Extraordinary Ways

Amazon.com
Serene singers and lush electronic textures and strings are often a prescription for smothering romanticism and overwrought pop-treacle. Rhys Fulber, the force behind Conjure One, succumbed to that with his other band, Delerium, on their last album, Chimera ." But Fulber's post-Delerium project, Conjure One, though using the same formula, has a darker, sometimes more foreboding edge. On their long awaited second CD, superstar singer Sinead O'Connor is gone in favor of a bevy of lesser known voices, but little else has changed. That's not bad although "Endless Dream" echoes "Center of the Sun" from the previous album perhaps a bit too closely with yearning lyrics rising to cathedral heights in a soul-haunted chorus. The vocal credit on the tune is Jane, but unless someone has perfected human cloning, it's actually the singer-songwriter Poe, a hold-over from the last CD. She has the kind of warm crystal clear alto that makes even the awkward lyrics of the title track sound like heavenly entreaties. Joanna Stevens eschews words all together when she powers through a Middle-Eastern derived wordless hymn on the ecstatic grooves of "Dying Light." Conjure One almost becomes a different project, --one that recalls the glistening electro-pop of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark-- when Rhys Fulber sings on "Beyond Being" and a cover of The Buzzcock's "I Believe". But singers Tiff Lacey and Chemda bring it back to the Conjure One sound. From the orchestral-electronica of "Pilgrimage" to the poignant intimacy of "One Word," Extraordinary Ways is an album that seduces easily. -- John Diliberto

Product Description
With Conjure One being Rhys Fulber's (Frontline Assembly & Delerium) solo debut, he expands upon the promise of Karma with a rapturous blend of lush textures, hauntingly beautiful melodies and softly curved electrobeats. Nettwerk. 2005.

Extraordinary Ways,Conjure One,Nettwerk,Electronica,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,Worldbeat

Extraordinary Ways

Average customer rating:

poe is clearly tonic
Poe is the genius, conjure one is filler.
Conjure One's Re-invention by Rhys Fulber
Disappointing
POE'S RETURN TO CONJURE ONE IS EXTRAORDINARY

Extraordinary Ways
Conjure One
Manufacturer: Nettwerk
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Nuages du Monde
Conjure One
Reminiscence
Conjure One
Beneath the Surface

ASIN: B000AHJ7W0
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Endless Dream
Face the Music
Pilgrimage
One Word
I Believe
Beyond Being
Extraordinary Way
Dying Light
Forever Lost
Into the Escape

Amazon.com

Serene singers and lush electronic textures and strings are often a prescription for smothering romanticism and overwrought pop-treacle. Rhys Fulber, the force behind Conjure One, succumbed to that with his other band, Delerium, on their last album, Chimera ." But Fulber's post-Delerium project, Conjure One, though using the same formula, has a darker, sometimes more foreboding edge. On their long awaited second CD, superstar singer Sinead O'Connor is gone in favor of a bevy of lesser known voices, but little else has changed. That's not bad although "Endless Dream" echoes "Center of the Sun" from the previous album perhaps a bit too closely with yearning lyrics rising to cathedral heights in a soul-haunted chorus. The vocal credit on the tune is Jane, but unless someone has perfected human cloning, it's actually the singer-songwriter Poe, a hold-over from the last CD. She has the kind of warm crystal clear alto that makes even the awkward lyrics of the title track sound like heavenly entreaties. Joanna Stevens eschews words all together when she powers through a Middle-Eastern derived wordless hymn on the ecstatic grooves of "Dying Light." Conjure One almost becomes a different project, --one that recalls the glistening electro-pop of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark-- when Rhys Fulber sings on "Beyond Being" and a cover of The Buzzcock's "I Believe". But singers Tiff Lacey and Chemda bring it back to the Conjure One sound. From the orchestral-electronica of "Pilgrimage" to the poignant intimacy of "One Word," Extraordinary Ways is an album that seduces easily. -- John Diliberto

Album Description

With Conjure One being Rhys Fulber's (Frontline Assembly & Delerium) solo debut, he expands upon the promise of Karma with a rapturous blend of lush textures, hauntingly beautiful melodies and softly curved electrobeats. Nettwerk. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

poe is clearly tonic.......2007-07-07

the album was not bad, I mean it was ok. I am not shell shocked or out of my mind with telling friends about it. Considering Poe's solo career went right down the tubes like Rosanne singing the National Anthem, its refreshing hearing her on this ablum.

Some good tracks, but nothing to speak of. Just another ambient album, that maybe could have stayed in production a bit longer before being jugulared to the masses

thanks

Poe is the genius, conjure one is filler........2007-03-18

The songs in which Poe participates are SO much better than the rest of the album that they are not even comparable. I feel bad for her that she has to team up with mediocre people just to get produced, but I am grateful that she gets the opportunity to put out some material and I am grateful to conjure one of that. Don't get me wrong, conjure one is not bad, but they just don't do anything of note by themselves.

Conjure One's Re-invention by Rhys Fulber.......2006-10-15

This is Conjure One's sophomore album which again features the direction of Rhys Fulber (of Delerium & FLA). The 1st album featured Euro, Tribal and ambient beats, this album does not. Like Delerium, this side project under Rhys Fulber has gone more pop but with a slightly darker edge in many of the songs. It still retains 'untamed new age' rhythms. I have been a fan of Fulber and Leeb from the very beginning and enjoy listening to Delerium, other side projects and FLA. So when I found out Rhys was going his own way on his own project I was tempted in hearing it and liked what I heard. So with this second album it comes to no surprise that even though the texture and sound of the music has changed to a more mainstream feel, the music is still intoxicating and makes you go on a voyage down a myriad of emotions and mindscapes.

