Performers in Comparison 3

On this CD:

1. Carnaval for piano, Op. 9
Composed by Robert Schumann
Performed by Alfred Cortot

2. Carnaval for piano, Op. 9
Composed by Robert Schumann
Performed by Dame Myra Hess

3. Carnaval No. 19 ("Promenade") for piano, Op. 9/19
Composed by Robert Schumann
Performed by Claudio Arrau

Tracks:

Atlantic City
Old Dan Tucker
Eyes On The Prize
Jesse James
Further On (Up The Road)
O Mary Don't You Weep
Erie Canal
If I Should Fall Behind
My Oklahoma Home
Highway Patrolman
Mrs. McGrath
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live
Jacob's Ladder

Tracks:

Long Time Comin'
Open All Night
Pay Me My Money Down
Growin' Up
When The Saints Go Marching In
This Little Light Of Mine
American Land
Blinded By The Light
Love Of The Common People
We Shall Overcome

Amazon.com

The last time Bruce Springsteen gave up E Street for Folk Street, the band of fiddles, banjos, and accordions--sans audience--was recording 2006's We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions in the informality of his living room. This time the Boss takes his American-music foray to Ireland for a three-night stint on the north quay of Dublin's River Liffey. The 23 songs drawn from those performances cover most of the songs from the Pete Seeger tribute, but venture drastically into Springsteen's popular back catalog ("Atlantic City," "Highway Patrolman," "Blinded By the Light") while delving further into his affinity for multiple styles of music, from folk and blues to gospel and country. "If I Should Fall Behind" plays like a tear-jerking last call in a dimly lit pub. "Open All Night" has been shaped into pure swing, complete with pedal steel and sax. And "Jesse James," with its furious banjo, spectator handclaps, and Springsteen howl, could pass for the Pogues, circa 1985. A simultaneously released DVD uses nine cameras to capture every sweat-beaded highlight, from the tin whistle of "Further Up the Road" to an arena bursting out in a "We Shall Overcome" singalong. --Scott Holter

Album Description

New 2 CD set features 23 songs, including fan favorites, Springsteen classics and never-before-released performances

Customer Reviews:

Obviously, he was having a good time.......2007-07-22

I almost didn't buy "Live in Dublin" because it contained several songs I already had on "We Shall Overcome." However, due to the fact that my daughter gave me a gift certificate for my birthday and the price was right ($11.99), I felt I had nothing to lose.

Clearly, The Boss was having a good time in Dublin. His voice cracks, croaks and groans at times, but it's still vintage Springsteen. The backup band is outstanding. Normally, you couldn't mix bluegrass fiddles with a horn section on a single recording. But somehow, they pull it off - and it sounds great.

He also completely rearranges "Atlantic City" and "Blinded By the Light" to the point where they're all new songs. You have to play the haunting "When the Saints Go Marching In" a few times to enjoy it.

My personal favorites are "Long Time Coming" and "Further Down the Road," although there are only a few songs that I consider filler crap.

Crank it up. It's summer. It's definitely Springsteen.

Powerful, raucous, joyful, heartbreaking.......2007-07-13

I'll echo the other reviewers and say that this is undoubtedly the best live CD I've ever heard, a testament to a combination of the music, lyrics, players, and timeliness of the message.

Springsteen is almost impossible to review, but I'll just say that, as much as I loved the Rising, Live in Barcelona, and Devils and Dust, the Seeger Sessions and this live album have taken him into a musical stratosphere that maybe only Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson can touch -- pure Americana.

Most of the other reviewers have adequately pointed out the highlights, but I'll say that the mournful dirge that the band transformed "When the Saints Come Marching In" to made tears stream down my face when I first heard this version, especially as it comes in the set after "How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live". Folk music is as relevant as it ever was.

If you like any strain of Americana roots music -- blues, folk, jazz, gospel, Western swing, roots country, mountain/Scots/Irish music -- this concert will blow you away and make you sing with the crowd.

The best live CD I've ever heard.......2007-07-11

The Boss doesn't make bad CDs or bad concerts, I am told. I've wanted to hear him in concert since I heard his first songs. I actually was getting tickets to one of the shows that got cancelled due to a band member's illness and he's come to two cities--after I've left them. If I never make it, this CD is better than a lot of the live shows that I have been lucky enough to see.

I miss the E Street Band, but the Sessions Band he's gathered for this effort is excellent. His backup singers are soulful and the 17 piece band can handle anything from swing to Irish without missing a beat.

"Varied" is a mild description for this CD. Anyone else did this kind of concert, you'd have mixed reviews. Bruce can put folk next to swing next to gospel and then turn around and rock the house without ticking people off. He's also going international, doing American music right next to Irish traditional ballads and it appears the Dublin audience is eating it up.

Bruce breathes new life into the music here. I grew up hearing "Jesse James" but it wasn't like this. And "Jacob's Ladder" sure isn't what I heard in church.

He's also taken "Blinded by the Light" which was one of the first Bruce songs I heard and breathed new life into the live version.

"How can a poor man stand such times and live?" is one of the most heartwrenching protest songs I've heard. He really took the comments about the Dixie Chicks "Shut up and sing" to heart.

I don't like usually live CDs most of the time. Hate the staticky sussurus of the applause in the background and some idiot has got to yell the performer's name at least once per song. "Live in Dublin" is beautifully engineered. You get the 'feel' of the hall and the voices of the audience joining Bruce in song, yet the really annoying audience noise is minimized.

Terrific!!!!!.......2007-07-07

This Cd is just fantastic. I love it, and play it all the time.I think it is his best!! If you are are fan, you need to buy this Cd.

Best music from anyone in years!!!!.......2007-06-29

Bruce Springsteen's "We Shall Overcome- The Seeger Sessions" album, and this new one "Live In Dublin- With The Sessions Band" are both nothing but pure genious!!!! It's the best music that I have heard from ANYONE in any area of music, in many years! I absolutely love it!

I am so glad that I was able to experience this in concert, in the summer of 2006 near Chicago, IL. It was an experience that I will never forget. The music just captures you, and doesn't let go.

I have purchased both versions of "We Shall Overcome" (So glad to finally have "Buffalo Gals" & "Bring 'Em Home" on CD!). I also have "Live In Dublin" on CD, and the DVD too!

