Moonlight Dancing

Track Listings

1. Playa

2. Mambo Jambo

3. Monsieur Cannibale

4. Kiss of Fire

5. Enjoy Yourself

6. How Insensitive

7. Dansero

8. Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head [Swing]

9. Quando Quando

10. My Toreador (Paso Doble)

Moonlight Dancing, Music, Various Artists, Ballroom Dance, Classical

Dancing in the Moonlight
Average customer rating:

Well...

One Hit Wonder, plus some pretty good stuff!

The Super-Nautical Songs of the Seventies.

Hang on a minute...

I think there's more to this album than the one big hit

Dancing in the Moonlight
King Harvest
Manufacturer: Collectables
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Golden Classics

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)

Dance With Me: The Best of Orleans

Open

Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds - Greatest Hits

ASIN: B00000085B
Release Date: 1993-11-12

Tracks:

Lady, Come On Home
Motor Job
Roosevelt And Ira Lee
Dancing In The Moonlight
She Keeps Me High
Think I Better Wait Till Tomorrow
The Smile On Her Face
You And I
Marty And The Captain
I Can Tell

Customer Reviews:

Well..........2006-11-14

I bought it for the one song. Yeah you know the one "Dancing in the Moonlight". I found it later as a free, non pirated download on their myspace music profile. But as for delivery and such, I got it and in good condition too.

One Hit Wonder, plus some pretty good stuff!.......2006-02-07

I bought this for "Dancing The Moonlight", one of the best bits of pop music from the early 70's. The disc was well worth the price for just this song, but the rest is pretty good too. "Think I'd Better Wait..." is particularly good, as well as the intrumental "Motor Job". Don't stoop to the "Have a Nice Day" collection for "Dancing In The Moonlight", get the real album and broaden your musical basis.

The Super-Nautical Songs of the Seventies........2005-12-11

The hit mixes great with "Brandy, You're a Fine Girl." Other songs sound like Steppenwolf rip-offs (only they aren't quite up to par).

Hang on a minute..........2005-08-12

The reviewer who claims this is not a King Harvest song is incorrect. It was written by Sherman Kelly who played keyboards in the band. Just thought I'd set the record straight... it's such a great song he deserves the credit.

I think there's more to this album than the one big hit.......2004-08-06

I haven't heard this album, but if you listen to the sound samples you will hear funk, jazz, blues and who knows what else. I wasn't expecting this band to be this diverse, so I think this album might be worth picking up. The big hit is just another 70's song, though a very good one. Of course I have to give this album a rating, so 4 stars is what I will give it. Even though I haven't heard it, I think hearing funk, jazz and blues in the sound samples is enough to give it 4 stars because diversity is important to me.

Average customer rating:

Charmaine

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B0000Y37E2
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Tracks:

Charmaine
Jealousy
Sous Les Toits De Paris
La Cucaracha
Wyoming Lullaby
Pavanne
Diane
Warsaw Concerto
Caribbean Calypso
Serenade
Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
Adios, Muchachos - Concert Tango
Mexicali Rose
Holiday For Strings
Greensleeves
Hear My Song, Violetta
Symphony
Ramona
Gypsy Legend
Dreaming
The Legend Of The Glass Mountain
Village Swallows From Austria
La Mer
I Live For You
Some Enchanted Evening

Average customer rating:

This CD brings back memories.
The best album by a wonderful Jazz/New Age group!
One Of My Best CD's Ever
SPELL BOUNDING

Moonlight Reflections
Dancing Fantasy
Manufacturer: The Orchard
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Soundscapes
Dancing Fantasy
Day Dream
Love Letters
Worldwide

ASIN: B000053GVA
Release Date: 2000-12-26

Tracks:

Quiet Beauty
Moonlight Reflections
Nightbreeze
Twilight Journey
Dancing On A Summernight With You (Inst.)
Mercury- Rising
Blue Bamboo
Stardust
Nautilus
Dancing On A Summernight With You (Vocal)
Imagine
Voodoo Jammin'
California Grooves, Yo!

