The Black Light

Amazon.com
The perfect soundtrack for a summer roadtrip in an old car across Death Valley. Calexico's musical textures are woven out of a dazzling array of instruments and styles, including mariachi trumpets, countrified pedal steel, Latin jazz percussion, and carnival organ, just to name a few. The songs move at siesta speed, casually looping and loping along, never getting overheated. Bandmates Joey Burns and John Convertino have their hands in so many musical pies--including projects with OP8, Giant Sand, Victoria Williams, Giant Sand, and Richard Buckner--one wonders how they find the time to create the sun-soaked music of Calexico. But thank God they have. --Tod Nelson

NME
It's a fraught, yet compelling trip: part spaghetti Western part inner soundscape.... "Gypsy's Curse" sets the tone with portentous twanging, while short links like "Where Water Flows" and "Stray" alternate moments of calm with hip-swinging malice.... All told, Calexico may look like a one-horse town we've been to before, but it's still worth a visit.

The Black Light,Calexico,Quarter Stick,Alternative Pop/Rock,Americana,Indie Rock,Pop,Popular Music,Post-Rock/Experimental,Rock,Rock/Pop

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The Black Light

Average customer rating:

Under the Black Light Manufacturer: Warner/Reprise/Maverick ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Challengers The Reminder Icky Thump Zeitgeist Our Love to Admire ASIN: B000QUUE1Y Release Date: 2007-08-21

Tracks:

1. Silver Lining
2. Close Call
3. Moneymaker
4. Breakin' Up
5. Under the Blacklight
6. Dreamworld
7. Dejalo
8. 15
9. Smoke Detector
10. Angels Hung Around
11. Give a Little Love

Average customer rating: Borland is back with a vengeance. Amazing, The melodies are indeed cruel Borland rocks black light burns

Cruel Melody Black Light Burns Manufacturer: I AM: Wolfpack ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Industrial | Goth & Industrial | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Alt Industrial | Industrial Dance General | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Eat Me, Drink Me Year Zero HELLYEAH Vena Sera Era Vulgaris ASIN: B000OZ2BQ2 Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

1. Mesopotamia
2. Animal
3. Lie
4. Coward
5. Cruel Melody
6. The Mark
7. I Have a Need
8. 4 Walls
9. Stop a Bullet
10. One Of Yours
11. New Hunger
12. I Am Where It Takes Me
13. Iodine Sky

Album Description

He's been a) an underground metal mercenary, abetting the likes of brainy young upstarts From First to Last and He Is Legend, b) a fearless visual artist whose unsettling images will appear on his forthcoming CD, and most famously c) the chameleonic lead guitarist for Limp Bizkit, who have sold over 30 million records worldwide. Now, for Wes Borland's next trick, he's putting on the guise of frontman, leading both a studio and live supergroup to even darker depths as Black Light Burns. And the new look suits him well. Borland has flirted with his big post-LB breakthrough on and off over the last five years, first with the idiosyncratic Big Dumb Face, then with his brother Scott in Eat the Day before hooking up with bassist Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails) and drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle) in proto-industrial powerhouse the Damning Well, whose crushing Underworld soundtrack contribution "Awakening" featured Richard Patrick (Filter, Army of Anyone) on vocals. Now Borland has taken Lohner, Freese and sound designer Josh Eustis (Telefon Tel Aviv) to super-producer Ross Robinson's upstart I AM: WOLFPACK label and delivered Black Light Burns' harrowing debut, Cruel Melody, 180 degrees from what you think you know about the eccentric axeman. From the post-Ramones surf rock freakout of opener "Mesopotamia" and the slow-build confessional spit of "I Have a Need" to the introspective, epic closing tandem "New Hunger" and "I Am Where It Takes Me" (the latter featuring the smoky siren call of Concrete Blonde's Johnette Napolitano), Cruel Melody is one hell of a curveball. "For the most part, [the record's] more about melody," Borland says. "It's a big drums record, because Josh Freese goes bananas. A lot of it was thought about in terms of beats and attacking the songs beatwise. And the riff kind of followed second to that, if it was appropriate. "The record starts real aggressively, but toward the middle it gets a little more hurtful and hurting, lyrically, trying to express painful feelings, but still in an aggressive way. Then it kind of opens up in the end. And that was the purpose: to attack, then explain, then release and be done with it." Cruel Melody was originally going to be an esoteric, dirge-heavy solo project with a variety of singers, but as Borland started writing heavier material, he finally decided to take the reins behind the mike. It didn't hurt that he got inspiration not only from Lohner, who doubled as the album's producer, but Lohner's famous former employer. "I was talking to Trent Reznor, playing him these tracks in their infancy," Borland remembers. "And he said, `You're singing like somebody's sleeping in the next room. You should try to open that up.' You know, it's really easy to do cool electronic music that's instrumental and put soft vocals over it, but it's a lot harder to write actual songs and have them hit people." With Cruel Melody locked and loaded, Borland's planning an evocative new onstage persona for Black Light's maiden voyage, boasting a live band with guitarist Nick Annis (Seether), drummer Marshal Kirpatric (Today Is the Day, the Esoteric) and, for now, a laptop to wreak ambient havoc. ("Screw it," he laughs, "there's a computer in the band.") In the interim, he's just striving to perfect his unique approach to making art. "The paintings and the music kind of chase one another, trying to keep up with some other third element that's the idea," Borland considers. "It's almost like when you see a little flash in the corner of your eye and you're not sure what it was. My music and visual art is me trying to look really fast to see what that third thing was. I'm always trying to hit this place that gives me some satisfaction."