Keep this type of music coming Bruce! It's great!

Average customer rating:

he should be more bored with himself
Loved it
Sounds like a Friday night feels
Relaxing and Peaceful
Jack Johnson has one talent

In Between Dreams
Jack Johnson
Manufacturer: Umvd Labels
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Back to Bedlam

ASIN: B0007GAEVW
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Tracks:

Better Together
Never Know
Banana Pancakes
Good People
No Other Way
Sitting, Waiting, Wishing
Staple It Together
Situations
Crying Shame
If I Could
Breakdown
Belle
Do You Remember
Constellations

Amazon.com

For a man who gets his biggest kicks surfing the waves and strumming his guitar on a lonely beach in native Hawaii, singer-songwriter Jack Johnson has carved out quite a remarkable career on the mainland. His 2003 album, On and On, debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 and subsequently went platinum on the back of hit single "The Horizon Has Been Defeated." The follow-up, meanwhile, seems destined to shine even brighter. The drifting chords and soft voice are still in place, only now Johnson's instinct for melody has sharpened alongside his ability to self-edit. These small concessions make third album, In Between Dreams, his most conspicuous, particularly on tracks like the three-minute relationship drama, "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing," and "Breakdown," a song he originally recorded for Handsome Boy Modeling School's White People album remade here to reveal its full stripped-down loveliness. Imagine all the coconuts it will buy. -- Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

he should be more bored with himself.......2007-07-16

Typically, an artist seeks to broaden their talent and explore new horizons. With Jack Johnson, he's satisfied to produce the same songs over and over and over and over. If you'd like to hear all the same catchy riffs ad nauseum, buy all of Jack Johnson's albums. Or just buy one, since they're all the same.

Loved it.......2007-06-12

I have to say, I own Brushfire Fairytales and On and On, also, but this album is my favorite so far. I love the flow of the songs, love the songs he wrote as well as the ones written by his friends, and love the delivery. "Banana Pancakes" is just about my favorite JJ track of all. I highly recommend this album.

Sounds like a Friday night feels.......2007-05-27

I absolutely love this album. Jack and boys sound sooooo good. Like I said above, it sounds like a Friday night feels...just plain good and mellow and happy. Beautifully simple melodies and refrains, just not so simple that they aren't fabulous. Jack's voice is just so smooth and lovely. The vocals are right up front and sound so clear. I love the guitar riffs on this album. In Between Dreams is like grown-up lullabies. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying this album. My fave tracks are Breakdown, Never Know, Better Together, Sitting Waiting Wishing, Do You Remember, Constellations...see how much I love this album? Can't even choose a fave.

Relaxing and Peaceful.......2007-05-07

This CD is one of my favorite CD's ever! Every time I here the song 'Better Together' I cry. The first time I heard this song I was driving in the car with my brother and he played it for me in his first car for the first time. It was a special moment for me and I'll never forget that moment in my life. My favorite song would have to be 'Never Know' because I heard it sitting on a fairy-boat ride coming home from CIMI with my class of friends and I was sitting next to my boyfriend listening to that wonderful song. It lulled me to sleep and let my mind rest and be at ease. I will also never forget how much it helped me forget all present things and just let me have some 'me time' as I fell asleep. I know I am being redundant but trust me, it was wonderful. I would highly recommend this CD to you. Also Jack Johnson's voice is relxing and very unique. I have nobody to compare him to. If you end up buying this CD then I hope you enjoy this as much as I did and am.

Jack Johnson has one talent.......2007-04-11

making consistent albums that sound like an anthropomorphic summer took a poop in a box and this is the recording of it.

Average customer rating:

Magic!
A Stoke of Amazon Luck
Amazing Debut Album
One Cell in the Sea: A sonorous journey
The Finest Frenzy

One Cell In the Sea
A Fine Frenzy
Manufacturer: Virgin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Reminder
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The Story

ASIN: B000QCK99E
Release Date: 2007-07-17

Tracks:

Come On, Come Out
The Minnow & The Trout
Whisper
You Picked Me
Rangers
Almost Lover
Think of You
Ashes and Wine
Liar, Liar
Last of Days
Lifesize
Near To You
Hope for the Hopeless
Borrowed Time

Amazon.com

A Fine Frenzy is actually just a fine young singer-songwriter from Seattle, born Alison Sudol. A self-taught piano player, on her debut album she pairs sweeping orchestral arrangements with dreamlike lyrics inspired by the classic works of fantasy writers like CS Lewis, EB White, and Lewis Carroll. Add to that a propensity for frilly shirts and cryptic song titles such as "The Minnow & the Trout" and you half-expect to find a back alley Joanna Newsom. Instead Sudol specializes in accessible pop epics, the kind of songs that fit perfectly over the end credits of a great Hollywood tearjerker. Despite the gentle melancholia that runs through "Ashes and Wine" and "You Picked Me," each tune arrives wrapped in an exuberant melody and topped by the singer's commanding voice. On the disc's standout moment, "Almost Lover," she shows she can do simplicity as well, musing over a sublime piano medley, "Shoulda known you'd bring me heartache/ Oh, most lovers always do." --Aidin Vaziri

Amazon.com

A Fine Frenzy Photos

Customer Reviews:

Magic!.......2007-07-23

I heard A Fine Frenzy on One Tree Hill and really loved what I heard. i am very happy to have the whole cd now! My favorites are Minnow and the trout, You Picked Me, Almost Lover, Last of Days, Near To You, and Hope fotr the hopeless but i really like all of them really. I kind of hope Alison doesnt get too famous because i feel like ive found a best kept secret!! I have been listening to this album non stop!

A Stoke of Amazon Luck.......2007-07-21

I can't remember what prompted me to order ths album. I had never heard of A Fine Frenzy or Alison Sudol, but something in the Amazon marketing machine suggested it to me-- whether it was recommended or a "deal" if I bought two, I don't know. I am sure a listened to the 30 sec. teasers, and gave it a shot.

I think Alison Sudol may have the loveliest voice I have heard since Sarah McLachlan and/or Eva Cassidy. That is a major concession from me. I am a lyrics lover to the core, and so far I am impressed. Maybe I am easy, but you will have to decide for yourself.