Customer Reviews:

This CD brings back memories. .......2005-10-09

"Quite Beauty". I remember when this song first came out, in the late summer of 1991, it was on a sun setting evening, me and my brother was drinking beer and listening to smooth jazz, enjoying the night breese, talking about life, when all of a sudden, the radio station announced, "Here a new release from Dancing Fantasy, Quiet Beauty," when me and my brother heard that jam, we had to have it, but the CD wasn't released yet. The day it was released, I got it and he dub it. It's been 14 years and I still love that song, not to say that the rest of the CD is bad , because it's not. There's a few songs I like, it just "Quite Beauty" I love. This is Cruz-n, Love Making or Sun setting music to me. As a matter or a fact, the whole CD is nice. So enjoy. Marlon

The best album by a wonderful Jazz/New Age group!.......2004-06-19

Their 1991 sophomore album "California Grooves" is really amazing but their third album that was released the following year however is their best album to date at the time of writing this review. "Moonlight Reflections" showcases incredible musicianship by the McLaw/ Williams duo and this whole album is great even if some tracks rank a little inferior to others. While "California Grooves" captures the mood of California's beaches really well, it was marred by some annoying interludes but this 1992 follow-up does even better.

"Quiet Beauty" is arguably the best track on this album and makes forever nostalgic for the days of 1992 when I first heard it. It's a hauntingly beautiful but dramatic yet joyous song with haunting New Age ambience combined with really unique dreamy keyboard crescendo effects and a really great melodic progression. I especially love the last minute of the song where the melody rises and falls and repeats the pattern. The title track is a wonderfully groovy New Age jazz track that incorporates wonderful tropical vibe and has the drum loop from Enigma's 1990 hit "Sadeness" and the result is a wonderful and danceable classic. "Nightbreeze" is a spooky yet really enchanting New Age classic with a seductive jazz groove and a really dark blue cloudy evening like as if you were walking down a tree-lined pathway after a rainstorm and with gardens all around you. That's what this song evokes in me. "Nightbreeze" is a haunting classic. "Twilight Journey" continues the atmosphere of "Nightbreeze" but has a brighter tone and a slightly more energetic beat and has really nice flutes and a perky sort of groove to it. "Dancing on A Summer night With You" is a bright sunny afternoon jazz track with a danceable hip-hop beat and uses the melodic structure of the "Theme from Twin Peaks". This is a really great track. "Mercury Rising" is a dark but never forboding track with a really cool aquatic feel and has some really deep aquatic keyboards that almost evoke images of swimming underwater with the dolphins. "Nautilus" is even more so. "Blue Bamboo" is almost like something that was lifted off their "Midnight Boulevard" album as it has a similar sound to what defines that album. It is a good song but one of lesser favorites of mines. "Stardust" is a joyous groovy track with a slightly cosmic twist to it hence the name "Stardust". "Nautilus" is one of the most unique tracks on here having a really unique chord structure and incorporates some dolphin sound effects. I really love this track and it's so much fun to listen to. The vocal version of "Dancing on a Summernight With You" is almost identical to the other version but with vocals. While it's good, I much prefer the instrumental version as I feel that the vocals sometimes interrupt the quality of the instrumental version. "Imagine" is a sweet-natured song with a really sunny melody and a touch of tropical atmosphere. "Voodoo Jamming" is a revamped version of the original from their debut album. While the original version was a bit annoying with the annoying Chinese voice effects that would clutter the track, this version vastly improves it and has a really excellent beat. The closing track which is a reworking of "California Grooves" (The song) sounds a lot like the original but not as great but still good. The talking sound effects from the original are removed but I actually enjoy the original more. Still, this is a good closer to a great album.

While I've really enjoyed what they've done over the years since then, Dancing Fantasy have never toyed with New Age, pop, smooth jazz, and electronics like they did with this album and I strongly recommend that you go and buy this album. It may be very difficult to find but believe me, this CD is worth your hard search!