Customer Reviews:

Borland is back with a vengeance........2007-07-06

Wes Borland was the most talented member of Limp Bizkit. His guitar work was what held that band together. When I was still in high school, I was into LB because all my friends thought they were awesome. They had their place, I guess. They wrote some catchy songs that sounded good at parties, but things got worse with each album, until they became a joke with Results May Vary.

After toying with some side projects such as Big Dumb Face, which was actually a pretty good cd despite the obvious potty humor and outlandish themes, Borland has burst back on the scene with this new band.

Black Light Burns has talented musicians on board. Guys that were previously in Nine Inch Nails. On many songs, you can catch a NIN vibe, but although these guys are industrial, they incorporate many other heavy music styles to invent a new sound. There are sprinkles of classic LB-sounding riffs, there are elements of grunge, classic metal, and other genres.
The entire cd has blown me away, and it has quickly made it's way into my heavy cd rotation. Lots of variety, plenty of hooks, and Wes actually has a good voice for this kind of music. Check out the songs, "Lie" and "The Mark" and those should give you an idea of what to expect. Great album. I like it better than the new NIN.

Amazing,.......2007-07-02

This really is an amazing album. It's really a great direction for rock, and for Borland, who has always been underrated due to his time in that horrible biscuit band.

Anyways, this album really shows off his strengths as a guitarist, and his often smart songwriting capabilities.

My only real complaint is that this isn't Big Dumb Face. BDF holds a special place in my heart, and it saddens me that we may never get another album from such a great project.

The melodies are indeed cruel.......2007-06-25

Having little success with Big Dumb Face and Eat The Day, in addition to Limp Bizkit ending up in shambles, Wes Borland has brought forth a rousing gothic endeavor. Bafflingly, he passed on opportunities joining respectable bands Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle, but Black Light Burns sounds like it could be influenced from either band. Perhaps Borland wanted something he could have more control of? This could be the case, since he handles vocals, guitar, bass, programming, percussion, synths, piano, rhodes, violin, cello, and even drums (on just one song, "I Am Where It Takes Me"). Black Light Burns is also Danny Lohner (producer, additional guitar, additional bass, programming, sound design), Josh Freese (drums, percussion), and Josh Eustice (synths, sound design). Both Lohner and Freese have Nine Inch Nails ties, so it's no surprise Cruel Melody has a few similarities to the `Nails sound.

The vocals fit the style of music well - they're gritty, gloomy, and dark - although sometimes monotonous. At times Borland is Marilyn Manson-esque (but not sounding as deep or corpse-like), and at other times he is Trent Reznor-esque. As expected, he brings catchy riffs, along with a handful of solos which are carefully placed and not overdone. Drums and percussion both aggressively attack and calmly lull, and the programming adds electronic flavor. Give Wes Borland's Black Light Burns a chance, because you may be surprised with what a face-painted rocker can bring to the table.

Borland rocks.......2007-06-23

I used to hate Limp Bizkit back when they were popular. I was a NIN/Marilyn Manson fan and hated anything that was rap-related. Even though I kept telling myself that Bizkit sucked,.. I always listened to them on the radio. The music itself was actually pretty good and full of energy that made you want to punch out your car windows.

Fast forward to 2007 and I'm taking music less seriously now. It's just entertainment and it's stupid to be a snob and gauge intelligence based on what music someone listens to. I ended up buying the first three Bizkit albums and I like them alot.

I'm a Borland fan, not a Durst fan.

Black Light Burns "Cruel Melody" is pretty good. It has a lot of NIN influence,.. but Borland still works the awesome guitar riffage. It's strange to hear Borland singing,.. as I'm so used to him being the silent one who speaks with guitar. His vocals need to be pushed to the limits while on tour for him to grow in that department. His vocals aren't bad, they just need some exercise and flexing.

I can't wait for the next album.

black light burns.......2007-06-23

My curiosity got the best of me when I bought this cd. Knowing that Josh Eustis and Danny Lohner lended a hand in the final product was most likely the biggest factor that led me to buy the cd, seeing how both are A Perfect Cicle collaborators. This is a solid first effort overall, the only song I did not like was the opener, Mesopatamia, but the rest of the songs were all strong. Overall, this is a noticeable first release by guitarist/vocalist Wes Borland.

Average customer rating: A Doorway Into Darkness Wow Do Not "Passover" absolutely great The sound of potential

Passover The Black Angels Manufacturer: Light In The Attic ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Neo-Psychedelia | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Black Angels Carnavas Baby 81 Return to Cookie Mountain (with Bonus Tracks) You in Reverse ASIN: B000EPF76S Release Date: 2006-04-11

Tracks:

1. Young Men Dead
2. The First Vietnamese War
3. The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven
4. The Prodigal Sun
5. Black Grease
6. Manipulation
7. Empire
8. Better Off Alone
9. Bloodhounds on My Trail
10. Call to Arms

Amazon.com

Every now and again a band capable of not just capturing the spirit of a bygone era but portraying it with uncanny authenticity and accuracy arrives, and in an era where music lovers seem increasingly ravenous for psychedelic-inflected rock, Austin's the Black Angels are precisely that act. Following on the heels of their recent Turn On, Tune In, Drone Out EP, the quintet transports listeners to a land of napalm-bright LSD flashbacks with an elegantly unholy sound that proves both eerie and ethereal. "Young Men Dead" and "The Sniper at the Gates of Heaven" walk the line between celebratory dance and grief-filled dirge. These tracks unnerve the conscious mind with unsettling drones and vocals that seem to have emerged from some parallel universe where the struggle, strife, promise, and even the seedy underbelly of the Love Generation lives on in each primal drum beat and louder-than-loud bent note from a guitar that could not have been built anywhere on Earth, but has been drenched with the sweat and blood of a generation on the verge of either victory or collapse. If there is an act in American popular music with a future brighter and vaster than the cosmos, the Black Angels are it. --Jedd Beaudoin

