City

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Calvin James was born in Newburgh, NY in 1979. In high school Calvin was well known for excelling in athletics. After graduating in 1998, Calvin’s main focus was to attend a division one school to play sports. This led him to Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.

In the spring of 99’ Calvin auditioned and was accepted into the Esther Boyer College of music as a jazz vocalist major. He was also invited to play football at Temple for the 99-00 season, Calvin’s future took a drastic turn in the summer of 99’ when he tore his ACL and had to have arthroscopic knee surgery. Unable to play football, a friend bought him a guitar as a get well present. Calvin taught himself how to play. His song writing ability began to blossom.

His desire to play football lessened as did his enjoyment of college. Calvin left college in the fall of 2001. On March 3rd 2003 he started his own record company, Climax Records, Inc. The label’s first release is "City"; Calvin’s debut CD.

Album Description
Calvin's debut album CD is mixture of rock, folk & pop. Calvin's influences as an artist include Billy Joel, Elton John, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder, and Prince. The album was recorded @ Sweet Spot REcording Studios in Washingtonville, NY and Mastered @ West West Side Music in NJ. The Producer was Chris Hansen. The egineer was Sean Hanen

City, Music, Calvin James, It's mixture of pop, country, folk, & rock.

Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack)
Average customer rating:

Okalahoma

MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation

Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best!

Wonderful

Beauiful

Oklahoma! (1955 Film Soundtrack)
Jay Blackton , Charlotte Greenwood , Shirley Jones , Gene Nelson , Gloria Grahame , Rod Steiger , James Whitmore , and Gordon MacRae
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00005A7XB
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

Overture - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Main Title - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae
The Surrey With The Fringe On Top - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood
Kansas City - Gene Nelson/Charlotte Greenwood/Men's Chorus
Kansas City Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
I Cain't Say No - Gloria Grahame
Many A New Day - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
Many A New Day Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon McaRae/Shirley Jones
Pore Jud Is Daid - Gordon MacRae/Rod Steiger
Out Of My Dreams - Shirley Jones/Girls' Chorus
Out Of My Dreams Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
Entr' Acte - Rodgers & Hammerstein
The Farmer And The Cowman - Gordon MacRae/Charlotte Greenwood/Gene Nelson/J.C. Flippen/James Whitmore/Gloria Grahame...
The Farmer And The Cowman Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
All Er Nuthin' - Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson
All Er Nuthin' Ballet - Rodgers & Hammerstein
People Will Say We're In Love - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones
Oklahoma - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
Finale: Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' - Gordon MacRae/Shirley Jones/Charlotte Greenwood/Gloria Grahame/Gene Nelson/Rod Steiger...
Overture (LP Version) - Rodgers & Hammerstein

Customer Reviews:

Okalahoma.......2007-07-17

Very good quality reproduction, and enjoyable to listen to the full length movie soundtrack again.

MacRae and Jones head a superb and O.K. adaptation.......2007-03-16

The film adaptation of Oklahoma heralded a technological breakthrough in widescreen cinema just as the original stage musical ushered in the integrated book musical. As such this film adaptation was treated as a special occasion, well-supervised by the creators themselves. The soundtrack, featured here, boasts sterling performances from MacRae and Jones making the most of their portrayals of Curly and Laurey, backed by a charismatic cast and superb orchestrations. And of course let's not forget the enveloping stereo sound that holds up well even today.

Despite being a Hollywood star, Gordon MacRae performs the part of Curly as if he was born to play it even on the stage. He shines vocally in his renditions of Oh, what a Beautiful Mornin' and Surrey with the Fringe on Top. He is well-partnered by Shirley Jones as a fresh and pert Laurey, lending her beautiful voice to the part. Although we don't hear much of her on this soundtrack, her partnering MacRae in People Will Say We're in Love exudes a masterful chemistry, as if they were setting sparks off at each other in their rendition of the song. Gene Nelson makes a dashing Will Parker and is equally well-matched by Gloria Grahame as Ado Annie. Grahame renders I Cain't Say No splendidly and partners Nelson in All er Nothin'. The supporting cast is filled out by Charlotte Greenwood's suitably caustic Aunt Eller and Rod Steiger's Jud. It's a pity that the film cut the song Lonely Room, otherwise Steiger would have better demonstrated the dark hues of the character of Jud. Yet it all adds up to a wonderful renditionh of this classic musical, enough to elicit a spontaneous YEOW! during this year of the Oklahoma centenary.

This EMI-Angel reissue offers one the advantage of the dance music and the main titles. This means that the listener gets the Kansas City and Farmer and the Cowman dance sequences, as well as the extended Dream Ballet. The only downside is the extraneous sound effects lifted from a DVD copy of the movie. Yes I share many of your sentiments that these sound effects tend to grate, and long for Didier Deutsch to have used the original untainted studio vault versions. However, let's at least be thankful that the CD producers have offered us a more comprehensive version of the Oklahoma soundtrack that we could only have dreamt of in the past.

In short, this is a wonderful and valuable addition to the R&H discography, and is an equally celebrated rendition of the score like the original Broadway cast recording. Warmly recommended to those who seek even their first version of Oklahoma.

Broadway in a movie setting at it's very best!.......2007-03-06

I have the original Broadway version, but prefer this movie selection.
The CD is flawless and, in my opinion, there's nothing better than a Rodgers
and Hammerstein musical for music, lyrics and pure joy! This is the best!