One Of My Best CD's Ever.......2004-04-19

Duration: 57:27
Released on: March 30, 1992
Dancing Fantasy's music is not electronically complex, pretentious or complicated.
It has a basic concept difference: beautiful music which is relaxing, which grooves and which above all is full of life, full of enthusiasm and the joy of living. On Moonlight Reflections it was their self-stated purpose to create and record a "musical love letter". They have indeed succeeded - "more than words can say".
This is one of the most successful albums from Dancing Fantasy; it reached position 12 on the Billboard Top New Age Albums Chart of 1992.

SPELL BOUNDING.......2000-11-11

I am so pleased that Dancing Fantasy came out with another cd so soon, The 2 previous cd's that I purchased are AMAZING, Love Letters & Self Titled Dancing Fanatsy, The playing of the guitar is spell bounding. This a must for every Jazz Lover the varied arrangements will keep you wanting more & more from this FANTASTIC GROUP.

Average customer rating:

Music for Moonlight Dancing
Lester Lanin
Manufacturer: Sony Special Product
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Best of Big Bands: Lester Lanin
This Is Society Dance Music
Dancing Theatre Party/High Society Country Style
Beyond the Sea/The New Limelight

ASIN: B000002Z26
Release Date: 2001-01-01

Tracks:

Don't Be Afraid of Romance
Adios Muchachos
Under Paris Skies
Royal Garden Blues
Gold and Silver Waltz
This Could Be The Start of Something
Orchids in the Moonlight
Clarinet Polka
Arrivederci, Roma
Love Makes the World Go Round

Average customer rating:

Amazing Folk Metal!

Waves Are Dancing
Holy Blood
Manufacturer: Bombworks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Wanderer
The War That Plagues The Lands
Veil of Remembrance
Spirit
Hellig Usvart

ASIN: B000B7S1YY
Release Date: 2006-07-10

Tracks:

Intro
To Heaven
Spring
Jerusalem
I Flow Towards the Fate
Baptising of the Rus
In the Last Battle
Fairy
Waves Are Dancing
Outro

Product Description

This is the second release from the fantastic band from Ukraine which interleaves Celtic folk influences with the speed riffing and technicality of death and black metal. Originally released only in Ukraine, Bombworks Records has made this incredible CD available for the rest of the world to hear. This release features more Celtic influences and more melody than the first release, with a heavier emphasis on integrating the flute with the heavy guitars. It is also an enhanced CD, including as a bonus the video recorded for the incredible song "The Spring".

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Folk Metal!.......2006-05-27

Several years ago while surfing the Web I found a strange band by the name of Holy Blood. I downloaded one of their songs and was simply amazed at their style. This is an extremely talented Ukrainian folk metal band.

The songs on this album include:

1. Intro (instrumental)
2. To Heaven
3. The Spring
4. Jerusalem
5. I Flow Towards the Fate
6. Baptising of the Rus (instrumental)
7. In the Last Battle
8. Fair
9. Waves are Dancing
10. Outro (instrumental)

I like every single one of these songs. Each song is well crafted, and they aren't repetetive.

There are probably tons of bands out there that play folk metal now. I haven't heard that many folk metal bands so I can't really say if this is the cream of the crop. I have heard of an interesting German folk metal band called "Schandmaul" and I would recommend that band, although these two bands are completely different. They both play folk metal but that's the only comparison that can be made. On this album Holy Blood plays a mix of symphonic black death folk metal, whereas Schandmaul plays "just" folk rock metal.

Note: if you are thinking on purchasing the "The Wanderer" album by this band you need to know that it isn't the same style. It's a more brutal style of metal but it isn't folk metal at all. It's still good, but it's not the same and I don't want anyone to get disappointed.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful blend of jazz and new age

Moonlight Reflections
Dancing Fantasy
Manufacturer: Innovative Commun.
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Soundscapes
California Grooves
Worldwide
Day Dream
Worldwide

ASIN: B000006K1E
Release Date: 1992-04-01

Tracks:

Quiet Beauty
Moonlight Reflections
Nightbreeze
Twilight Journey
Dancing On A Summernight With You (Inst.)
Mercury- Rising
Blue Bamboo
Stardust
Nautilus
Dancing On A Summernight With You (Vocal)
Imagine
Voodoo Jammin'
California Grooves, Yo!