Customer Reviews:

A Doorway Into Darkness.......2007-06-01

Droning dirges, dark lyrics, desolation, heavy psychedelia... if this is your cup of tea, you will love The Black Angels. Their music evokes a sense of deterioration, a sense of longing, and yet, somehow, a sense of hope. They present a musical vision of hell, and they play as if their lives depend upon finding their way out.

If The Black Angels sound so dire, why do I enjoy their music so much? I have to say it is because they connect with me on a level below that of conscious or rational thought, which leads to "letting go" while listening. They connect with me at gut level, with little or no pretense. The musical arrangements are simple, but beneath the simplicity lies complexity, found in the lyrics, in the reverb-laden production, in the overall sound of quiet desperation that suggests an inner determination to survive the roller-coaster of human emotions in one piece. The musicians present the listener with a universal sort of primal scream, and thus the music has become therapeutic for me with repeated listening.

According to the band credits in the CD, the organist plays "drone machine". From what I could tell when I saw this group play live recently, that is an apt description. Adding to the drone, one band member played an electric sitar. The whole of the sound is very psychedelic, stripping away outer layers of emotions to reveal something much deeper and heavier: reality. The band provides a doorway into darkness. It's like they are describing an emotional worst-case scenario, or a bad trip... but the listener is left with a feeling that maybe life isn't as bad as all that, or that "this too shall pass".

Take a long drive at night, and put this CD in your player. Embrace the darkness of the Black Angels, and be uplifted!

Wow.......2007-05-25

You would think a band that sounds like so many others (BRMC, Dead Meadow, Warlocks, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Spacemen 3) and doesn't really do anything extraordinary musically on its debut full-length would be destined to fail.

Then along come The Black Angels to prove you wrong.

Relying almost entirely on one tempo (plodding), one sound (fuzzy) and one style (60s psych rock filtered through the blues) would seem so plain in any other band's hands, but The Black Angels provide enough youhtful vigor and earnestness in what it is doing to completely floor you.

From start to finish (even on the 'lackluster' cuts like First Vietnamese War and Better Off Alone) The Black Angels pull you up by the nostrils and then drag you through a nigthmarish world that is oh-so-scary because it is real, it is now, and it is here.

Young Men Dead, Sniper at the Gates of Heaven, The Prodigal Sun, Black Grease and Manipulation are great songs sure to stand the test of time. That song about the Vietnam War (One, two, three what are we fightin for....) is good but dates itself; The Blacks Angels deal in pointed criticisms that are vague enough to make sense now or the next time the United States decides to play schoolyard bully and push some poor people around.

The political messages coupled with classic scuzzy blues-based rock mesh into one fine album. Chalk me up for first in line when the next album by The Black Angels comes out.

Do Not "Passover".......2007-04-20

What a wonderful and creative debut. Bottom line: If Jim Morrison were alive today, this is the band he would be in. Be sure to catch them live, they sound great.

absolutely great.......2007-04-04

I really really love this cd.. But If you are not a fan of Psychidelic rock music then this may not be for you.. But if you do! Then i would definetly recommend this cd

The sound of potential.......2007-03-27

There are things that I adore about this record. Overall, the sound is amazing. Big, reverberating, clangy and stoned. The playing is top notch, but it's the lyrics that sometimes make me roll my eyes. While I appreciate a good anti-war song as much as anyone, some of the wording here is just a little corny. I chalk it up to the fact that The Black Angels are a very young band, and just go along for the ride. If these guys keep it up, they have the potential to become one of the best bands around.

Oh yeah- almost every song reminds me of either "The End" or "The Unknown Soldier" by the Doors, but hey, that's not a bad thing.

Average customer rating: What we Want!! very disappointing The Black Light Feel good music...sort of. one of the most distinctive and traditional styles of the era

The Black Light Calexico Manufacturer: Quarter Stick ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Experimental Rock | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Keep It Like a Secret Blacklisted Furnace Room Lullaby The Letting Go ASIN: B0000064B7 Release Date: 1998-05-19

Tracks:

1. Gypsy's Curse
2. Fake Fur
3. The Ride (Pt II)
4. Where Water Flows
5. The Black Light
6. Sideshow
7. Chach
8. Missing
9. Minas De Cobre (For Better Metal)
10. Over Your Shoulder
11. Vinegaroon
12. Trigger
13. Sprawl
14. Stray
15. Old Man Waltz
16. Bloodflow
17. Frontera

Amazon.com

The perfect soundtrack for a summer roadtrip in an old car across Death Valley. Calexico's musical textures are woven out of a dazzling array of instruments and styles, including mariachi trumpets, countrified pedal steel, Latin jazz percussion, and carnival organ, just to name a few. The songs move at siesta speed, casually looping and loping along, never getting overheated. Bandmates Joey Burns and John Convertino have their hands in so many musical pies--including projects with OP8, Giant Sand, Victoria Williams, Giant Sand, and Richard Buckner--one wonders how they find the time to create the sun-soaked music of Calexico. But thank God they have. --Tod Nelson

Customer Reviews:

What we Want!!.......2007-05-12

When we think of Calexico everyone can be asked what are your expectations? these guys are not going to fill your portable stereo with pop but the groove is more like that of the Jamaican reggae producers. I love this album, it's my 'haunt the room with desert' album and can see now what these guys contributed to Giant Sand.

very disappointing.......2007-04-05

This is boring, there is no theme, there are no highs and lows and the cd just aimlessly meanders.