Amazing Debut Album.......2007-07-21

I just heard this album last night and am already in love with it. I've been listening to it non-stop and it has only become more brilliant. The music is gorgeous and has utterly transfixed me. I can't recommend it enough!

If you love/like Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan, Imogen Heap/Frou Frou then you will love A Fine Frenzy.

One Cell in the Sea: A sonorous journey.......2007-07-19

Lately we've been greeted with a king's court full of singer/songwriters. I don't review their music too often and when I do, I can only draft a few terse sentences. For my part, I find many of them to be musicians, not artists. Musicians merely recite their compositions and, after a few repeat plays, I'm left hollow, finding little of themselves, their vulnerability, in the work. The artists, however, paint, weave, and sculpt with music, and you know what dangerous creatures they can be, cleverly lacing the notes with their aspirations, their fears, their essence. You can sense it in their voice, every syllable of the lyrics as they slip into you.

Such is the case with A Fine Frenzy. When I heard their album, One Cell in the Sea, I was struck by its dimensionality. With her vocal and writing talents, singer/songwriter Alison Sudol folds our hand into hers and guides us through her mysterious wonderland (evidenced by the album's cool cover and booklet art), conjuring picturesque landscapes with "Come On, Come Out", the excellent "Rangers", "You Picked Me" and "The Minnow and the Trout" and ensnaring us in sumptuous wine-dark woodlands with her intimate offerings "Almost Lover", "Hope for the Hopeless", "Near to You" and "Ashes and Wine".

By the time the final track, "Borrowed Time", concluded, I found myself in a well of thoughts and emotions, albeit delightedly so. Sudol has not only crafted an outstanding and bravely personal album, but a magical world I look forward to visiting time and again.

The Finest Frenzy.......2007-07-18

It is true that Alison's music is "easy" when you want it to be so (just listen to it while laying down on the couch with your mind wandering). The gorgeous melody and her beautiful voice will soothe you and give you something to hum along with. That's the pop side of this album.

At the same time, her music can also be very profound, with such very well-crafted lyrics and emotions that she puts in every single breath in her voice. There, you get the singer-songwriter part of this album.

I admit that I might be a little bit biased on this album (since I've been listening to "Rangers" as long as back to midst 2006 and keep repeating it over and over along with "Come On Come Out" and "The Well" when she released them on her MySpace page. Heck I even had her "Let It Snow" recorded from her MySpace page during Christmas time). I can't recall the last time I had ever eagerly waited for the release of a new album like this before.

Now that the album has come out, the whole picture is complete. I can't even skip a single song from beginning to end. From the "you-and-me-against-the-world" anthem, "Rangers", to the sad, tragic, achingly painful "Almost Lover". From the peppy "Lifesize" or "You Picked Me" to the semi-acoustic "Borrowed Time". They are all gems. They show range, each has distinct and recognizable melody (as any good pop song should be).

And it doesn't hurt that Alison is quite easy on the eyes. I mean, really, how could you resist someone as beautiful as Alison "Whisper"-ing "I'm down.. to whisper.. in a daydream.. can you hear me?"

Average customer rating:

You can't go wrong.
Better & Better
Exactly as advertised
Joan O. has got it
Fantastic voice and song list

Breakfast in Bed
Joan Osborne
Manufacturer: Time Life Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000O78KZG
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Tracks:

I've Got To Use My Imagination
Ain't No Sunshine
Midnight Train To Georgia
Baby Is A Butterfly
Breakfast In Bed
Cream Dream
Natural High
Heart Of Stone
Sara Smile
Eliminate The Night
Break Up To Make Up
I Know What's Goin' On
Alone With You
Kiss And Say Goodbye
Heat Wave
What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted

Amazon.com

On Breakfast in Bed, her first release on Time Life Records (yes, that Time Life) Joan Osborne tackles a crop of hand-picked soul and R&B favorites with equal parts sass and sensitivity. Long an underappreciated artist, Osborne is a performer with the wisdom to exercise vocal restraint for an effect that's more Dusty Springfield than Christina Aguilera. Her fine previous outing interpreting soul standards was aptly titled How Sweet It Is, and witness her contribution to the terrific 2002 film Standing in the Shadows of Motown, where Osborne's astute readings of "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Heatwave" outshone performers like Ben Harper and Gerald Levert (happily, both songs are included here). The title track and Hall and Oates' "Sara Smile" are both canny choices that play to her strengths in delivering credible blue-eyed soul, and six new Osborne-penned songs fit neatly into the record. If her compositions pale a bit next to the classics she covers (with the sultry and slithery exception of the excellent "Eliminate the Night"), give Osborne credit for bravely placing herself side-by-side with songwriting luminaries like Holland-Dozier-Holland and Bill Withers. Breakfast in Bed makes for a leisurely listen on a sunny Sunday morning, so put up your feet and stay awhile. --Ben Heege

Album Description

Joan Osbourne's recently recorded album pays homage to the great Soul and R&B songs of the late '60s and early '70s. The album features a unique combination of unforgettable interpretations of timeless R&B classics. Her first single to radio will be "I've Got to Use My Imagination."

Customer Reviews:

You can't go wrong........2007-07-25

This intriguing mix cover songs and originals make this a very enjoyable collection, although the covers are not as varied as say Annie Lennox's Medusa but still engaging all the same. The tracks seem to pull you in more and more with each listen. "Baby is a Butterfly", "Sarah Smile" and "Cream Dream" were all particularly absorbing the first time through. The production is very good and clean. Her voice is as mesmerizing and sensual as always. You can't go wrong.

Better & Better.......2007-07-24

I can never believe how Joan tops herself time and again. Since I first heard Spiderweb before Relish was widely released I knew I was in for a stunner. Over the years I've collected pretty much all Joan's recording including trades of several soundboard live recordings. With Breakfast in Bed Joan delivers once again.The songs are well chosen and as always the CD is perfectly balanced.
Her original recordings fit in with the covers she selected. I've been waiting for over two years for her to deliver these original works. I saw her perform in an obscure venue in Southern Connecticut where she was trying out her chops on these numbers. Keep up with the Soul, R

Exactly as advertised.......2007-07-22

As one reviewer noted, this release is somewhat monotone. Still, it's a relaxing and quality release from Joan that my wife really likes. Getting "What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" is a bonus.