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful blend of jazz and new age.......2002-03-05

Dancing Fantasy in my opinion are among the best examples of what real modern smooth jazz really is. Their music is mostly new-agey jazz. Moonlight Refelctions is my favorite album of theirs.

The best songs on here are the sedative Quiet Beauty, the danceable title track, Nightbreeze, Dancing On a Summer Night With You, and Stardust.

Quiet Beauty is a very haunting ambient song. The title track has the drum loop lifted from Enigmas Sadeness. Nightbreeze is a very quiet ambient song to mellow out to. Stardust is a sunny upbeat song.

The unique tracks on here are the instrumental and vocal versions of Dancing On A Summernight With You. These two track lift the chord structure of the Twin Peaks theme and give them a new beat. They are short but very nice. I do tend to enjoy the instrumental version a little bit more.

The truth is I enjoy pretty much the whole album. The last two track are the reworkings of Voodoo Jammin and California Grooves.

The version of Voodoo Jammin on this CD is far, FAR superior to the Midnight Boulevard version. I don't really like the original version on Mid. Blvd.

On the other hand the version of California Grooves on here while still enjoyable, it doesn't quite rank on par with the version on the CD of the same title.

I consider Moonlight Reflections to be Dancing Fantasys strongest CD to date. I say get this one. Pretty much get all of their CDs including Soundscapes.

Dancing In The Moonlight
Average customer rating:

An OK CD.

A mature sound, a little funk for the latest by Jack Wagner

Dancing In The Moonlight

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Alone In A Crowd

ASIN: B0009SXBBI

Product Description

12 Tracks

Customer Reviews:

An OK CD........2005-12-02

This CD was just OK. I have to say I was a little disappointed after listening to his older stuff, but I guess your musical style changes sometimes as you mature. The songs were somewhat slower than what he usually sings, not a lot of instruments in the background. His cover of the title song is the best song on here. Get it if you want, but I would not call it a "must have" for every Jack W. fan.

A mature sound, a little funk for the latest by Jack Wagner.......2005-06-02

Jack Wagner's music has long been a guilty pleasure, since the 1980s. With his latest CD, "Dancing in the Moonlight," Jack Wagner pulls together several artistic threads from previous albums into his distinct sound. These aren't songs you are going to hear on the radio, but most of them are good! The title track is a fantastic cover of the 1970s classic. The remaining songs are a mix of fun "funk" -- some of it's a little goofy, like the song "sho-be-doo-dah", yet you find yourself singing it later in the day -- and ballads. Ironically, given his General Hospital origins in the 1980s, it is the ballads that seem to fall a little flat. Some are good, but none compare with the pure "love songs" heard on most of his prior recordings. Overall, this CD is probably a more genuine expression of the artist, and Jack Wagner fans, who have grown up with him, will appreciate its emotional maturity. It doesn't have the same "impact" as some of his earlier work, but fans should add it to their collection and enjoy!

Average customer rating:

The Most Unforgettable Vaughan Williams

Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Vaughan Williams: The Nine Symphonies
Vaughan Williams: Orchestral Works
Ralph Vaughan Williams: Symphonies Nos. 3 & 5

ASIN: B000026C6F
Release Date: 1999-07-19

Tracks:

Fant On 'Greensleeves' - LSO/Sir Adrian Boult
The Lark Ascending - David Nolan
English Folk Song Ste: I. March (Seventeen Come Sunday)/II. Intermezzo (My Bonny Boy)/III. March... - LSO/Sir Adran Boult
Fant On A Theme By Thomas Tallis - Jonathan Small
The Wasps - Aristophanic Ste: Ballet And Final Tableau - LPO/Vernon Handley
Sinf Antartica, Landscape: III. Lento - Alison Hargan/Ian Tracey/Royal Liverpool Phil Choir
Job - A Masque For Dancing: Satan's Dance Of Triumph - The London Phil/Vernon Handley
Ser To Music (Shakespeare) - Royal Liverpool Phil Choir/Ian Tracey

Vaughan Williams, The Complete Symphonies

Average customer rating:

BEST COMPLETE SURVEY
Still the Best
As good as anyone needs--this isn't Beethoven
Consider Supplementing This Core Set
What's the hurry to have 'em all?