I have seen Calexico on Austin City Limits and one of the late night talk shows (Leno? Letterman? Conan?). They were fascinating both visually and sonically. I have several live downloads and they put on a cool show. I made my own compilation and the disc is awesome.

This cd just does not do it for me. There are no bad songs on it but...there is hardly anything exciting, nothing really knocks my socks off.

This may be one of those bands that need to be experienced live rather than through the studio.

This hardly resembles the totally cool band I saw perform on Austin City Limits

The Black Light.......2006-03-10

Awesome, Awesome cd!! If you like slow instrumental music that has a mexican sound you'll adore this. The song Over Your Shoulder is by far my favorite, it was worth the money just for that song. There are some songs that have vocals as well. If you put the cd on it kind of just sweeps you to another place.

Feel good music...sort of........2006-02-19

This album just makes me feel great, not ecstatic and energized 'great', but rather soothed and contented 'great'. The music and lyrics evoke conflicts of the self with society and of the moment with eternity. They illustrate the perfection (by that I mean 'completeness', not necessarily 'flawlessness') of the seemingly simple, perhaps even mundane moments of life, while at the same time recognizing the immense world in which individual lives exist and the grand purpose that each life has. In doing so, the album explores frontiers, those places between humanity and the vast unfamiliar world where everything is strange and new, where there are seemingly endless possibilities and a man has obligations to no one but himself. That feeling of hope and purpose and independence and risk associated with a frontier is what feels so good when I listen to this album. Also, it just sounds really awesome.

one of the most distinctive and traditional styles of the era.......2005-10-15

Calexico, which was Giant Sand's rhythm section of bassist Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino, coined one of the most distinctive and traditional styles of the era.
The languid, introspective and touching mood of The Black Light (1998) relied on humble but eccentric orchestration and a hallucinated, oneiric take on mariachi music and Ennio Morricone's soundtracks. Austere but friendly, they sound like the equivalent of the Penguin Cafe` Orchestra for the Arizona desert.

Average customer rating: Another Immolation masterpiece Immolation: on the verge

Shadows in the Light Immolation Manufacturer: Century Media ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Icons of Evil The Apostasy In Sorte Diaboli Ithyphallic The Hinderers ASIN: B000OHZK3Q Release Date: 2007-05-08

Customer Reviews:

Another Immolation masterpiece.......2007-06-23

The new Immolation cd is another Immolation masterpiece. It's actually even better than Harnessing Ruin, and I love Harnessing Ruin. (as well as all of their albums) This effort seems to be a little more precise and focused than Harnessing. Also, the production and mix is a little more clear on this album. The results? This seems to be the most straight forward, to the point release so far. Kind of like Close To A World Below but the songs are all just under 4 minutes except for a few.

Another point to make is that even though this whole album seems more straight forward, they didn't lose any of their trademark Immolation songwriting ability whatsoever!It still has Bob's trademark riffing and their punishing,pummeling,Immolation whirlwind style.
It's really amazing how a band can still maintain their identity like this band has without becoming cheesy or corny or without completely changing their style.
This band is simply one of the best and most under-rated bands in all of extreme music. Highly recommended if you even just liked one of thier cd's.

Immolation: on the verge.......2007-06-12

I have to start by admitting that Immolation is one of my favorite bands: not for what they are, but for what they could be. If you listen closely to Shadows in the Light and its predecessor, Harnessing Ruin, you will find complex structures, memorable riffs, and Death Metal that is approaching a state of sophistication that other bands are not reaching.

The biggest negative Immolation is facing is their studio recording, production, and mixing. Oh, what I'd give to hear a Tue Madsen produced Immolation CD! Shadows in the light is slightly less muted and muddied than Harnessing Ruin, which is a plus. However, when you listen to Behemoth's Demigod or Kataklysm's latest, you will understand this point. Immolation just needs technical expertise to truly blast the world with superior DM.

I rated Shadows in the Light at 4 stars because of the production values. I rate Immolation as a band at 5.

Average customer rating: Available at retailers for about $18 A classic compilation A dis-service to Joplin Unique Great set

Scott Joplin: His Complete Works Manufacturer: Bescol ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music Serenades & Divertimentos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music | Divertimentos Intermezzos | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Contemporary | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Ragtime | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music Bargain Box Sets | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Bargain Box Sets | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Bargain Box Sets | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Opera & Vocal General | Opera & Vocal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music Similar Items: Complete Piano Music of Scott Joplin Entertainer: Classic Ragtime from Rare Piano Rolls Joplin: Treemonisha King of the Ragtime Writers Scott Joplin: Piano Rags ASIN: B000001RR2 Release Date: 1994-07-19

Tracks:

1. Please Say You Will - Richard Zimmerman
2. A Picture Of Her Face - Richard Zimmerman
3. The Great Crush Collision March - Richard Zimmerman
4. Harmony Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
5. Combination March - Richard Zimmerman
6. Original Rags - Richard Zimmerman
7. Maple Leaf Rag - Richard Zimmerman
8. Swipesy - Cake Walk - Richard Zimmerman
9. Sunflower Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
10. Peacherine Rag - Richard Zimmerman
11. Augustan Club Waltz - Richard Zimmerman
12. The Easy Winners - Richard Zimmerman
13. Cleopha - Richard Zimmerman
14. The Strenuous Life - Richard Zimmerman
15. I Am Thinking Of My Pickanniny Days - Richard Zimmerman
16. The Ragtime Dance - Richard Zimmerman
17. A Breeze From Alabama - Richard Zimmerman
18. Elite Syncopations - Richard Zimmerman