A couple of the originals are really excellent, stay in your head tunes. I'd say if your having Breakfast in Bed, it works. But it's not an all occasions, "hey check this out" kind of release.

Joan O. has got it.......2007-07-19

I'm becoming a bigger fan of Joan every day. I loved her last album, Pretty Little Stranger, even though it was a bit country for her, and I'm not a country music fan. I'm interested in checking out this collection of her covering pop hits. She does covers well, and her voice is so obviously hers, that even though it might be a song you have heard enough times already in your life, hearing the "Joan" version is always a treat. I'm sorry this is not a review of this album in particular, I do plan to get it soon. I'll let you know then! I'm giving 5 stars based on the Amazon video and audio samples. What I can say is that her previous albums are all great, and her live shows are awesome, especially if you can be lucky enough to see her in a smaller venue.

The first time I saw her was pretty much by accident. I wound up crossing through the front of a very large crowd between acts at a Woodstock reunion in Bethel, NY (not Pepsistock in Saugeraties), in the late 90's. Then Joan and her band came on and I'm front and center and she blew me away with St. Teressa or something like that. I've been a fan ever since.

Fantastic voice and song list.......2007-07-12

Most know Joan for her 90's hit "If God Was One of Us." She is far from those days. Most would be astounded to hear what Joan;s voice is capable of, as that song only trapped her into a simple octave throughout its verses.

Here in "Breakfast In Bed", Joan takes the jazz practice of covering American classics and favorites in her dynamic, raspy alto voice. This is a great CD, my favorites include the live performances of "Heatwave" and "What Becomes of a Broken Hearted" with Motown's Funk Brothers; and classics "Natural High" and "Sara Smile."

Check the song list, if you find any of your old favorites the GET THIS CD, you will definately not be disappointed. However "What Becomes of a Broken Hearted" is worth the $13 alone.

Average customer rating:

Mika is amazing.
Needs some editing
Mika Rocks
Amazing Debut CD
Been there....got that

Life in Cartoon Motion
Mika
Manufacturer: Casablanca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release the Stars

ASIN: B000NA2776
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Tracks:

Grace Kelly
Lollipop
My Interpretation
Love Today
Relax (Take It Easy)
Ring Ring
Any Other World
Billy Brown
Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)
Stuck In The Middle
Erase
Happy Ending

From Amazon.co.uk

The pop world might be all cooing 'n' cross-eyed over this flamboyant elfin with extended tail-feathers, as if it were shaken suddenly from a slumber, but the arrival of such a character was in fact always inevitable. He's an unlikely but traceable amalgamation of random pop culture explosions from the past few years--two parts Paulo Nutini, one part Kemal from Big Brother, a dash of Daphne & Celeste, a barrel measure of Scissor Sisters, and another pinch of post-ironic dancing to Elton John at the Students' Union gone midnight. It's no secret that the UK has a weakness for pretty-boy singer songwriters either--he fits in there too, in that he's about to stick its index finger in the socket and pour it a drink.

Give it 12 months and you might be taking out a restraining order--Mika will split opinion--but his quasi-soul falsetto is unbelievable, that much is immediately obvious. There are moments nearing syrupy Feeling-esque normalcy (take "My Interpretation"), but those aside it's high camp insatiability all the way. There's a hint of Freddie Mercury's theatricality in the voice, and in "Big Girl" he's even written a modern day "Fat Bottomed Girls". "Lollipop" is Jake Shears leading the Jackson 5, "Love Today" is the missing link between the Bee Gees and Village People and "Relax, Take It Easy" is a chilled Pet Shop Boys in gold lamé. Too cheesy to be a classic, perhaps, but this is just the brand of subversive eccentricity Robbie has failed miserably to achieve over his past few albums. --James Berry

Album Description

`Historic', `sensational', `flamboyant' and `without-any-doubt original' are just some of the adjectives being thrown around by critics in praise of 22 year-old UK newcomer, Mika's eclectic debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion.

Fun, smart, musically adventurous and thematically provocative, the songs on Life In Cartoon Motion, all of them written and produced by Mika, combine euphoric rushes of melody with darker unexpected elements. They range from bright daytime melodramas to night-time tales of love, loss, abandonment, hope and happiness. Each is a splendid blend of fresh imagination and deft pop craftsmanship.

Album gems such as "Grace Kelly," "Lollipop," Billy Brown," and "Relax And Take It Easy," display Mika's innovative wordplay. `I've always respected people who make great records to their own vision,' writes the quixotic Mika. Mission accomplished!

Customer Reviews:

Mika is amazing........2007-07-21

Mika has brought us one of the most fun CDs that I've seen in a few years. Yes, he sounds like Freddie Mercury at times, but he's got a style of his own.

If you've heard Grace Kelly, you should have a good idea of what Mika is all about. It's fun, high-pitched pop. If you're turned off by his falsetto, stay away from this album.

There are a couple not-so-good songs on this album at the end (I don't even remember their names because I skip over them), but other than that, every song will get stuck in your head for days. I highly recommend this!

Needs some editing.......2007-07-06

I agree this is a very good album, but the end of Track 6 (Ring Ring) and less so 7, has an annoying segment with a woman speaking in broken english talking about having her heart broken and left with only one eye! It would be cute if it was quick, but it goes on for 45 seconds! There is also a bonus song following the last song "Happy Ending" There's a 1 minute gap between the last song and the bonus song. (a song cookie?) How many people pop out the CD at that point thinking it's over? It's a very haunting piece with a piano and falsetto vocal. I used a music editing program to get rid of the 45 second rambling spoken word segment and to cut out the 1 minute gap between the bonus track.

Mika Rocks.......2007-07-03

Love listening to new talent! I saw Mika on Good Morning America and knew right away I was looking at a success story! Music that makes your heart sing!

Amazing Debut CD.......2007-06-28

I'm a little late to the game when it comes to being a Mika fan, but in this case, it is definitely better late than never. This CD is phenomenal! His style! His voice! The songs! I could go on and on and on and on.
"Grace Kelly" starts off the cd, and it grabs you right from the start. By the time you are grooving to "Big Girl" near the end of the cd, you'll suddenly realize you haven't had this much fun listening to a cd in a long, long time.
Give it a try. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Been there....got that.......2007-06-27

I really wanted to be blown away by this CD. Instead, I'm mildly OK with it. Scissor Sisters did the same album and MUCH better. Definitely somewhat of a disapointment.