Vaughan Williams, The Complete Symphonies

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Symphonies 1-3 / Piano Concerto 1-4 / Isle of Dead

ASIN: B00004YA0V
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Tracks:

I: A Song For All Seas, All Ships - London Philharmonic Choir
II: On The Beach At Night, Alone - London Philharmonic Choir
III: Scherzo: The Waves - London Philharmonic Choir
IV: The Explorers - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir
Symphony (Symphony No.1) - London Philharmonic Choir

Tracks:

Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis - London Philharmonic Orchestra
I: Lento - Allegro Risoluto - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Lento - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: Scherzo (Nocturne): Allegro Vivace - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Andante Con Moto - Maestoso Alla Marcia - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Molto Moderato - Margaret Price
II: Lento Moderato - Margaret Price
III: Moderato Pesante - Margaret Price
IV: Lento - Margaret Price
I: Preludio: Moderato - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Scherzo: Presto - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: Romanza: Lento - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Passacaglia: Moderato - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Allegro - New Philharmonia Orchestra
II: Andante Moderato - New Philharmonia Orchestra
III: Scherzo: Allegro Molto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
IV: Finale Con Epilogo Fugato: Allegro Molto - New Philharmonia Orchestra
I: Allegro - New Philharmonia Orchestra
II: Moderato - New Philharmonia Orchestra
III: Scherzo: Allegro Vivace - New Philharmonia Orchestra
IV: Epilogue: Moderato - New Philharmonia Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Prelude: Andante Maestoso - London Philharmonic Choir
II: Scherzo: Moderato - London Philharmonic Choir
III: Landscape: Lento - London Philharmonic Choir
IV: Intermezzo: Andante Sostenuto - London Philharmonic Choir
V: Epilogue: Alla Marcia - London Philharmonic Choir
I: Overture - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Entr'acte - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: March Past Of The Kitchen Utensils - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Entr'acte - London Philharmonic Orchestra
V: Ballet And Final Tableau - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Fantasia (Variazioni Senza Tema) - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Scherzo Alla Marcia - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: Cavatina - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Toccata - London Philharmonic Orchestra
I: Moderato Maestoso - London Philharmonic Orchestra
II: Andante Sostenuto - London Philharmonic Orchestra
III: Scherzo: Allegro Pesante - London Philharmonic Orchestra
IV: Andante Tranquillo - London Philharmonic Orchestra

Tracks:

Serenade To Music - Norma Burrowes
In The Fen Country - New Philharmonia Orchestra
The Lark Ascending - Hugh Bean
Norfolk Rhapsody No.1 - New Philharmonia Orchestra
English Folk Song Suite - London Symphony Orchestra
Fantasia On 'Greensleeves' - London Symphony Orchestra
Untitled - London Symphony Orchestra
Untitled - London Symphony Orchestra

Tracks:

I: Toccata: Allegro Moderato - Victor Babin
II: Romanza: Lento - Victor Babin
III: Fuga Chromatica (Allegro) Con - Victor Babin
Finale Alla Tedesca - Victor Babin
Introduction - London Symphony Orchestra
Sarabande Of The Sons Of God - London Symphony Orchestra
Satan's Dance Of Triumph - London Symphony Orchestra
Minuet Of The Sons Of Job And Their Wives - London Symphony Orchestra
Job's Dream - London Symphony Orchestra
Dream Of The Three Messengers - London Symphony Orchestra
Dance Of Job's Comforters - London Symphony Orchestra
Elihu's Dance Of Youth And Beauty - London Symphony Orchestra
Pavane Of The Sons Of The Morning - London Symphony Orchestra
Galliard Of The Sons Of The Morning - London Symphony Orchestra
Altar Dance - London Symphony Orchestra
Epilogue - London Symphony Orchestra