Tracks:

1. March Majestic - S. Joplin
2. The Entertainer - S. Joplin
3. Something Doing - S. Joplin
4. Weeping Willow - S. Joplin
5. Little Black Baby - S. Joplin
6. Palm Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
7. The Favorite - S. Joplin
8. The Sycamore - S. Joplin
9. The Cascades - S. Joplin
10. The Chrysanthemum - S. Joplin
11. Rosebud March - S. Joplin
12. Bethena - S. Joplin
13. Leola - S. Joplin
14. Sarah Dear - S. Joplin
15. Binks Waltz - S. Joplin
16. Eugenia - S. Joplin
17. Antoinette - S. Joplin
18. Snoring Sampson - S. Joplin

Tracks:

1. Gladiolus Rag - S. Joplin
2. Searchlight Rag - S. Joplin
3. The Nonpareil (None to Equal) - S. Joplin
4. When Your Hair Is Like The Snow - S. Joplin
5. Rose Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
6. Heliotrope Bouquet - S. Joplin
7. School Of Ragtime - S. Joplin
8. Fig Leaf Rag - S. Joplin
9. Sugar Cane - S. Joplin
10. Pine Apple Rag - S. Joplin
11. Wall Street Rag - S. Joplin
12. Solace - S. Joplin
13. Pleasant Moments - S. Joplin
14. Country Club - S. Joplin
15. Paragon Rag - S. Joplin
16. Euphonic Sounds - S. Joplin
17. Stoptime Rag - S. Joplin
18. Felicity Rag - S. Joplin

Tracks:

1. Highlights From Treemonisha - Richard Zimmerman
2. A Real Slow Drag - Richard Zimmerman
3. Prelude To Act 3 - Richard Zimmerman
4. Frolic Of The Bears - Richard Zimmerman
5. Lovin' Babe - Richard Zimmerman
6. Scott Joplin's New Rag - Richard Zimmerman
7. Kismet Rag - Richard Zimmerman
8. Magnetic Rag - Richard Zimmerman
9. Reflection Rag - Richard Zimmerman
10. Silver Swan Rag - Richard Zimmerman
11. Lily Queen - Richard Zimmerman
12. Sensation - Richard Zimmerman

Customer Reviews:

Available at retailers for about $18.......2006-12-21

Excellent collection - but there are re-sellers listed here that are selling this for as much $50 or $60. Yikes, most major retailers are selling this complete set for $18 - so beware.

A classic compilation.......2006-10-07

This collection is one of my most treasured possessions. (My father gave me the original 5-album set in the 70's when it was originally released on vinyl.)

This is the definitive collection of Scott Joplin's work. Richard Zimmerman provides wonderful performances that accurately reflect Joplin's intentions. (As evidence beyond my personal opinion, I submit the recent releases of digital recordings made from Joplin's piano rolls.)

A few points to consider regarding negative comments you may encounter in other reviews:
* This is a digital recording from an analog master. Lack of quality in the recording does not imply a lackluster performance.
* This is a complete collection. Some similarity is due to Joplin re-exploring melodic themes. But some is due to the fact that these are "rags". One might as well complain that all 50's doo-wop (or all 70's disco) sounds the same.
* Many pieces of the period exhibit formal musical structures, such as the marches of John Phillips Sousa. (Both Sousa and Joplin performed at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.) Actually, Joplin is responsible for extending the formal boundaries of ragtime to concert waltzes (Bethena) and opera (A Guest of Honor, Treemonisha)
* This is probably one of the few collections which will include selections from "Treemonisha". It is my understanding that after the initial release, one of Joplin's descendants made a copyright claim that was upheld in court. (I presume the issue was that Joplin had to finance "Treemonisha" himself, and therefore the customary performance clearances did not cover those selections.)

For ragtime students and enthusiasts, this is a "must-have" collection at a very affordable price.

A dis-service to Joplin.......2006-02-01

Sadly, the only virtue this set possesses is completeness.

The pianist does not play Joplin's pieces "as written", the piano is of poor quality, and not properly in tune.

This is emphatically NOT the set to buy. A far better set, beautifully annotated and well played on a good concert grand piano, is the complete works played by Guido Nielsen on the Basta Label.

This set is a dis-service to Joplin and his music. He deserves better, and gets it elsewhere.

Unique .......2004-10-19

I have several cd sets of Joplin's music: Rifkin, Arpo, Nielsen, and Zimmerman. All have their excellent qualities. What sets Zimmerman's set apart is the inclusion of excerpts from Joplin's opera, Treemonisha---especially "A Real Slow Drag." Why the other sets do not include excerpts from Treemonisha, I don't know---because they are some of his most beautiful and joyful pieces of music. Of course, you can hear the orchestrated version of Treemonisha in the Houston Grand Opera recording, and it is spectacular. But Zimmerman's piano version, especially of "A Real Slow Drag," is not to be missed.

Great set.......2001-10-16

I guess this will be a rather one sided review. I have been a fan of Scott Joplin since I first learned to play a piano.