Average customer rating:

Dollars and (common) cents.
Simply put, THIS is rock and roll!
One of the best CDs ever...REMASTERED
The rebirth of AC/DC
It does'nt get much Better than this!!

Back in Black (Deluxe Digipak)
AC/DC
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Razor's Edge

ASIN: B000089RV6
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Tracks:

Hells Bells
Shoot To Thrill
What Do You Do For Money Honey
Givin The Dog A Bone
Let Me Put My Love Into You
Back In Black
You Shook Me All Night Long
Have A Drink On Me
Shake A Leg
Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

Amazon.com essential recording

Most critics complain Back in Black, the album AC/DC recorded after the death of their original lead screamer Bon Scott, is ridiculously juvenile, obvious, snickering, bludgeoning, derivative, single-minded about sex and booze, a big cartoon. All true, of course, and--on rock 'n' ragers like "What Do You Do For Money Honey," "You Shook Me All Night Long," and the title track--all great. As Scott's replacement Brian Johnson reminds us, loud and crunchy, no-holds-barred "rock and roll ain't noise pollution...it makes good, good sense." Never trust anyone who refuses to drink domestic beer, laugh at the Three Stooges, or crank Back in Black. --David Cantwell

Album Description

AC/DC's 1980 album digitally remastered and reissued in a special digipak plus a 16 page full color booklet containing all original album art, many unpublished photos, classic memorabilia and new 2003 liner notes. Epic.

Customer Reviews:

Dollars and (common) cents........2007-07-20

I'm going to rate this CD based on a $1 per song cost to total cost for the entire CD (Apple and Rhapsody charge $1 per song). Unfortunately, iTunes doesn't carry any AC/DC songs at the moment.
This CD is perfectly priced. 10 great songs for $10. If you don't already own the CD, the popular songs you'll know are Hells Bells, Back In Black and You Shook Me All Night Long. If you like them, then the rest of the songs on this CD won't take long to grow on you. Especially, Let Me Put My Love Into You. I promise that this CD will not disappoint.
This is one of my three favorite Hard Rock/Heavy Metal albums from the early 1980's. The other two are Judas Priest's "Screaming For Vengeance" and Def Leppard's "Pyromania".
Hope this helps.
Darium

Simply put, THIS is rock and roll!.......2007-07-11

I can't really think of anything too specific to say about "Back in Black". One day, I bought the album, listened to it and had one of the biggest musical joyrides I can recall! Critics may despise AC/DC, but that's no reason to neglect this album! In fact, this qualifies not only as being one of the biggest-selling rock albums of all time, but one of the greatest. That being said, "Back in Black" is probably the first album people will think about whenever AC/DC is mentioned, and while they have a great selection in their catalogue, this is, no doubt, their finest hour.
From the guitar crunch of the Young brothers, from Malcolm's rock-solid rhythm playing to Angus's legendary riffs, licks and solos, this no doubt qualifies as a great guitar album. Then comes in the rhythm section of Cliff Williams on bass and Phil Rudd on drums, and while Phil Rudd may not have the same chops as John Bonham, Phil still makes his drums sound larger than life, which makes for a great cornerstone of the AC/DC groove. And then...Brian Johnson. Who would have thought after such a great lead singer as Bon Scott passed away, Brian Johnson would be able to fill in his role, and fill it in greatly, as well. His voice may take some getting used to, but he definitely sounds best on this album.
In addition, the remastering is excellent. The volume is up and there's no static or unneccesary noise that ruins the sound. After all, there's nothing as disappointing as hearing a great song like it was recorded a mile away! Anyway, this album is just flat-out excellent for those who dig such a sound. Ten songs at a little over forty minutes, and a cross between a hard-rock crunch and an old-school groove for each song, AC/DC did just about everything they could right on this album.
As a summary, this album will make you forget your problems, imagine these guys on stage at night in a big, sold-out arena, playing these rockers loudly and proudly, and, of course, prove to be a testament of time and rock and roll. And remember, take no pressure from the critics. Be your own person! Rock out and feel good about it! And remember, "rock and roll ain't noise pollution...it just makes good, good sense!" Peace!

One of the best CDs ever...REMASTERED.......2007-06-27

I owned an original copy of Back in Black and played it constantly. It's an ideal CD for road trips and just incredible rock from beginning to end. I didn't think anything could possibly improve it until I heard the remastered version. Suddenly the bass comes out more, the drums are even more in your face, the vocals are clearer, it just ROCKS even more. There are plenty of bad remasters out there of various classic albums, but thankfully, this is not one of them.

The rebirth of AC/DC .......2007-05-16

Hands down the best AC/DC CD. This is the cream of the crop, and it doesn't get any better than this. To this day, each song rocks loud and hard, and vocalist Brian Johnson was never better. A must for any hard rock collection, your ears will be bleeding.

It does'nt get much Better than this!!.......2007-05-11

Of course, In my humble opinion, this album is in my Top Ten of all-time. It rocks, it's bluesy,crushing, sneering and has that "I'm badder than you attitude." And it's just a lot of FUN. Really, what more could you want in a Rock album? Get your hands on this bad boy!!!

110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast)

Average customer rating:

110 in the Shade
Pure pleasure
audra is definitive
110 In The Shade Revival CD - Next Best Thing to Being at The Show
Wonderful Cast Album

110 in the Shade (2007 Broadway Revival Cast)

Manufacturer: P.S. Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000PMG9GW
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Tracks:

Another Hot Day
Lizzie's Comin' Home
Love, Don't Turn Away
Poker Polka
The Hungry Men
The Rain Song
You're Not Fooling Me
Cinderella
Raunchy
A Man and a Woman
"She Walked Out On Me..."
Old Maid
Evenin' Star
Everything Beautiful
"Stay and Talk..."
Melisande
Simple Little Things
Little Red Hat
Is It Really Me?
Wonderful Music
The Rain Song (reprise)