Wonderful.......2007-01-30

A great way to introduce oneself to the world of the nearly extinct Hollywood musical.

Beauiful.......2006-06-05

A true musical theater classic. Wonderful melodies that will last for years to come.
Other classics not to forget about are:
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
The Wizard of Oz
Chitty Chitty Bang Band
The first Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
The Sound of Music
Oliver
West Side Story
Fiddler on the Roof
Singing in the Rain
The Wiz
Little Mermaid
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
Grease
The King and I
Oklahoma
The Music Man
South Pacific

My Voice Students are always asking me for recommendations so I though I'd post it for all! We can't forget about these great musicals!

Average customer rating:

Country Mouse City House
Josh Rouse
Manufacturer: Nettwerk Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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She's Spanish, I'm American
Easy Tiger
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Sky Blue Sky

ASIN: B000ROAL3U
Release Date: 2007-07-31

Tracks:

Sweetie
Italian Dry Ice
Hollywood Bass Player
God, Please Let Me Go BAck
Nice To Fit In
Pilgrim
Domesticated Lovers
London Bridges
Snowy

Amazon.com

Since his debut record showcased a youthful Nebraskan with an open road of promise, on through the five albums that followed Josh Rouse has followed that road in dawdling, nomadic spurts across America and the Atlantic to Spain, where he now lives his life and makes his music. Annually, it seems, Rouse re-emerges to say hello, streaming his pop awareness and weaving stories in the simplicity of songs, always with an air of candor and reticence. Thus, there are few bombshells on his seventh release, one flowing with lustrous arrangements and Rouse's pacifying voice. Though his guitar serves as the conduit, the music is fused with modest horns and gentle organ fills, with buoyant songs such "Hollywood Bass Player," "Domesticated Lovers," and "London Bridges," along with the jazzy "Pilgrim" and the splendid rocker "Nice To Fit In" leading the way. No longer the naïve Midwesterner from a decade ago, this is the globetrotting Rouse who has found a home in Spain--and deserves to find another in your record collection. --Scott Holter

Average customer rating:

touching and heartfelt
A Classic
Well Worth the Wait!!!
the lost city soundtrack
The Lost City Soundtrack

The Lost City
Original Soundtrack
Manufacturer: Univision Music Grp
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Lost City
Cuban Patio / The Music Of Cuba
Cuban Dance Party
For Love or Country - The Arturo Sandoval Story
Cubanisimo

ASIN: B000FKO5EC
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

Beautiful Cuba - Chocolate Armenteros
Mambo - Cachao
A La Antigua - Ernesto Lecuona
Danza Lucumi - Ernesto Lecuona
La Comparsa - Ernesto Lecuona
Macorina - Abelardo Barroso
Los Munequitos - Grupo Guaguanco Matancero
Ricardo's Theme - Andy Garcia
Fico Meets Che - Andy Garcia
Si Te Contara - Ruben Gonzalez
Ricardo Meets Che - Andy Garcia
Avisale A Mi Contrario/Peligro Theme - Lazaro Galarraga
Goza Mi Mambo Cubano - Cachao
Solitude/Leonela's Death - Andy Garcia
Yo Si Como Candela - Miguelito Cuni
Attack On Palace - Andy Garcia
Sugar Cane Fields - Andy Garcia
Rumba For Luis - Lazaro Galarraga
A Gozar Con Mi Combo - Cachao
Otra Cosa - Omar Sosa
Mariano Social Club - Cachao
Berceuse Campseina - Nohema Fernandez
Que Bueno Baila Usted - Benny More
Suavecito - Septeto Nacional De Ignacio Pineiro
Cachao's Guirro - Cachao

Tracks:

Amalia Batista - Rolando Laserie
Tenia Que Ser Asi - Rolando Laserie
Eleggua - Lazaro Galarraga
Si Me Pudieras Querer - Cachao
Fidel Arrives/El Mayoral - Lazaro Galarraga
Fico Watts/Pidgeon/Aurora - Andy Garcia
Consuelate Como Yo - Lazaro Galarraga
La Bella Cubana - Jose White
Te Pico La Abeja - Trio Matamoros
Donoso's Death - Andy Garcia
Guajira Clasica - Cachao
Veinte Anos - Maria Teresa Vera
Fico Decides - Justo Almario
The Lost City - Andy Garcia
Si Me Pudieras Querer - Bola De Nieve
Adios A Cuba - Marco Rizo
Limbo Jazz - Duke Ellington
Lansky Returns - Danilo Lozano
Cuba Linda - Cachao
La Ciudad Perdida - Andy Garcia

Amazon.com

Andy Garcia directed, starred in and composed the score for this obvious labor of love movie, set in late-'50s Cuba. In his spare time, he also played the piano in the Lost City Orchestra, the de facto house band that performs Garcia's music as well as numbers by the likes of Ernesto Lecuona, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Cuban composers ever ("A la Antigua," "Danza Lucumi," and "La Comparsa" unfurl glorious string charts). Garcia plays a nightclub owner in Havana right before and during the revolution, thus making music an integral aspect of the movie--no wonder this two-CD set features 45 tracks. In keeping with the movie's period feel, the non-score songs are made up of an array of amazing Cuban dance classics by the likes of Rolando Laserie, inspired player of boleros and guarachas, or mambo master Cachao López (the subject of a documentary directed by Garcia). The latter performs the instrumental version of the gorgeous "Si Me Pudieras Querer," the song that serves as the movie's love theme, while Bola de Nieve handles the vocal one. It was brave of Garcia to juxtapose his own compositions to such numbers, but it's also hard not to think they sound a little bland by comparison. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Album Description

Andy Garcia's critically acclaimed film The Lost City is a personal and emotional story about a Havana family during the time of the Cuban Revolution. The impact of the historical events on their diverging lives is conveyed through this exceptional soundtrack. The two-disc soundtrack contains classic Cuban tracks from Cachao, Benny More, Chappottin, Omar Sosa, Ruben Gonzalez, and Bola de Nieve, plus Andy Garcia's own very personal score. The music plays an integral part in the film and many reviewers have raved about the significance of the music in the narrative of the story. This is a soundtrack for film aficionados as well as Cuban and world music fans.