Amazon.com

Adrian Boult's credentials in this repertoire are unassailable, and to have nearly all his stereo Vaughan Williams recordings for EMI so elegantly packaged and enticingly priced will be incentive enough for many a prospective purchaser. There's much to treasure here, not least those gently perceptive accounts of the first three symphonies, as well as the Fifth and the Ninth. All the same, the fires burned more brightly on Boult's earlier mono cycle for Decca, and there's some oddly listless orchestral playing to contend with in both the Sinfonia Antarctica and the Eighth, especially. The Fourth and Sixth, too, find the New Philharmonia in less than ideally tidy form. The disc of shorter orchestral items and the gorgeous Serenade to Music offer mostly unbridled pleasure (with Hugh Bean a memorably serene soloist in The Lark Ascending), as does Boult's fourth and final recording of Job, though here, too, tension levels are markedly lower than on either of his mono versions. No matter, for all its ups and downs, the present anthology undoubtedly offers fine value for the money. --Andrew Achenbach

Customer Reviews:

BEST COMPLETE SURVEY.......2006-07-14

The VW symphonies have done remarkably well on disc. Complete cycles by Previn, Haitink and Tod Handley all make substantial claims. Individual symphonies from Richard Hickox, Andrew Davis, Vaughan Williams himself and, of course, 'Glorious John' Barbirolli (as VW christened him) also demand attention. But, if you're looking for a complete overview of the Vaughan Williams symphonic canon (plus quite a lot of substantial extras) then this Boult set is probably still the best all-round recommendation.

Even he has a substantial rival in his earlier self on Decca, conducted under the gaze of the composer who delivers a touching speech of thanks to the players at the end of the pianissimo finale of the Sixth Symphony. This earlier Decca version probably has the edge for urgency and thrust in the quicker movements, but the sound on these later discs benefits enormously from the full warm stereo production typical of EMI in the 70's and also benefits from Sir Adrian's lifetime experience of these works.

In many ways, it is the earlier symphonies that come off best in this series. A wonderfully full-blooded Sea Symphony with a finely disciplined chorus, excellent soloists in John Carol Case and Sheila Armstrong (though she can't eclipse the magical Isobel Baillie in the older Boult set), and a rich Kingsway Hall acoustic get the set off to a fine start. The London Symphony was always special with Boult: he managed to achieve an ideal balance of symphonic thought with the touches of Edwardian period colour. The jingles of the hansom cab in the London fog and the cries of the street vendors come off particularly well here. But don't ignore Hickox's magnificent recording of the substantially longer original version. The Pastoral, too, is beautifully sustained in Boult's hands: the succession of slow, mostly quiet movements always glows with Pastoral intensity for him. Maybe his disciple, Vernon Handley, penetrates deeper into the dark echoes of the composer's experiences as an ambulance driver in the Great War.

The Fourth - "I don't know if I like it, but it's what I meant," in VW's famous quote - is full of barely restrained power, but perhaps would benefit from a bit more urgency at times. The Fifth, arguably the most symphonic of all the symphonies despite the Pilgrim's Progress origins of much of its material, gets an authentically profound performance with the LPO. Maybe we are closer to the Pilgrim origins here than to the symphonic arguments behind their transformations. There is serious competition in this symphony from Barbirolli (his 1st recording), from Haitink and from Handley. Haitink is the most 'symphonic', Barbirolli the most impassioned, Handley probably the most balanced.

The Sixth is fine, suitably violent and desolate by turns, but doesn't quite match Boult's blistering earlier recording. The Antarctica is curiously lack-lustre here - Haitink's is the revelatory performance of this symphony. The Eighth has always seemed to be the special domain of its dedicatee, Barbirolli, who had the key to unlocking its mixture of wild and wonderful orchestration (including "all the 'phones and 'spiels known to the composer") with cryptic symphonic argument. The enigmatic Ninth seems to elude most conductors, including Boult here. Handley comes closest to revealing its dark Hardyesque mysteries.

There are two additional discs of extra stuff, all beautifully played. Specially noteworthy are a Serenade to Music that comes close to matching Henry Wood's original line-up of soloists, Hugh Bean as a magically carolling Lark Ascending, a real rarity in the Double Piano Concerto and a great Job, perhaps the VW work closest to Boult's heart.