Amazon.com

More than four decades after its Broadway debut, the Roundabout Theatre's 2007 revival of 110 in the Shade is a glorious showcase for soprano Audra McDonald, and an eloquent statement for an underrated and neglected work. Based on N. Richard Nash's play The Rainmaker, 110 in the Shade tells the story of a Texas town stuck in a blistering heat wave. Lizzie (McDonald), the daughter of a local widower (Broadway veteran and TV star John Cullum), has resisted all suitors, including the sheriff (Christopher Innvar), until a potential huckster named Starbuck (Steve Kazee) arrives in town promising to bring rain ("The Rain Song"). Just like Marian the librarian, Lizzie thinks she sees right through the scam ("You're Not Fooling Me"). McDonald shines in her solos ("Love, Don't Turn Away," "Old Maid"), but Cullum, Innvar, and Kazee also get their moments either in duets with McDonald ("A Man and a Woman," "Simple Little Things," "Is It Really Me?") or by themselves. 110 in the Shade is obscure compared to Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's most famous work, The Fantasticks--none of its songs ever entered the popular culture like "Try to Remember"--but it's a beautiful, evocative score that is tailor-made for McDonald's rich voice. It's also much more sumptuous than The Fantasticks, even in Jonathan Tunick's pared-down, Tony-nominated orchestrations. (Also nominated were McDonald, Cullum, lighting designer Christopher Akerlind, and the show itself for Best Revival of a Musical.) P.S. Classics puts out its usual first-rate package, with color photos, introduction by Peter Filichia, synopsis, and libretto. --David Horiuchi

Description

Four-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald triumphantly returns to Broadway in the role she was born to play: Lizzie Curry in 110 in the Shade, Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's heartrending musical adaptation of N. Richard Nash's classic play The Rainmaker. Amidst a heat wave in 1930's Texas, Lizzie - despite her wit, intelligence and homemaking skills - is on the verge of becoming an old maid, until a charismatic rainmaker named Starbuck enters town and her world is shaken. 110 in the Shade originally premiered in 1963 - Jones and Schmidt's first Broadway musical following their unprecedented off-Broadway triumph with The Fantasticks. Joining McDonald for the new Roundabout Theatre Company revival are two-time Tony Award-winner John Cullum and, fresh from Spamalot, Steve Kazee as Starbuck. PS Classics and the Roundabout previously collaborated on Grammy-nominated and top-selling recordings of Nine: The Musical and Assassins; this latest CD is sure to result in another definitive Broadway cast album, this time headed by one of Broadway's brightest crown jewels.

Customer Reviews:

110 in the Shade.......2007-07-20

This recording is superb. I recently saw the show in NYC and found that this recording does the show justice. It is a great show and recording.

Pure pleasure.......2007-07-19

Couple of days ago, I saw "110 in the Shade" on Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre revival. At intermission, in a trance of emotion, I went straight to the souvenir stand to buy the cast album (available at a non-ripoff price of $20, I'm glad to say). This is something I hardly ever do, but I had just seen and heard Audra McDonald and Christopher Innvar sing the duet "A Man and A Woman," and I had to have that music. Been playing the score ever since. It's a delight and I like the orchestrations very much. McDonald is an utter joy, but Innvar was an unexpected discovery and on the strength of his performance, should have had bigger billing.

audra is definitive.......2007-07-18

Though the score of 110 IN THE SHADE is modest in musical scope, Audra McDonald sings it with all the passion, conviction and care that one could hope for. The other performances on the recording are good, especially Steve Kazee, whose Starbuck feels lighter and more expressive than Douglas Horton on the original cast recording. Bobby Steggert makes the most of every one of Jimmy's lines. Christopher Innvar sounds far better on this recording than he did in the theater. There is a great deal of dialogue on the CD, which may be more enjoyable to those who have seen the production than to the casual listener. The reduced orchestrations are in many cases more imaginative and expressive than the originals, which tended toward bombast in telling this intimate story. They often are reminiscent of Copland's "Appalachian Spring", and I would imagine that's not accidental. If you are an Audra lover, buy this immediately, you'll never hear a finer version of Lizzie's numbers than are offered here.

110 In The Shade Revival CD - Next Best Thing to Being at The Show.......2007-07-15

Any fan of 110 In The Shade will appreciate this recording; it is very well recorded and features the stunning vocal performance of Audra McDonald. This CD more than holds its own when compared to the studio cast version of 1997 and it is head and shoulders above the original cast recording of 1963.

If you have seen the recent revival at Studio 54, or you are a fan of the show, you will definitly want to have a copy of this CD

Wonderful Cast Album.......2007-07-13

Saw a number from this show on the Tony Awards and ordered it immediately. Was not disappointed. The whole album is wonderful.

Average customer rating:

Alone In IZ World is worth a look
IZ
Relaxing and beautiful
Excellent CD
IZ, IZ, IZ!

Alone in IZ World
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
Manufacturer: Mountain Apple Company
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Facing Future
In Dis Life
E Ala E
Ka 'Ano'i
IZ in Concert: The Man and His Music

ASIN: B00005O4UG
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Mona Lisa
Kaleohano
'Ulili E
Hanohano Wale No Na Cowboy and Ka Huila Wai
Hi'ilawe
Henehene Kou 'Aka
Ahi Wela / Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
'Opae E
Starting All Over Again
Over the Rainbow
Panini Puakea
La 'Elima
In This Life

Amazon.com

The artist behind Facing Future, the top-selling Hawaiian album of all time, the late Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole was possessed of a voice so sweet, so tender, and so lovely that it continues to deeply stir those who hear it long after he died. Lovingly assembled and notated by producer Jon de Mello, Alone in IZ World is comprised of both alternate versions of Kamakawio'ole's best-loved songs as well as tracks never before heard by the public. The latter category includes versions of "Hanohano No Na Cowboy," the playfully incomplete opening on "Mona Lisa," and "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," on which IZ takes a rare turn at harmonizing with himself. In light of his premature passing, devastatingly beautiful alternate cuts of "Starting All Over Again" and "In This Life" are especially poignant. And "Over the Rainbow"--IZ's renditions were heard in Meet Joe Black and Finding Forrester--may never again sound so pure. --Paige La Grone

Album Description

new songs * enhanced arrangements * unplugged performances * on a cd-rom featuring photo gallery, bio, national and local press coverage, IZ sightings, screen saver and catalog

Customer Reviews:

Alone In IZ World is worth a look.......2007-07-05

This was the first Israel Kamakawiwo'ole cd I had listened to. I think despite the fact that at least one of the songs (Mona Lisa) wasn't finished it's an excellent CD. The song "Somewhere over the Rainbow" is a beautiful Hawaiian rendition of an old Classic. The CD is lighthearted, fun, and introspective at times, offering a track with audio from Iz talking about his battle with obesity (something hardcore Iz fans might enjoy). The word: if you have all of his CD's and love IZ get this one, if this is your first purchase, buy another and work your way up to this one later.

