's a shame that this album is so overlooked by Jim Hall fans and critics. I'm just grateful that at least Universal made a release for the Janpanese market so that I was able to order the CD on Amazon.
If you're a Jim Hall fan and you haven't heard this album, get it while and wherever you can. It is truly a clasic and it is wonderful listening.
Average customer rating:
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Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall
Herbie Hancock , Michael Brecker , and Roy Hargrove
Manufacturer: Universal/Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
Bebop General
| Bebop
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ASIN: B000065E9L
Release Date: 2002-05-29 |
Tracks:
- Sorcerer
- Poet
- So What/Impressions
- Misstery
- Naima
- Transition
- My Ship
- D Trane
Album Details
Tribute to Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Average customer rating:
- Late But Great..1956..A Swan Song..
|
The Essential Billie Holiday Carnegie Hall Concert
Billie Holiday
Manufacturer: Universal/Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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The Decca Records Store
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ASIN: B00031Y98A
Release Date: 2004-12-13 |
Tracks:
- Narration
- Lady Sings the Blues
- It Ain't Nobody's Business
- Narration with Vocal of Travelin' Light
- Narration
- Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
- I'll Be Seeing You
- I Love My Man
- Body and Soul
- Narration
- Don't Explain
- Yesterdays
- Narration
- My Man
- I Cried for You
- Fine and Mellow
- I Cover the Waterfront
- What a Little Moonlight Can Do
Album Description
Japanese 24-bit remastered reissue, packaged in a limited edition miniature LP sleeve. Details TBA. Universal. 2004.
Album Details
24bit Digitally Remastered Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.
Customer Reviews:
Late But Great..1956..A Swan Song.........2005-11-29
This review applies to the domestic release on Verve which is a lot less money than the import..and readily available..it is a grand performance with Coleman Hawkins,Roy Eldridge,Kenny Burrell,and other great musicians performing with Billie 1n 1956,a few years before her death.
The cd is interplayed with narration on Billie's life which makes it a biographical and musical treasure.
The song selection is classic,Billie's voice weathered but emotive..CD preperation wonderful with the tape vault research conducted by the jazz maven Phil Schapp...for those who care.
Music:
- When Only Darkness Remains
- Where Yall From? [Explicit Lyrics]
- Who Will Know
- Zenyatta Mondatta [Enhanced] [Import] [Original recording remastered]
- Zip-Lock
- 1959
- 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Jam [Import]
- A Weekend With Jane [EP]
- All-Skanadian Club, Vol.1
- Antipop
Music
music
Music
Tribute to Madonna: Like a Virgin [Import]
Classical Masterpieces [Import]
Choral Works of Quebec
Cryin' in the Chapel
Children of the Revolution [Import]
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Care Bears Journey to Joke-A-Lot [Enhanced]
Ferruccio Busoni: Music for Two Pianos and Piano Duet
Born & Raised in Black & White
Ceremonies
Between Thought and Expression: The Lou Reed Anthology [Box set]
Brasil em Fevereiro
Con Il Nastro Rosa [CD-single] [Import]
Poulenc d'après Poulenc
A Christmas Album