I was shocked to see that one reviewer thought it all sounded the same. How silly. All of Frank Sinatra's music sounds like Frank Sinatra. All of Led Zeppelin sounds like Led Zeppelin. So, if the songs were drastically different, I would question if the same author composed them. As it is, though, each song on this set is fantastic!!

I don't know that I have heard of Richard Zimmerman, and I was a little leary as to what I would be getting, I certainly was impressed. Without a doubt the best renditions of "Weeping Willow" and "Bethena" I have heard, and at least a dozen songs I didn't know Joplin wrote.

Without a doubt, this album is fantastic. A very good price, as well.

Average customer rating: Excellent intro to Foster and Sousa march review

Stories Of Foster And Sousa Manufacturer: Vox (Classical) ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Offenbach | Offenbach, Jacques | ( O ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Sousa | Sousa, John Philip | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Marches | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Folk General | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Story Of Johann Strauss In Words And Music The Story Of Brahms Story Of Verdi In Words And Music The Story of Tchaikovsky The Story Of Handel ASIN: B000001KDF Release Date: 1995-04-16

Tracks:

1. Old Folks At Home
2. Oh ! Susanna
3. Old Black Joe
4. Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
5. My Old Kentucky Home
6. Old Folks At Home
7. Camptown Races
8. Massa's In De Cold, Cold Ground
9. Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming
10. Beautiful Dreamer
11. The Stars And Stripes Forever
12. The Crusader
13. Offenbach: La Vie Parisienne
14. The Belle Of Chicago
15. The Gladiator
16. Semper Fidelis
17. Washington Post
18. High School Cadets
19. The Thunderer
20. Semper Fidelis
21. Washington Post
22. Hands Across The Sea
23. El Capitan
24. Stars And Stripes Forever
25. Semper Fidelis
26. Washington Post March
27. The Thunderer
28. High School Cadets
29. El Capitan

Customer Reviews:

Excellent intro to Foster and Sousa.......2007-02-25

This is a tremendous value considering the price and the number of tracks that you get. The renditions are not bad, but I have heard better Foster. There is a lot of narration, which makes this a great teaching tool to introduce Foster and Sousa. The narration is a bit more for Foster than Sousa. Some of the Foster songs seem to be cut a little short, giving you what is really more of a sampler than a rich collection of complete Foster songs. The Sousa marches seem to be a little longer and don't have quite as much narration. Even though both men were well known American composers, their type of music was quite different, so it's kind of an odd paring on this album. It's a pleasant listen, but not a "must have" item unless you don't have much Foster or Sousa in your music collection; it's a good starter album. Great for kids who might be interested in learning about these two famous composers.

march review.......2001-05-10

this cd gas a great selection of music on it. the sound of the music is perfectly clear and i definately reccomend it. it is an ideal disc for all march fans. two of the greatest american composers on one disc. this is also a great deal considering the amount of songs on this disc. definately but this cd.

Average customer rating: Outstanding Incredible..Worth 30 stars Superb singing matched with superb arrangements Beautiful music Beautiful Music, Yet There Is No There Here

Blue Wheat Stephen Foster , John , American Traditional , Spiritual Traditional , and Dale Warland Singers Manufacturer: American Choral ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Foster, Stephen | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Harvest Home Christmas With the Dale Warland Singers Cathedral Classics December Stillness Christmas Echoes, Vol. 1 ASIN: B000003M4T Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

1. Oh, Shenandoah (Traditional)
2. He's Goin' Away (Traditional)
3. Skip To My Lou (Traditional)
4. Steal Away (Spiritual)
5. Wayfarin' Stranger (Traditional)
6. Soldier, Soldier Won't You Marry Me? (Traditional)
7. Pretty Saro (Traditional)
8. Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
9. Black Is The Color (Traditional)
10. Red River Valley 9 (Traditional)
11. Nelly Bly (Stephen Foster)
12. My Lord, What A Mornin' (Spiritual)
13. Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair (Stephen Foster)
14. Hard Times Come Again No More (Stephen Foster)
15. Single Girl (Traditional)
16. Deep River (Spiritual)
17. Buffalo Gals (Cool White [John Hodges])
18. The Water is Wide (Traditional)
19. Black Sheep (African-American lullaby)

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-06-06

Robert De Cormier's remarkable arrangement and Marie Spar Dymit's and Lynette Johnson's pure vocals of "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" are well worth the price of the entire CD.

Incredible..Worth 30 stars.......2007-05-16

The Dale Warland Singers are my benchmark by which I judge all other choirs. The uniformity of sound, blend, and precise entrances, uniformity are incredible - almost inhuman. Excluding the all male Chanticleer from the roster, this was the finest choir in America. Now that they have broken up, buy all of their CD's you won't be disappointed!

Superb singing matched with superb arrangements.......2004-07-03

A project like this one inevitably highlights the skill of arrangers, and Dale Warland has selected some of the most talented anywhere. Most of these selections will be familiar to listeners, but I doubt most people have heard, for example, "Red River Valley" in Carol Barnett's haunting version here, and ditto for her magnificent "Deep River."

The disc opens with a spectacular, panoramic "Shenandoah" that takes maximum advantage of the Dale Warland Singers' refined sound, and things only get better (if that's possible). Other favorites are a cheery, fizzing "Nelly Bly" and Mark Keller's strong reworking of Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More."

Throughout the recording, the freshness of the arrangements is matched by the irresistible singing. This group is known for its outstanding performances and recordings, but this must be counted as one of their all-time best. The sound quality is terrific, capturing the gorgeous blend and precision of the group in a natural-sounding acoustic. Just stunning.