Now the songs are beautiful. Some are better in fluency than others but for me the better part of the album were the last 4 songs. The album opens up with two very 'pop' feeling songs that are radio-ready to play 'Endless Dream' & 'Face The Music'. The song 'One Word' is a uplifting song about faith in decisions. But the best songs are at the end of the album. I do miss the voice of 'Sinead O'Conner' though but the vocals are beautifully done here.

'Forever Lost' and 'Into The Escape' round out the album with haunting serenades and catchy tunes that stay in your head. Conjure One reinvented itself, not forgetting its past but holding onto it and changing to include more mainstream features. Not a bad effort and well done Fulber for another great album.

Disappointing.......2006-06-16

This album was boring and bland. I bought it because I very much liked Conjure One's first album (I thought it sounded similar to Balligomingo's Beneath the Surface- somewhat pop, but very melodic and soothing too), but this album wasn't nearly as good. 'Endless Dream' is the only good song, and maybe 'Extraordinary Way'. The rest aren't bad, but aren't interesting, either. I reserve this album for background music.

POE'S RETURN TO CONJURE ONE IS EXTRAORDINARY.......2006-06-16

I'm not happy with the negative reports that people have been provided here. My inital exposure to the clever lyrical content of POE was initally through a Conjure One CD and I've since bought her other solo material in addition to these collaborative efforts. POE definately has a fan in Milwaukee. The songs and content of this CD are engaging and a light pop orientation in the vein of DJ Armin Van Burne, Balligomingo, and Enigma, and Delerium. I've been getting into another act in this genre called Collide and that band happens to be my favorite in the Genre. This album however, has been played daily on my ipod for the last two weeks. I can't get the song "Extra Ordinary Ways" out of my head. If you like these other bands then this line up is great. I'd love a chance to see how they collaborate and some behind the scenes stuff on how Rhyes (spelling) worked with these other artists and how his collaborative procesess work. I also secretly wonder if he's hip to other projects out there outside this genre like Dream Theater? Well, if you like Pretty or Vocal Trance music this is for you. It has a more poppy flavor than the Energizer Bunny Trance sounds and is definately more loungy. Enjoy it.

Average customer rating:

THIS AND KARMA
Very Nice Indeed!
Great Album, but no Great Sequel

Extraordinary Ways
Conjure One
Manufacturer: Nettwerk
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | International | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000A7Q25U
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Tracks:

Endless Dream
Face the Music
Pilgrimage
One Word
I Believe
Beyond Being
Extraordinary Ways
Dying Light
Forever Lost
Into the Escape

Customer Reviews:

THIS AND KARMA.......2005-09-08

I' ve been a fan of Fulber since the early times and still I am, even considering that his style is dramatically different now. Some dark beats and nearly operatic vocals (especially on tracks 3 and 8) are reminiscent of Karma but the depth and general tone are obviously more similar to those of the first Conjure one album. There are a few poppish tracks but with that "special touch" making them much more appealing. Considering also all delerium albums I must say that this one and Karma are my favorites. The reason is that all their other works seemed to me like a mere collection of (beautiful) songs, without a particular global meaning or cohesion, here the tracks are really made to work together, the lyrics and even the titles of the songs melt together to create a whole personal vision. Make sure you listen to it from start to finish, that' s really a different experience.

Very Nice Indeed!.......2005-09-08

Rather more upbeat than the original self-titled album, and even more fluid and digestible (with the possible exception of "I believe", which made me want to stab myself in the eyes with a blunt object). The lyrics for "Endless Dream" are simply fabulous, as is the piano sub-melody in "Pilgrimage" (which fortunately develops enough to cover the high creep-factor frog croaking effects that initiate the song). I'll also readily admit that I already have a soft spot for "Extraordinary Ways"; there's really nothing that makes me want to turn up the volume more than a simple, heartfelt message set to beautiful chords. Overall: it's getting good play time on my iPod.

Great Album, but no Great Sequel.......2005-09-04

I can't say this album isn't good. It is. In it's own style. It's a "POPier" and "ROCKier" album, instead of the first one. There are still a pair of songs that continues the exotic feel of Conjure One: "Face the Music" - with great landscape sounds - and Dying Light - a calm and sweet positively strange song. Even the cheap but efective "Extraordinary Ways" has some merit...And "Forever Lost" has a really good vocal melody but i think it was so poorly worked - it could have been a major one. "Conjure One", the first album, was so good, so really good - there isn't a song i dislike. All those beautiful and powerfull sounds - remember "Damascus", so simple and so strong, "Tidal Pool", when you could feel the pool itself, "Years", that i love so much, the strange "Manic Star" and the superb "Center of the Sun"; and "Pandora", powerful. Where are these kind of songs in this album? The answer - they're not.
"Pilgrimage", "Beyond Being" and "Into the Escaping" tries to follow "Years" and "Pandora", but so poorly...so really poorly. They are monotonous, repetitive and boring...
So...even though i was hugely disappointed, i must say this album is very good for those who love Rock and Pop Rock - to those fans "Endless Dream", "Extraordinary Ways", "I Believe", "One Word", "Forever Lost"...they will all be appreciated.
I have hopes in their next realese...I Know that Rhys wanted to do a more introspective album than a exotic album...but for me...this is not my wish...
(Sorry my bad english)

Rap Music:

Rap Music

rap music

Recommended Music:

X-Plicit House [Import]

Eberhard Waechter

Country

Music: Lucia Di Lammermoor

Free [Import]

Gifted: Women of the World

I Will Sing

Christmas Celebration

Country Gospel: Wings of a Dove [Import]

Carabali

Crappy Old Sh*t

Helio

Club Hits 2000, Vol. 2

Cover to Cover

The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 2