Customer Reviews:

touching and heartfelt.......2007-07-02

Watched the movie last week and have had to see it twice more. The music is as haunting as it is touching. Muy bien Senior Garcia for giving us both a touching movie and a beautiful soundtrack. The soundtrack has significant meaning since my mother recently passed and this was the music I grew up with. Simply, !Bello!.

I am looking forward to more of your work as a Director.!Adelante!

ANG

A Classic.......2007-06-27

A great historic movie. A movie that celebrates Cuban culture, history, and music. A well balanced movie historically, a great movie overall, and my favorite movie of all time. I am cigar smoker and really enjoyed the view of the tobacco fields and the screenshots of the action taken there. Andy Garcia and the awesome selection of supporting staff made the movie a classic. Great job.

Well Worth the Wait!!!.......2007-06-23

Bravo Andy!!! Ambitious compilation of old and new versions of Cuban classic tunes. Remarkable and beautiful project. Viva Cuba Libre!!!

the lost city soundtrack.......2007-06-13

Total dissapointment! When I saw the movie I immediately wanted to buy the soundtrack which was suppost to be available in 2010. When I purchased it could not believe it. The song are literaly 5 seconds long is like wetting your lips and not being able to drink the drink.

The Lost City Soundtrack.......2007-06-08

This movie is one of the most beautiful movies I have seen in a long time. During the watching of the film I noticed, more than a few times, the music. That is what inspired me to purchase the soundtrack. I watched the movie with my mom, and she, too, was inspired by the music. It was right around Mother's Day that we saw the film so I placed an order for two soundtrack CD's of the Lost City. My mom and I both love the composition and mood that the music has to offer. I would advise anybody who loves Jazz and rhythm to purchase this CD set.

Average customer rating:

No edge...
Nearly up to Par
don't believe the naysayers, this album is an amazing feat.
A Solid, but Less Upbeat, Sophomore Album
Is It So Wrong to Crave Recognition?

A Weekend in the City
Bloc Party
Manufacturer: Vice Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sound of Silver

ASIN: B000M06K5C
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
Hunting For Witches
Waiting For The 7:18
Prayer, The
Uniform
On
Where Is Home?
Kreuzberg
I Still Remember
Sunday
SRXT

Amazon.com

Bloc Party may have arrived in an outbreak of like-minded British bands set upon shooting holes in the Union Jack while knocking out a sharp post-punk soundtrack, but it didn't take long for the foursome to set itself apart from the pack. Fronted by Nigerian-born singer Kele Okereke, the group's 2005 debut, Silent Alarm, soared as much on crystal ambition as it did on ridiculously danceable pop melodies. This follow-up is darker, more cluttered, and harder to digest. That doesn't make it less striking. Exploring themes of racism, terrorism, sexuality, addiction, and death--the usual fodder for a cosmopolitan three-day bender--Weekend in the City is an album that plays to Bloc Party's strengths: tempo-shifting rhythms, inventive art-rock arrangements, and lyrics that twist and turn on a whim. "The Prayer" and "Uniform" are particular standouts, capturing moments when Okereke lets self-importance fade and majestic beats take charge. --Aidin Vaziri

Album Description

The follow-up to their smash debut, "Silent Alarm", is every bit as bright, powerful, and catchy, with the addition of more muscle, attitude, depth, and a bit of polish courtesy of their producer, Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol). Inspired by lead singer Kele Okereke's interest in what he calls "the living noise of a metropolis", this record captures every detail of daily life in a modern city from the ebullient to the mundane. From the quiet desolation of commuting to casual sex, from going out on a Friday night to the long ride home early in the morning, these are songs desperate to understand the meaning that pulses under the moments of our every day.

Customer Reviews:

No edge..........2007-07-24

Don't tag this as "indie" or "alternative" There is absolutely nothing exciting or indie about this album. The quirky, rough-around-the-edges, diverse songs of the first album have been replaced by top 40 radio wannabee garbage. I think even the band members know how horrible this album is compared to the first. They'll be opening for John Mayer or Matchbox 20 soon....