Beautiful music.......2003-07-03

I bought this CD after hearing a few of the recordings on our local NPR radio station. I was not disappointed in any of the selections. Very beautiful.

Beautiful Music, Yet There Is No There Here.......2003-01-13

The Dale Warland Singers (DWS) are among the relatively few musical professionals, who by their aesthetic standards and demonstrated artistry, have taken the less traveled and narrow road to exemplary artistic excellence.

The sound quality and acoustics are excellently engineered in this 20-bit original recording. The most delicately blend and inflection of the singers' voice can be heard. This sheaf of choral works has once existed in real space and time in the kaleidoscopic folklife of past generations. In recording the "Blue Wheat", the 40-member DWS, the creme de la creme of professional choral ensembles, has elevated the common oral tradition of American folk music into a rarified choral art form a capella "in the style of the chapel."

If the soul of the DWS is a capella singing, then Warland and the arrangers are the wings of the same soul. Among the kapellmeisters whose arrangements have graced this folksong anthology are the late Norman Luboff and Roger Wagner. Also included in this album are contemporary arrangements by other esteemed composers: John Rutter (conductor of The Cambridge Singers), Carol Barnett (the DWS resident composer from 1992 to 2001), and Stephen Paulus.

Gertrude Stein is famous for saying of her childhood home, Oakland, California, "When you get there, there's no there there." Purportedly, Stein opined this city by the San Francisco Bay lacked a defining sense of place. Bel canto notwithstanding, the folk melodies of "Blue Wheat" invoke a longing for something no longer possible. The abyss between the America today and the its past is impossible to bridge. Already, we have yielded to the abstractness of political correctness. Our past is either neglected, actively destroyed, or selectively museumed. We do not live in an understood land and culture. There is no there here in the presence of this music. It is only the poignancy of the moment that these beautifully rendered tunes live in our mind. We have to accept this reality as part and parcel of our rootlessness.

If the Oakland Raiders do make it to and win the Superbowl in 2003, there is a there there for some in the football community, albeit fleeting.

Average customer rating: An uplifting musical antidepressant and faith restorer AWESOME If you want a foot-stompin' and soul-stirrin' experience ...

Gospel's Greatest Hits Various Artists Manufacturer: Light Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Compilations | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Gospel Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 Gospel's Greatest Hits, Vol.4 Gospel's Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 Gospel's Top 20 Songs of the Century Living the Gospel: Gospel Greats ASIN: B000004805 Release Date: 1994-03-29

Tracks:

1. So Good - The Williams Brothers
2. Jesus Is Lord - Andrae Crouch
3. Goin' Up Yonder - Walter Hawkins And The Love Center Choir
4. Tomorrow - The Winans
5. Cross That River - L.A. Mass Choir
6. Two Wings - The Christianaires
7. Soon & Very Soon - Andrae Crouch & The Disciples
8. Be Grateful - Walter Hawkins
9. I'm Ready To Serve The Lord - Donald Malloy
10. My Soul Has Been Anchored - Douglas Miller
11. Uphold Me - The Winans
12. O' The Blood - The New Jersey Mass Choir
13. Wonderful - Beau Williams
14. (Ain't No Devil Hell Gonna Walk On) The Jesus In Me - Danniebelle Hall

Tracks:

1. It's Jesus In Me - The Clark Sisters
2. If My People - Commissioned
3. O Se Baba (Nigerian Praise) - Danniebelle Hall
4. Hold Up The Light - The New Jersey Mass Choir
5. Ordinary Just Won't Do - Commissioned
6. Everything Will Be Alright - Donald Malloy
7. Unspeakable Joy - Douglas Miller
8. He That Believeth - Chicago Mass Choir
9. No Cross, No Crown - Vickie Winans
10. That's When You Bless Me - La Mass Choir
11. We Shall Behold Him - Vickie Winans
12. Completely Yes - Sandra Crouch
13. Changed - Walter Hawkins & The Love Center Center Choir
14. It Won't Be Long - Andrae Crouch & The Disciples

Customer Reviews:

An uplifting musical antidepressant and faith restorer.......2004-08-09

These 2 CDs have helped me through some strange times. They have brought tears to my eyes and lifted me up. When ever a friend is going through a tough time, I get them this too. But then, if you want to party spiritually, this is GREAT for that too. This music makes me want to go to church on Sunday morning and whenever.

AWESOME.......2003-12-02

These cd's are uplifting. I can listen to them all day. My favorite is, "We Shall Behold Him", and "That's When You Bless Me."

If you want a foot-stompin' and soul-stirrin' experience ..........1999-04-01

. . . just throw these two CDs into the player and watch the Holy Ghost fire ignite. This wonderful compilation includes old favorites from Andrae Crouch, Walter Hawkins, the Clark Sisters, Vickie Winans and Douglas Miller. The two platters mix old school spirit with new school funk. My personal favorites--"He That Believeth" by the Chicago Mass Choir and "O Se Baba" by Danniebelle Hall. Both give new meaning to the phrase--PRAISE THE LORD!