IZ.......2007-06-28

This is a special type of recording that not everyone would care for. It is what I would call a Kamaaina type of CD; i.e., if you like down home Hawaiian style, it's great. Having lived in HI for over 18 yrs, I really dig it. The reason I say this is that it's the type of recording that's rather "off-the-wall." There's false starts, talking and just plain uke strumming and picking up words as he goes along, but it's real. These are recordings as they actually happened rather than having been rehearsed. For those that have sat around a bonfire eating pig and poi, listening to uke players, I'm sure they will enjoy it!

Relaxing and beautiful.......2007-06-27

The tracks on this album are beautiful from Iz's rendition of "Mona Lisa" to the now familiar "Over the Rainbow". What is most haunting is hearing Iz speaking on several tracks, especially his views about death and losing his family members. A definite must have.

Excellent CD.......2007-05-27

I love this cd. I've owned it for over 5 years. I bought this copy for my mom, whom adores his version of "Over the Rainbow". If you ever want to mentally transport yourself to Hawaii, this is the way. Love it!

IZ, IZ, IZ!.......2007-05-12

Since I am not from Hawaii I don't profess to identify with the political and cultural aspects of IZ's music, so all I can really say is that I find IZ's music just plain nice to listen to, especially when its just him and his uke. Need to relax, need to kick back and drift away to the Islands then this will do it for you. Get rid of the pills and pick up a dose of IZ to calm the tensions of the day. Of course you'll have to resist going out to purchase a one way ticket to Hawaii.....or will you?

Average customer rating:

Lame
Sounds like a cheap plastic toy
would make you sleepy..
Kid's Music
Not soothing

Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics

Manufacturer: Buena Vista
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Baby Einstein: Playtime Music Box
Baby Einstein: Traveling Melodies

ASIN: B0001IXTU4
Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

Variations (Twinkle, Twinkle), K265/300e
Minuet In G From Anna Magdalena
Piano Sonata In C, K 545, 2nd Movement
Spring Song
Piano Sonata In D, K 576, 3rd Movement
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring, BWV 147
Canon
The Moldau
Preludes Book II, Clair De Lune
Sonata No.14 (Moonlight), 2nd Movement, Op.27
Symphony No.9, New World
Fur Elise, WoO 59
The Four Seasons, Winter, RV267, 2nd Movement
Orchestral Suite No.3 In D, Air, BWV 1068
Sonata No.8 (Pathetique), 2nd Movement, Op.13
Kinderscene, Op.15
Waltz No.15, Lullaby

Product Description

The Lullaby Classics A Concert for Little Ears music CD is a 17-track, 35-minute concert featuring a collection of soothing classical melodies perfect to calm little ones as they wind down for nap time, bedtime or a bit of quiet time. Each piece, re-orchestrated for little ears by the Baby Einstein Music Box Orchestra, was specially selected to lull babies into sweet, blissful dreams. Lullaby Classics opens with ?Ç£Twinkle, Twinkle?Ç¥ variations by Mozart and includes calming and delightful melodies from composers such as Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak and Debussy. It ends with Brahms' ?Ç£Lullaby?Ç¥ tucking baby in for a cozy, restful sleep.Musical Selections:1. Variations (Twinkle, Twinkle), K265/300e, Mozart2. Minuet In G From Anna Magdalena, Bach3. Piano Sonata In C, K 545, 2nd Movement, Mozart4. Spring Song, Mendelssohn5. Piano Sonata In D, K 576, 3rd Movement, Mozart6. Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring, BWV 147, Bach7. Canon, Pachelbel8. The Moldau, Smetana9. Preludes Book II, Clair De Lune, Debussy10. Sonata No. 14 (Moonlight), 2nd Movement, Op. 27, Beethoven11. Symphony No. 9, New World , Dvorak12. Fur Elise, WoO 59, Beethoven13. The Four Seasons, Winter, RV297, 2nd Movement, Vivaldi14. Orchestral Suite No. 3 In D, Air, BWV 1068, Bach15. Sonata No. 8 (Pathetique), 2nd Movement, Op. 13, Beethoven16. Kinderscene Op.15, Schumann17. Waltz No 15, Lullaby, Brahms Age: birth +Awards:* Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (2005)* National Parenting Center Seal of Approval (2004)* National Parenting Publications Awards (2004)

Customer Reviews:

Lame.......2007-07-22

I was really disappointed in this CD. I was expecting a toned-down version of real classical music, but it sounds really fake and tinkley and weird. Not soothing at all.

Sounds like a cheap plastic toy.......2007-06-20

I have these DVD's and I can tell you that they will not be a huge part of my baby's development. I received them as a gift from someone that thinks that all you need to do is plunk your child in front of a TV all day without giving the baby any attention. You can see why these DVD's are popular at Day Care Centers or what I like to call, "Concentration camps for baby's with lazy parents", because they know that they can sit their kid/baby in front of the TV and let them turn into a thoughtless zombie while they listen to Baby Einstein totally ruin classics by Bach and DeBussy by playing the music with very cheap midi keyboards. I can get better quality music by whistling Dixie with a mouth-full of saltine crackers.

Also, it has been proven that classical music has nothing to do with the cognitive development of young people. Now, teach them how to play piano or violin and you have yourself an actual YOUNG EINSTEIN, but listening to this kind of music does nothing for the development of the brain. It is just for lazy parents that can't sit down with their kids and play with them or read them a book.

would make you sleepy.........2007-06-15

its a good product with very fine music and my toddler realizes that it is sleep time, if I play it. he goes to bed and sleeps after a couple songs. I have trouble in some songs are some months.. dont know why.