Nearly up to Par.......2007-07-19

I am a huge fan of Bloc Party, and ever since I discovered them, I have loved listening to their music. Their first debut, Silent Alarm, is an excellent album, and I kept that in mind when I purchased thier follow up album, A Weekend in the City. I must say that I was disappointed at first, mainly because A Weekend in the City is not the same as Silent Alarm. I was expecting the same catchy hooks, bouncy rhythms, and light pop rock sound. Bloc Party's second album is not the same as their first. I definitely applaud them for trying to maintain innovation, and not always play the same thing. Just recently I have started to listen to A Weekend in the City more often, and the more I listen to it, the more it grows on me. AWitC is darker, edgier, and plays with a raw, uneven sound. Even still, I think it is a good album that solid Bloc Party fans should invest in, or any lover of alt rock. "The Prayer" is the catchy hook song of the album, while "Hunting for Witches" has a neat and inventive sound. "I Still Remember" has traces of Silent Alarm's "Blue Light" in that it is mellow, melodic, and beautiful. I look forward to Bloc Party's next release, whenever it may come, and suggest going for AWitC. This album grows on you, and is really different than Silent Alarm. Change is good.

don't believe the naysayers, this album is an amazing feat........2007-06-29

if you take music your music seriously, you'll feel the strong steady pulse that beats below this killer sophomore album.

seriously. fingers out. put it on the cd sleeve. keep still and wait a few seconds...

okay. maybe if you have an imagination in hyperdrive but still, my point is that while "Weekend in the City" may lack the dancier and poppier aspects "Silent Alarm" posessed, the fact they've gone DEEPER into the instrumentals and textures and ambient noises make it so much more fulfilling! anyone can dish out some drum machine beats and a catchy guitar hook, and while this album definitely has that (hello? "Sunday" anyone?), I love how they took the direction of my personal favorite from "Silent Alarm" ("So here we Are") and just built so much on that.

Is "Weekend in the City" an album full of club-banger hits for the indie kids who still call themselves "hipsters" without irony? Probably not. Is it an album good for introspection while wandering around at 2am downtown in the city (not smart, but appealing!)? Most definitely. buy this album. you won't regret it.

A Solid, but Less Upbeat, Sophomore Album.......2007-06-29

There was a time, about a year and a half ago, when I considered Bloc Party to be one of my favorite bands. I listened to their debut, Silent Alarm, almost obsessively and still consider it one of my favorite albums - whether I needed something energetic or pensieve, I could, and still can, find it on that album.

Naturally I was excited about A Weekend In The City before I ever heard it, and upon hearing it I wasn't sure what to think. The first six of the album's eleven songs grew on me immensely, while the second half of the album blurred together without any of the songs making an impression on me. Upon revisiting them, I realized that the immediately listenable songs didn't necessarily have longterm playability; conversely, the five final songs reflect just as much, if not more care than the other tracks -unfortunately, when listened to consecutively, they do tend to sound similar. Listen to them separately, and they really do shine: particularly, 'I Still Remember' and 'Sunday' didn't really grab me when I first heard them, but now rank among my favorites by the band.

All in all, AWITC is a slower album to enjoy than its predecessor, with more of a focus on setting soundscapes than writing hooks for catchy choruses. If you enjoyed the more contemplative parts of Silent Alarm, you'll love A Weekend in the City. Otherwise, expect to spend more time becoming acquainted with the work here.

Is It So Wrong to Crave Recognition?.......2007-06-16

I saw this band on Late Night with Conan O'Brian and I was very impressed with their live performance of "The Prayer." The singer was Black, but his style was somewhere between, Robert Smith, of The Cure, and Feli Kuti, the Nigerian singer and Afrobeat band leader. Turns out the band was fronted by Nigerian-born singer Kele Okereke. The rest of the band looked like a lot of post-punk limey slackers, and by gum, they were exactly that.

From London and South East United Kingdom, this latest deconstruction and reassembly of the modern sound is astounding, indeed. "The Prayer" sounds like some kind of Gregorian chant, or possibly the throat singing of Tibetian monks. The ominous hum builds and is joined by the coolest guitar riff since Satisfaction, a crisp Telecaster riff, at once primative and modern. When Kele Orereke begins to sing, a similar mixture of modern and primative ensues, as electric guitars, bass, and drums, fraternize with an African chant. Lots of shifting tempos, noise and melody, melody OF noise, dance tempos, irresistable beats.

I found their page on MySpace and watched the video for "The Prayer" and some other songs. "The Prayer" video is very good, and it just shows some modern urban kids out for a night on the town, trying to find a cool club in which to dance. Kele is a face in the crowd, lost in the shuffle, but he knows if they would only give him a chance, they would see that he is really a unique phenomenon, worthy of their attention and patience. The lyrics are really very powerful.

Another video shows the band playing on a train, and is like one long pan from car to car of a moving train. Some kind of special effects technique was involved, because it seems like the eye of the camera dollys through the entire train, from engine to caboose, and the band and Kele keep popping up on every car.

Other videos show band members as animated cartoon characters. Shades of Scoobey Doo, or at least The Gorillaz.

I have just discovered this band, but from what I have seen so far, I am very impressed, and will pursue hearing more of their excellent music. A good place to start is on their MySpace page, and if you are intrigued like I was, you can get this album, A Weekend in the City, or else try their first album, Silent Alarm.

Average customer rating:

Nice collection of favorites
Wonderfully Enchanting!
The pleasure of Harry Potter's Music
An Excellent Choice!
A Fabulous Compilation!!

Music from the Harry Potter Films

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban
Film Music by John Williams
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

ASIN: B000E8N8RA
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Tracks:

Harry's Wondrous World
Nimbus 2000
Fawkes The Phoenix
Dobby The House Elf
The Chamber Of Secrets
Gilderoy Lockhart
Quidditch World Cup/The Foreigners Arrive
Harry In Winter
The Hogwarts March
The Potter Waltz
The Black Lake
Another Year Ends
The Hogwarts Hymn
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban - Suite
Hedwig's Theme

Customer Reviews:

Nice collection of favorites.......2007-07-12

For those not interested in buying all of the soundtracks up to but not including HP 5 this is the way to go. But if you already have them all you will probably find this a wash. Take the tracks you have and arrange them as you like instead. The music is slightly better in places on the originals also.