Average customer rating: ***VERY GOOD*** Grossly Overhyped A Classic Metal Album Great Melodic Death Metal

Storm of the Light's Bane Dissection Manufacturer: The End Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Sweden | Scandinavia | Europe | International | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Somberlain Reinkaos In the Nightside Eclipse Enthrone Darkness Triumphant Rebirth of Dissection ASIN: B000FP2ZPI Release Date: 2006-06-27

Tracks:

1. At the Fathomless Depths
2. Nights Blood
3. Unhallowed
4. Where Dead Angels Lie
5. Retribution - Storm of the Lights Bane
6. Thorns of Crimson Death
7. Soulreaper
8. No Dreams Breed In Breathless Sleep

Tracks:

1. At the Fathomless Depths
2. Nights Blood
3. Unhallowed
4. Where Dead Angels Lie
5. Retribution - Storm of the Lights Bane
6. Feathers Fell
7. Thorns of Crimson Death
8. Soulreaper
9. No Dreams Breed In Breathless Sleep
10. Nights Blood
11. Retribution Storm of the Lights Bane
12. Elisabeth Bathori
13. Where Dead Angels Lie (demo version)
14. Antichrist
15. Son of the Mourning

Album Description

The ultimate re-issue of this timeless majestic black metal classic. Absolutely essential!!!

Customer Reviews:

***VERY GOOD***.......2007-06-06

do not be put off by my 3 stars. I really like this album and i think it is definately worth owning if you are into black/death metal
The only reason i didnt give it 3 or 4 stars is because i cant help but compare it to bands such as borknagar who have so much more musical scope. However this album does what it sets out to do..it has an atmosphere, it is heavy, it has subtle melody. I like the vocals,. There is a couple of short acoustic passages etc... adding to the album. It is quite limited however and could do with a bit of a wider spectrum of inspiration. i like this album and is worth owning.

Grossly Overhyped.......2007-01-02

1995 saw the beginning of the end for the Norwegian black metal movement, which, after reaching its creative peak in 1993/94 headed into a period of decline as Burzum and Mayhem had their careers disrupted by the death of Euronymous and Varg Vikernes' attendant legal difficulties, and the temporary silence of DarkThrone, Emperor and Enslaved. Immortal soldiered on with the excellent Battles in the North: but coming on the heels of the all time classic Pure Holocaust, it was something of a letdown, and was certainly not enough to maintain the scene's forward momentum by itself.

It was into this void that Dissection was trying to step, bringing with them impressive technical skills, an encyclopedic knowledge of several generations of metal history and riffing, and the will, or at least the desire, to reinvigorate the flagging fortunes of black metal by expanding on the genre's latent melodic potential while reintroducing the technical discipline of death metal. Some of it even works.

Storm of the Light's Bane is all over the map stylistically - a careful listener will detect influences from Iron Maiden, to Kreator, to Morbid Angel to early Immortal. In some ways, this is a strength, the variation (mostly) keeps the band from falling into any sort of songwriting formula (a problem that plagues many technically astute artists). At the same time, it prevents Dissection from developing a consistent aesthetic or any conceptual unity. The album's best track "Night's Blood," reinvigorates what is basically ripping death metal in the style of early Morbid Angel or first album Deicide with a darkly melodic turn worthy of classic Immortal or Enslaved. Unfortunately, this experiment is a one off, and the rest of the album consists of more straightforward melodic black metal tunes.

The best of these songs (which are very good, but by no means great) - "Unhallowed," "Retribution - Storm of the Light's Bane" and "Soulreaper" - make black metal of old school heavy metal by breaking openly harmonized riffs in the vein of Iron Maiden into longer phrases using black metal rhythmic technique. While they lack the inventiveness, classical phrasing and epic dynamic sense of Sacramentum or the expert pacing and clever use of texture found in the better works of late-model Immortal, these tracks are both successful and satisfying, at least on a superficial level. A couple of tracks, most notably the seemingly interminable "Thorns of Crimson Death," take an unfortunate detour into some of the worst defects of heavy metal and are dragged down by insipid, bouncy rock rhythms and sing-along kiddie metal choruses.

While Dissection display a mastery of a vast array of metal technique, Storm of the Light's Bane lacks any unifying concept beyond a surface aesthetic of stylized `complexity', as if the band never had any ambition beyond taking a basic black metal template and making it more technically aware. As a result, it has not stood the test of time as well as stylistically similar but more compositionally and conceptually expansive works like Sacramentum's Far Away From the Sun and Immortal's At the Heart of Winter have. Many will continue to praise this release out of nostalgia or ignorance, but it is perhaps better seen as a gateway to better music than as an essential pillar of the extreme metal pantheon.

A Classic Metal Album.......2006-12-29

Along with "The Somberlain", this record is simply one of the best extreme metal releases *ever* released. If you have never had a chance to hear Dissection, it can not recommend this record enough.

Great Melodic Death Metal.......2006-12-02

I picked this up because of the cover and the description from a metal music web site. I was not disappointed. The music is melodic yet chaotic, loud, obnoxious, speedy, all the good things one would expect from the genre including the "Cookie Monster" vocals. The bonus disc has a remixed version of the original release with an extra song thrown in, plus after the regular album plays, there are multiple bonus tracks. This is a great collection and introduction to their sound. The only problem is that their creative force just offed himself. He was released a while back after spending time in jail on a murder conviction. Made a sort of comeback, but abruptly stopped the band and killed himself. I can't help not thinking of all that crap as I listen to this. If that doesn't bother you, I recommend this as a great introduction to melodic death. Recommended.

Rap Music:

1. The Day After Yesterday
2. The Dreaming
3. The Power Station (CD & DVD) [Extra tracks]
4. The United States of America [Extra tracks]
5. The Very Best...and Beyond
6. There Goes Rhymin' Simon [Extra tracks] [Original recording remastered]
7. This Way [Enhanced]
8. Twenty Three Places
9. Up [Enhanced]
10. We Shall All Be Healed

Rap Music

rap music

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