This set is excellent value for money and, for a complete collection of the symphonies, probably the best all-round recommendation - though Tod Handley runs it pretty close. Maybe the bonus items tip the balance Boult's way.

Still the Best.......2006-03-20

Done more than 30 years ago, these recordings are still the best available of Ralph Vaughan Williams' orchestral music. The sound is here and there a little dated, but usually strongly competitive with present digital recordings. And the musicianship -- the wisdom of Adrian Boult and the high level of playing and singing -- really carry the day. Teaching a Lifelong Learning Institute on 20th Century Romantic composers this winter, I not only recommended but urged the participants to buy this set.

Vaughan Williams is one of the finest symphonists ever -- a thorough-going craftsman -- whose music connects the English countryside of a hundred years ago to the agonies of war and uproar of the century just past. People will be listening to this music long after the academics have come and gone; and this recording will still be the benchmark.

As good as anyone needs--this isn't Beethoven.......2005-11-01

The British are admirable loyalists when it comes to their own composers. Symphonies by Bax, Arnold, Rubbra, Simpson, and others that are nevre played in the U.S. are daily fare to music lovers in the UK, which heated discussion about the best versions. By comparison, how much do American music lovers argue over the symphonies of William Schuman, Roy Harris, Roger Sessions, Leonard Bernstein, John Harbison, or champion of them all, with symphonies by the dozen, Alan Hovhaness?

Of the British crop, the only works that cross the Atlantic with any frequency are Elgar Sym. #1, Walton Sym. #1, and a handful of the Vaughan Williams nine. Boult's second set of the VW symphonies, in stereo for EMI as opposed to mono for Decca, is all anybody really needs. Some of the performances have been bettered individually--one thinks of Handley's VW First, Bernstein's Fourth, Barbirolli's Second, Stokowski's Fourth and Sixth--but these symphonies aren't masterpieces. Boult has a fine orchestra in the London Phil. and good analog sound from EMI; his readings are dramatic and interesting, if not always deep.

If this were a Beethoven cycle, I'd want three or four alternative sets. Here it's not necessary. You can own all of VW's symphonic output and be assured that each reading is good enough to do justice to the music. Of course, this won't stop British enthusiasts, but for Americans time might be better spent uncovering the shamefully neglected symphonic past--and present--of our native composers.

Consider Supplementing This Core Set .......2005-02-23

My first exposure to V W's symphonies happened back in the 1970's courtesy of Boult's earlier recordings (#1-8 on London and Decca LPs, and #9 on an Everest LP). Later I acquired all of Boult's stereo recordings on Angel LPs. Here we have the latter recordings in their best-ever transfers. Despite strong competition from Handley (EMI) and Previn (RCA), I feel that over-all this Boult set (Boult II) remains THE one to own in good stereo sound. However, Boult's earlier set (Boult I - now available on Decca CDs in top-notch transfers) features even better performances of Symphonies 4, 6 and 9. I own them both, along with a few individual symphony readings by other conductors. Here's a brief summary of the performances:

#1. I won't mince words here: This Sea Symphony is absolutely dazzling, the finest I have ever heard. Boult I was also pretty extraordinary, but Boult II's superb stereo sound and slightly stronger vocal line-up make it a clear first choice.

#2. Boult I is a more energetic performance than Boult II. Sonically, however, Boult II offers a far more vivid listening experience. I am also rather fond of Barbirolli's first recording (on Dutton, paired with his magnificent 8th). My favorite "live" 2nd is a superb Malcolm Sargent reading, available only in an expensive 10-disc set from the Chicago Symphony. That set is well worth owning: it also contains what I feel are the finest-ever recordings of three great Third Symphonies (Mahler's, Prokofiev's and Roussel's), in readings by (respectively) Martinon, Kondrashin and Munch.

#3. Boult II is my favorite here, just ahead of Previn (RCA).

#4. Boult II simply lacks the incredible rhythmic snap and commitment of Boult I, which is my favorite account along with the Stokowski (Cala) and the composer himself (Dutton, paired with Barbirolli's fine 5th). In V W's own reading, the influence of the composer's contemporaries (especially Honegger, Janacek and Roussel) sounds more noticeable than in any other recording.