Wonderfully Enchanting!.......2007-07-01

I figured I'd comment on this CD even though it's not the same one exactly. I have the 2007 2 disc Music from the Harry Potter Films CDs and it's absolutely wonderful! I can't seem to find it anywhere on Amazon or on Silva Screen USA which is where it told me to go! They bring up this version I'm commenting on. The music for those tracks listed is the same as on my 2007 2 disc set so that's why I'm commenting. Brilliant music!

The pleasure of Harry Potter's Music.......2007-05-08

If you want to visualize the scenes from a movie, then this is the CD for you.This is one of the best movie score selections that I have had the pleasure to purchase in quite a while. From the beginning strands of Harry's World to the hauntingly beautiful, Harry in Winter, you will find yourself smiling and playing this CD over and over.

An Excellent Choice!.......2007-03-09

If you are looking for the best songs from Harry Potter movies, this CD is certainly an excellent choice. It's nice listening while driving and It's wonderful because you can listen the song that plays at the beginning of Harry's films over and over. This is a selection of all 4 movies.The best are "Hedwig's Theme", "Harry's Wondrous World", "Harry Potter and The Prisioner of Askaban - Suite" (You can "fly" with Harry while listening to "Buckbeak's Flight", feel Harry's fear and excitement). "Gilderoy Lockhart" is as funny as the character himself. "Harry in Winter" is marvellous.
It's good fun for sure!

A Fabulous Compilation!!.......2006-10-16

The first review pretty much says it all, we just wanted to add our stars. My family and I are big Harry Potter fans and when it was time for my daughter's birthday, she requested a CD of Harry Potter music. There were several different pieces of which she was particularly fond of and this was the only CD that seemed to have nearly all of them. If there's one thing that she misses, it's the song "Something Wicked This Way Comes" from the POA film. Some of the melody is included in the POA suite but she really wanted to sing along.

This CD plays almost constantly in our car's CD system and the kids have a great time remembering what parts of the movies each piece is from. If you're looking for a Harry Potter CD that represents a bit of the best from each of the first four movies, this is it. The quality is outstanding as well.

Average customer rating:

She makes me wish I were deaf
excellent second album
Self-consciously coquettish overintellectualized indie schmuck
raw yet refined
Everything you don't expect and more...

Ys
Joanna Newsom
Manufacturer: Drag City
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Milk-Eyed Mender
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ASIN: B000I2K9M4
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

Emily
Monkey & Bear
Sawdust & Diamonds
Only Skin
Cosmia

Amazon.com

Joanna Newsom's voice--a piercing flutter that's pitched somewhere between Björk and a hand brake--is an acquired taste. But to the uninitiated, it's not nearly as impenetrable as her cosmic poetry or, for that matter, baroque music. The 24-year-old Californian harpist's second album is a five-track concept piece loosely based on its namesake, the mythological drowned city of the Bretons. We say "loosely" because she leaves plenty of room for digressions on meteoroids and birds flying into windows. While Ys was recorded by minimalist Steve Albini (Nirvana, PJ Harvey), it includes lush string arrangements by Van Dyke Parks (Brian Wilson) and the final mix was done by sonic experimentalist Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth, Tortoise). The result is an album that sounds unlike anything else. And despite containing spectacularly beguiling songs that stretch out past 15 minutes, every second seems to drip with magic. You certainly don't get that with Ashlee Simpson. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

She makes me wish I were deaf.......2007-07-14

Here voice makes me want to stab my ears with and icepick until I die. Only hardcore avant-guard indie hipsters with a penchant for un-melodic, rhythmless non-music need apply. How anyone could like this is beyond me. Calling her the American Bjork is a tremendous disservice to the Icelandic Queen. Why is there not an option for zero stars?

excellent second album.......2007-07-01

Joanna Newsom has composed the music and wrote the lyrics that are complex, unique and beautiful. She is on the most talented new artists today and I was happy to discover her music. I would warmly recommend this album, as well as her first CD, "Milk-Eyed Mender".

Self-consciously coquettish overintellectualized indie schmuck.......2007-06-29

What is it with every woman in "underground" music insisting on being cute and smart and falsely weird? (The word "underground" is in quotes because any album that costs more than $250,000 to make and tops every single best-of list of its release year cannot really be considered under the radar.) It's like they have such horrible self-image problems that they must always wear a cute outfit, play an unexpected instrument, and sing in a disaffected manner, and they are absolutely GUSHED over in the press. This is just one aspect of the Pitchforkization of music, a faux democratization of taste that results in nothing but hype and backlash--no substance, all fear, just cycle after cycle like a dog who can't tell its own tail from a stick.

[ETA: It's appallingly obvious that, based on some of the responses to this review, we have not learned the lessons that those righteous and fearless feminists and punk rockers attempted, and bless 'em, how they tried, to instill in music fans. It's also obvious that the "sexism" portrayed above extends beyond this review into current "indie" culture, in that ugly dudes with beards can score hits, but there's nary a hairy female armpit on the scene these days, and women who fall into this trap by frilling themselves up in such a self-conscious way are doing nothing to further the cause against discrimination towards women. So if someone wants to be shocked by sexism, then be shocked by something that is actually hugely, poisonously sexist and stop throwing knives at amazon.com reviews written by those who are highly irritated that "feminism" is warped to defend all sorts of horrific things.]