Kid's Music.......2007-06-08

I bought this CD for my grandniece, but after listening to it, I determined that no one would ever play this for her except me. I would have kept it for myself but I have the grown-up versions of each of the classical masterpieces on this CD. So, I ended up returning it for a full refund. If you want your kids to be exposed to classicl music, it's a great buy. But if you don't think they will get to listen to it, don't waste your time.

Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics

Not soothing.......2007-06-07

These synthesizer versions of classical songs get really old, really fast. Worse yet, the songs are sometimes not soothing at all, especially the very first song. The song seems to get particularly loud and uptempo, which is precisely what you don't expect in a lullaby. Please listen to the sample of the first song at least before you buy.

Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...

Average customer rating:

The End of the Big Voice?
Fla Gator Lady
20 Great Tenor Arias
Plesantly surprised...
Absolutely Agree About Corelli

Nessun Dorma ~ 20 Great Tenor Arias / Pavarotti, Carreras, Domingo, Bergonzi, Aragall, Björling, Di Stefano, Kollo, Corelli, Del Monaco...

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Paul Potts [United Kingdom]: One Chance
The Most Famous Opera Duets
The Most Famous Opera Arias
The #1 Opera Album
The Best of Italian Opera

ASIN: B000007OTX
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

La Boheme: Che gelida manina
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
Carmen Bizet: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Flower Song)
Luisa Miller: O! fede negar potessi .. Quando le sere al placido
La Traviata: Lunge da lei ... De' miei bollenti spiriti
Martha: M'appari
Giordano: Amor ti vieta
L'Africaine: Mi batte il cuor .. O paradiso
La Favorita: Favorita del re . . . Spirto gentil
Werther: 'Pourquoi me reveiller'
Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg: 'Morgenlich leuchtend in rosigem Schein'
Les Contes d'Hoffmann: O Dieu! De quelle ivresse
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
Pagliacci: Recitar! ... Vesti la giubba
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
Aida: Se quel guerrier .. Celeste Aida
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
Turandot: Nessun dorma

Customer Reviews:

The End of the Big Voice?.......2007-04-16

This CD, which is truly fine overall, reminds me of Marilyn Horne's lament that we have probably seen the end of the big voice and it makes me sad. I agree with the reviewer who refers to "microphonies". And more justice could be done to Bjorling's voice with a better transfer. But at some point, music becomes a matter of taste and I prefers singers who have the instrument and the support and the training, whether formal or not, to just let fly and take a chance on making a mistake. Domingo can be wonderful and so can his musicianship but he tends to be so stiff. I have to wonder at the virulence and asperity with which some people go after Pavarotti. It's true that late in his career he made some questionable recordings but the answer to that is simple: don't buy them. At his best, he belongs for all time in the top echelon of tenors. I love this CD and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys great (big) voices.

Fla Gator Lady.......2007-01-12

Highly recommend this CD with these beloved arias of the greatest tenors in opera. I have owned this CD for a couple of years and purchased another for a friend who always requests that I play it ... perfect for listening in the car, dinner, bridge games, relaxation ... just so perfect. You won't be disappointed in this one.

20 Great Tenor Arias.......2007-01-09

A great disc,combination of the greatest tenors of the 20th century and some of the most beautiful music ever written in any century,a must addition to any opera lovers collection.

Plesantly surprised..........2006-01-14

I don't remember how I found this CD the other day surfing through the "Amazon" such as it is, but I did. I listened to a few clips provided & on the strength of that, I purchased this CD.

First it is a great buy. A booklet with pictures of each tenor, a small bio, the year recorded and TRANSLATIONS of each aria are provided. This is really nice. It seems more & more that translations are being left out. Being a former opera singer, I may know most of the words, but sometimes it's just nice to read along (sometimes it's just nice to listen too).

Being on the Decca label, there is admittedly quite a few Pavarotti selections. Out of 20 selections, he has 6 of them. But I love Pavarotti, so this is no problem for me. These are all early recordings & his voice is magnificent! Being a singer, I still marvel at his ability to sing "All'armi!" on a high D and still say the 2nd syllable "mi" on such a note! WOW. There is also of course his very sweet, impassioned and lyrical turn as Rodolfo in "La Boheme" as well as the lesser known (although I still have it on casette) "La Favorita" which has a particularly high tessitura.

Also featured are a young Plácido Domingo singing a VERY nice "Flower song/ La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" from Carmen. He usually sounds too pushed for me on the top notes (as one might expect from a Pavarotti fan, I like free top notes) but in this recording he is pretty darn fabulous. He also sings an aria from "Tales of Hoffman/Les Contes d'Hoffman" and I have always felt that he, like Neil Schicoff, were well suited to this role.

Lamentably there are only one selection each from Carreras, Correlli, Monaco, Aragall & Kollo. Especial kudos to the young recording they feature for Aragall. He had a very free and nice high tenor well suited to Verdi. Of course as his career went forward with the natural darkening of his voice and the "heavier" roles, he did start to develop a wobble. But this recording is before that. His top, his phrasing are all beautifully done in his featured aria from "La Traviata."
Mario del Monaco's "E lucevan le stelle" is hauntingly beautiful and has such a wonderful pianissimo in it that it makes you just want to gasp for beauty's sake. I now know every tenor I've heard sing this aria was trying to emulate what he did.

This is a great CD because it does bring together on one CD some of the greatest singers of the 20th/21st century. Bergonzi, di Stefano, Björling, in addition to the previously mentioned artists is quite an impressive collection. I'm sure there's only one of each for Carreras, Aragall (I believe they are formerly EMI/Angel artists) and perhaps some of the others because they are "imported" from another label. There's so much Pavarotti on this CD because he IS a Decca artist.

A highly recommended CD, affordable, not the usually obscure and unpolished artists that are sometimes found on compilations. Plus acutal linear notes and translations. Nicely done, Decca!!!

Absolutely Agree About Corelli.......2005-05-27

Franco Corelli's "Nessun Dorma" is still the best of them all - clear, passionate, and exciting. (And those final two notes...! Gives me chills just to think of it.) I was fortunate enough to see him live in both "Turandot" and "Romeo and Juliet" a year before his retirement, and he was still a Calaf and a Romeo to die for... as, of course, Liu and Juliet did! As it is, I tend to buy compilations depending on how much Corelli they include - though Bjorling is a strong second, and I have happy memories of Domingo. Long live the Golden Age of Operatic Tenors!

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