#5. Boult I and II are both excellent. Despite II's better sound, I think I prefer I's greater exuberance (especially in the 2nd mvt.) Likewise, I am very fond of both Barbirolli readings (Dutton and EMI), but retain a slight preference for the mono Dutton (which also has V W's own hell-for-leather rendition of the 4th).

#6. Boult I is far better than the slightly soggy Boult II: the former is my favorite performance of the work, despite the mono sound. At the end is a touching little speech given by the composer, in which he thanks Boult and the orchestra for their incredible pianissimo playing in the Epilogue: Indispensable. In stereo, the inexpensive Bakels (Naxos) is excellent.

#7. It's almost a toss-up here, but Boult II ultimately wins out on the basis of sound. But Boult I is no sonic slouch, and Sir John Gielgud's stately narration is a handsome dividend.

#8. Here I feel that, while Boult II is clearly superior to Boult I, neither comes even close to matching the classic first studio recording by Barbirolli, to whom the work is dedicated. The latter is coupled on Dutton with Barbirolli's fine #2 (both in stereo). Barbirolli's studio effort is FAR better played than his live 8th on BBC Legends.

#9. Boult I, this time in clear stereo sound (licensed from Everest), is in every way superior to Boult II, which is curiously detached. Unfortunately, the excellent "Job: A Masque for Dancing" that was Everest's discmate has not been retained. That's a pity: nobody ever did it better, although the Boult II is very satisfying.

All of the smaller works included on Boult II (the Boult I set has just the 9 symphonies) receive fine performances. Especially noteworthy is the Serenade to Music: it even eclipses the classic first-ever recording by Sir Henry Wood (on Dutton). In the Tallis Variations, there are wonderful versions worth hearing from Silvestri (EMI), Stokowski (Bridge) and Barbirolli (EMI). Silvestri also recorded a superlative Wasps (EMI).

If recorded sound is your uppermost concern, then Boult II will prove the more satisfying. But if you want to hear Boult's V W interpretations at their finest, then owning both sets becomes essential.

What's the hurry to have 'em all?.......2003-09-24

This is a "bargain," sort of. But Ralph Vaughan Williams is not Beethoven; unless one is VW "completist" one doesn't really need the unifying vision of a great conductor in a recorded cycle of all nine symphonies with the same orchestra. So it's worthwhile & fun to assemble a VW cycle from a variety of sources. I recommend unreservedly the ethereal Boult #3 & #5 (the former with lovely Brit soprano Margaret Price), & his Job Masque & #9 on Everest (the latter recorded the day after VW died). Actually, any of the recordings in this set are fine. But there are others equally accomplished or even better: Hickox & Bryden Thomson on Chandos; Andre Previn on RCA (Sea Symphony with Heather Harper & John Shirley-Quirk); Kees Bakels on low-priced Naxos; Andrew Davis & the BBC Orchestra on Elektra; Bernard Haitink on Angel/Emi; Vernon Handley & the Royal Liverpool on whatever label is issuing them now; orchestra isn't great but the conductor is insightful. Plus the superb David Lloyd-Jones recording of Job for Naxos. There's a couple of stereo Barbirolli peformances out there, too. Because of his creative alliance with the composer, Boult set the base standard for these symphonies, especially in his historic mono recordings, but that doesn't mean he owns them; & in any case he was quite old by the time good stereo sound arrived. & you'll want "high fidelity," not an ancient artifact. Collect your first Mahler & Bruckner cycles the same way. What's the hurry to have 'em all? Have fun with your purchases.

Tracks:

Dancing In The Moonlight - King Harvest
Diamond Girl - Seals & Crofts
It's So Easy - Linda Ronstadt
Need You Tonight - INXS
Urgent - Foreigner
Dream Weaver - Gary Wright
Foolish Beat - Debbie Gibson
When I Need You - Leo Sayer
Midnight At The Oasis - Maria Muldaur
Afternoon Delight - Starland Vocal Band

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