Now that I've gotten that rant out of the way, onto the record: I've been listening to this for several months, and I cannot figure out why Newsom is creating what she is and why people (self included) are actually listening to it.

--Does she tell compelling stories? No, not really--the language is obscured and veiled, and even then you know exactly which side she's on in her morality tales. There's nothing complex or surprising about a bear being manipulated and taken advantage of by a monkey, even in Newsom's words, and the obvious plot ending solidifies the fact that Newsom cannot and will never be able to process the moral ambiguities that most great artists--including many that she professes to admire, like Neil Young--can create. Why should I care about a bear? Even if it is an allegory, and a piss poor one at that, I think the whole song should've spared us all and jumped into the water with Ursula.

--Does she use language in interesting ways? On occasion she does, I'll give her that. I have to say that "Sawdust and Diamonds" contains one of the loveliest descriptions of a birth this side of Patti Smith's "Kimberly"--"I was all horns and thorns, sprang up fully formed, knock-kneed and upright." (Funny, though, that when I think of the term "fully formed," being knock-kneed doesn't immediately come to mind.) But the rest of the song's trite meditation on puppeteering and meandering, uselessly vague pastoral imagery render that line, which might have been a good start to something far more interesting, absolutely pointless. And that's what so much of this is. She also has a terrible thesaurus addiction, and will drop an awkward passage without even reconsidering it. You know who else, more famous than Newsom and also praised in her early career, did this? That's right, Alanis Morissette. Perhaps Newsom should stand naked in the street for her next video to make the comparison more apt, because at least Alanis lets it all lyrically hang out while Newson gives none of herself to her art.

--Does it sound good? Well, not really. I used the word "meandering" earlier, and so much of the music on this record does just that. Poor Van Dyke Parks, trying to shine a turd. The composition is so self-aware and cloying, and if there were words to listen to and actual ideas on this record they wouldn't be allowed to breathe. Perhaps it's all a smoke screen to distract from the fact that Joanna Newsom has nothing to say.

Why do I think that Newsom is fraught with naught? Yes, this is only her second album, and yes, she is young and fresh out of creative writing school, but when I hear her sing the word "desire" there's absolutely none there. It's the audio equivalent of getting up every morning and going to work in an office about which you are ambivalent and apathetic. And even the least paid, least hip cubicle grunts know what desire is, surely! Hell, Rimbaud's career as a writer was over by the time he was 24, but his throwaways had far more depth than the best Newsom can do here.

So if I don't like it so much, why am I giving this two whole stars? Because Joanna Newsom is the same age as me, has recorded two albums, and has made enough money to buy a house, which is far more than I've been able to do in an equal amount of time (though unequal opportunities were available, which could lead me to a discussion of her connections and social status/economic disparities from which I will spare you). I suppose she deserves some credit for having her finances in order, without having to resort to grunt work. And yes, I am jealous that someone who created something so insipid is now famous and wealthy. So it goes.

raw yet refined.......2007-06-23

This is my second attempt at posting a review here. The first review had the phrase "my arse" in it (using the other word for "arse") so I can only assume that's why it didn't get posted. I am appalled at some of the things said of Joanna Newsom and her album on Amazon. Some people go so far as to personally attack the artist herself for being privileged (??), for playing a harp in an attempt to be different, and for wearing "cute dresses." Hmmm...

This album holds a special place in my collection. Never have I heard such ambitious, moving, and consistently powerful lyrics on a single album. This is a difficult album to understand for many people, but I find dissecting the lyrics and researching the musician's intent much more interesting and rewarding than anything on the radio these days. As for the music itself, being no music theory major, I can only say that it consistently pulls an emotional response from me; viscerally and intellectually, I find it cathartic, stimulating, raw (no thesaurus used here, guys and girls.) Joanna Newsom certainly does a terrific job on the harp, in composition and execution, and Van Parks' complementary pieces add a certain largeness of sound to the album that matches its largeness of vision.

The vitriol I have seen against Newsom in a few of the reviews here is unnerving and worrying. I would hope that those who do not like her album will in future attempt to logically explain why without succumbing to posting hateful and sexist insults. This does nothing to inform would-be buyers of the album's strengths and weaknesses (if you think the album has any--I personally think it doesn't: it is exactly what it should be.)

Five stars all the way.

Everything you don't expect and more..........2007-06-07

This is probably one of the most creative projects I've ever heard. Newsom plays the harp and writes epic song with lush orchestrations behind them. You hear every instrument and color on this album except what you expect to hear. Newsom's harp trickles through the chords while the songs are colored by lush strings, subtle brass and even an occassional banjo or jawharp. Newsom's songs are very different from traditional pop songs. She divorces the traditional song structure and gives each song a wider arc allowing her to tell the story at hand. The lyrics are very narrative and incredibly poetic. The texts drip with imagery poetic devices that just don't get used enough in mainstream music. This album is incredibly refreshing with its innovative instrumentations, lush orchestrations, masterful songwriting, poetic lyrics and fantastic production. Even with all of this I think that anyone may find fault with one particular aspect of the record:

Joanna Newsom's voice.

I'm not going to lie, it's kind of annoying. Her vocal quality is some kind of strange combination between abrasive and whinny. Images of a pre-pubescent Bjork may come to mind. One thing that I consistently noticed was that when Newsom sang the word, "and" or other words with a similar vowel sound higher in her regester, there was a very distinctive squeek of her voice, kind of like her vocal chords decided to do just a little bit of bumping and grinding. However, as absolutely bizarre as Newsom's voice is, I think it kind of works. Granted, she sounds like a crazy old lady gathering the village children around to sing them a story, but with the style of the music and the content of the lyrics, I think it is strangely appropriate.

Whether you like her voice at all, there is no denying that this project is incredibly unique and creative. You may have noticed that this album doesn't have a great rating from the pooled average of Amazon users. This is not from a consistent pile of mediocre reviews, but polarized reviews from people who adore this album and others who hate it. Obviously, I am one of the former. This album is very hit-or-miss. I've told you what I think, but the only way to tell what you really think about this very debated album is to take a listen for yourself and be the judge of your own tastes.

Average customer rating:

WHAT CAN I SAY?
Rest in Peace Dear Bubbles (1929-July 2, 2007)
two beautiful discs!
Good example of the "Art of Beverly Sills"
Claws

Art of Beverly
Beverly Sills
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Very Best of Beverly Sills
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ASIN: B000075A7K
Release Date: 2002-11-12

Tracks:

Mignon: Oui, Pour Ce Soir Je Suis Reine Des Fees...Je Suis Titania La Blonde
Manon: Allons! Il Le Faut-Adieu, Notre Petite Table
Manon: Je Marche Sur Tous Les Chemins-Obeissons Quand Leur Voix Appelle
Louise: Depuis Le Jour
Linda Di Chamounix: Ah! Tardai Troppo...O Luce Di Quest'Anima
Lucia Di Lammermoor: Regnava Nel Silenzio...Quando Rapito In Estasi
I Puritani: Fini...Me Lassa!
I Puritani: Vieni, Vieni Fra Queste Braccia
Roberto Devereux: L'amor Suo Mi Fe' Beata
Maria Stuarda: O Nube
Anna Bolena: Cielo A' Miei Lunghi Spasimi-Coppia Iniqua

Tracks:

Les Contes D'Hoffman: Les Oiseau Dans La Charmille
Les Contes D'Hoffman: Elle A Fui, La Tourterelle
Zaide: Ruhe Sanft, Mein Holdes Leben
Der Opernball: Im Chambre Separee
Die Lustige Witwe: Es Lebt' Eine Vilja
The Ballad Of Baby Doe: Gold Is A Fine Thing
Die Tote Stadt: Cluck, Das Mir Verblieb
Daphen: Was Blendet So...Ich Komme...Ich Komme
Sechs Lieder Op.19 No.2: Breit' uber Mein haupt Dein Schwarzes Haar

Customer Reviews:

WHAT CAN I SAY?.......2007-07-05

FOR THOSE WHO WANT A SAMPLER, IT IS THE BEST. YET, IT LEAVES YOU PINING FOR THE ITEMS SILLS NEVER RECORDED IN THEIR ENTIRETY. MORE STRAUSS, MORE OF EVERYTHING. A DEFINITIVE VOICE. HER LUCIA IS UNSURPASSED.

Rest in Peace Dear Bubbles (1929-July 2, 2007).......2007-07-03

I have always loved the flowing, plaintive music of bel canto, and no other singer perhaps captured the synthesis of fioritura and expression so perfectly as Beverly Sills. Callas may have been a supreme dramatist, but Beverly Sills had a better command of the fioritura that skyrocketed her career during the 60s and 70s. It is indeed sad that America has lost one of its national treasures yesterday when Beverly Sills passed away in Manhattan. She truly was one of the greatest. Just listen to her singing any one of Donizetti's three queens and you will know what I mean. She is exemplary not only in Donizetti though. Her Manon is still the best, her Violetta in par with Callas, her Louise the most idiomatic ever recorded, her Fille du Regiment a joy, Linda di Chamounix ecstatic, and Gilda a lesson in the art of light Verdi. She was a supreme painter of characters. Has there ever been a more brilliant Zerbinetta? And how many singers have been able to truly convey the youth of Elvira in Puritani? In Rossini, she was also unparalleled in L'Assedio di Corinto, the role that she made her La Scala debut in. Beverly Sills was one of a great many singers who belonged to a great golden age of singing, and I am thankful that I was born into the right time to hear her glorious work. This CD is a wonderful compilation of the brand of singing that she brought into the lives of many an opera fan for years and years to come.

I met this singer last fall in New York. A few months later, I saw her again hosting the opera quiz at the Met. Little did I know that about five months later, she would forever rest in the peace that she deserved for so long. Rest in peace Beverly. And brava...brava for the many years of wonderful singing that you gave us.

two beautiful discs!.......2007-02-18

Beverly Sills not only survived being a child prodigy - a rare enough thing among singing musicians - she triumphed in a big way. Her fertile and beautiful art is wonderfully represented on this double disc set from Deutsche Grammophon. I sense today a resurgence of appreciation for her art, and to call it well deserved is saying the least. The singing's jam packed with pure musicianship, attention to nuance, fidelity to composer and character - in a word, everything requisite to making the operatic art thrive, qualities in short enough supply today among many opera stars, and it makes this package even more attractive. Sills not only understood bel canto art, she accomplished it memorably. Highlights include 'Ah! Tardai troppo...' (Linda di Chamounix), &an unearthly 'Regnava nel silenzio...' (Lucia), which I might prefer to Sutherland's for its committment and munificence. The gone too soon Thomas Schippers conducts a great performance - how that man could possess whatever orchestra and score he worked with. Two arias from I Puritani - especially 'Vieni, vieni fra queste braccia' with the singing of the genius Nicolai Gedda as Arturo, and an opening to Anna Bolena's aria 'Cielo, a' miei lunghi spasimi' that wipes clean every memory of other versions. All that on disc 1! I had forgotten Sills' beautiful pianissimos, singing so musicianly and free of ego - her interpretation is always only her adherence to score and composer, and greater praise cant be given a classical singer. Disc 2 offers a definitive version of Korngold's 'Gluck, das mir verblieb' (Die Tote Stadt) among a number of fine versions out there. The slowest version available and I feel I'm hearing it for the first time, and with a true Viennese (Rudel) conducting! You can put this track alone on repeat and live out the day in freedom! If you dont know Sills' art, or dont remember it well and truly, this set is a fine place to begin what will become transfixion with a musical art that proves itself urgent and inextinguishable! Highest recommendation.

Good example of the "Art of Beverly Sills".......2007-01-27

Beverly Sills is one of the most well reputed coloratura sopranos of the past fifty years. This CD illustrates why she has attained such renown. First, it shows the range of her singing. While much of her work focused on Donizetti, Bellini, and Rossini, she sang about fifty roles in her career, before retiring in her late 40s. This 2 CD set provides a sense of the range of her work.

The first CD focuses on her operatic singing. The CD begins with a selection from Thomas' "Mignon," culminating in "Je suis Titania la blonde." Her voice is light and clear. She displays great agility. In the middle of this piece, she shows a decent but not great trill; she closes the "cut" with a series of terrific trills. Her ornamentation is nicely done.

Donizetti's "Linda di Chamounix" was another of Sills' characters. "Ah! Tardai troppo. . .O luce di quest'anima" features more clean vocalization. The florid singing is nicely done, with well sung high notes and additional sound trills. A very agile voice on display! From Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Sills sings "Regnava nel silenzio. . .Quando rapito in estasi." Her voice is smooth. In the aria, she produces a set of trill after trill, each one well done, but in their totality almost overdone (I love trills, but there were almost too many!). "Quando rapito in estasi" is well sung, with much well done florid singing, with appoggiaturas, trills, and other ornamentation.

The remainder of the CD features selections from Bellini's "I Puritani," and Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux," "Maria Stuarda," and "Anna Bolena." I can say pretty much the same about these pieces as already stated before. Excellent technique, wonderful ornamentation.

The second CD begins with the redoubtable piece, sung by "Olympia," from Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann." Well done, with good vocal effects, catching the mechanical aspects of the music. Other pieces on this side come from Mozart, Heuberger, Moore, Korngold, and so on.

One piece worth mentioning, because it captures her approach to a lighter work, from Lehar's "The Merry Widow." She sings the song for what it is, and does not overwhelm it with her voice. Compare with what Richard Tucker did to the enjoyable but rather light song, "What Now My Love?", when he essayed singing pop tunes. Enjoyable for the thrill of his voice; pretty grisly in terms of his overwhelming the music itself. That does not happen here; there is a certain pathos in Sills' singing, as warranted by the song. It suggests the range of her singing.

All in all, a good sampling of "The Art of Beverly Sills." Hearing her voice again after many years reinforces my preexisting view that she ranks as one of the best coloratura sopranos of the past fifty years. There are terrific contemporary singers who sing the same repertoire and do it well. But Beverly Sills certainly compares very well with them. If interested in an introduction to Sillsiana, this is a good place to start.

Claws.......2003-11-16

I already wrote a great review of this collection. It is supreme artistry, and I find her high notes rather large and not shrill. My only question is about the cover photo. Those fingers look like something out of Edward Scissorhands or Nightmare on Elm Street! Does anyone else agree with me? Almost seems like someone must have done some false touch-ups to make them look like claws!

Average customer rating:

Mellow and nice
More Like Rock'N'Roll, No I Am Not Kidding
Missing the Point
Define "Alt Country"
A little too country for me.

Jacksonville City Nights
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
Manufacturer: Lost Highway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000AOF9RU
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

A KISS BEFORE I GO
THE END
HARD WAY TO FALL
DEAR JOHN
THE HARDEST PART
GAMES
SILVER BULLETS
PEACEFUL VALLEY
SEPTEMBER
MY HEART IS BROKEN
TRAINS
PA
WITHERING HEIGHTS
DON'T FAIL ME NOW

Amazon.com

Arguably the most eclectically prolific artist since Prince, Ryan Adams continues his chameleon revivalism with his most straightforward country music to date. Having evoked the inspiration of bands ranging from T. Rex to the Grateful Dead on previous solo releases, the former Whiskeytown frontman here channels the likes of Faron Young on "My Heart Is Broken," while framing the shot-and-a-beer opener, "A Kiss Before I Go," with honky-tonk piano and pedal steel. "Seems like I'm always movin'," he sings amid the rockabilly kick of "Trains," as the album finds his restless muse ranging from a dreamy duet with Norah Jones on "Dear John" to naked vulnerability reminiscent of John Lennon on "Silver Bullets." Only Adams would cut a track titled "The End" and sequence it second on the CD, or a song called "Peaceful Valley" and inject it with so much emotion. --Don McLeese

Recommended Ryan Adams Discography

Heartbreaker
Gold
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Whiskeytown, Pneumonia
Whiskeytown, Stranger's Almanac
Whiskeytown, Faithless Street