Innocence & Despair

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
In the mid-1970s, Hans Fenger taught music in the Langley, British Columbia, school district, using an experimental method inspired equally by Brian Wilson and Carl Orff. Occasionally he would record his students in the school gymnasium--elaborate affairs involving more than 60 kids per session. The result is this compelling collection of semi-accidental genius. Picture the Shaggs and Danielson presiding over an elementary school assembly for shy kids, and you begin to understand how sweet, sincere, and slightly unsettling these recordings are. The Langley students perform their favorite 1960s and 1970s hits as if they never heard the originals; they turn "Mandy" into the kind of lo-fi pop song that Neutral Milk Hotel would perfect 20 years later, and sing "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" like a delegation of extraterrestrial children on a friendship mission to Earth. Fenger's arrangements are spacious but elaborate, with prominent Orff percussion instruments that coat everything with a glimmering otherworldliness. The Langley students must've been proud just to hear themselves on tape, but for those of us encountering these artifacts for the first time, it's impossible to come away unmoved. (The photographs are precious, too.) --Mike Appelstein

Product Description
Originally waxed for friends and families of a rural Canadian elementary/middle-school chorus, these mid-70s vanity recordings capture the joy, confusion, discovery and loneliness of childhood like few before. The production's serendipitous journey from thrift store to non-commercial radio to public release fully preserves the original lack of premeditation, and further highlights the distance these performances kept from any taint of commercial calculation. The sugarcoated cuteness one might reflexively expect from a children's music project is entirely absent. Rookie teacher Hans Fenger wedded elements of Carl Orff's pioneering music curriculum with contemporary hit songs, to forge an inventive, safe space for his young performers. The occasional rhythmic wobble or flubbed note is subsumed by the children's unbridled expressiveness and modulated by the Spectorian gymnasium acoustics. No one associated with

Innocence & Despair,The Langley Schools Music Project,Bar None Records,Pop,Pop/Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

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Innocence & Despair

Average customer rating: MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB DOES IT AGAIN BY BRINGING THE END OF THE INNOCENCE TO LIFE! Great album Don Henley - His Best Solo Album Decadence shattered Deja Vu All Over Again!

The End of the Innocence Don Henley Manufacturer: Geffen Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Oldies | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music $7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Classic Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Building the Perfect Beast Inside Job I Can't Stand Still Actual Miles: Henley's Greatest Hits Hell Freezes Over ASIN: B000000ORB Release Date: 1989-06-19

Tracks:

1. The End Of The Innocence
2. How Bad Do You Want It?
3. I Will Not Go Quietly
4. Last Worthless Evening
5. New York Minute
6. Shangri-La
7. Little Tin God
8. Gimme What You Got
9. If Dirt Were Dollars
10. The Heart Of The Matter

Customer Reviews:

MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB DOES IT AGAIN BY BRINGING THE END OF THE INNOCENCE TO LIFE! .......2007-07-12

I will be writing a review on the legendary historic landmark album entitled "THE END OF THE INNOCENCE" by one of Rock's all-time greatest icons ever. I give you one of America's pride and joy's, M-R. D-O-N H-E-N-L-E-Y! "THE END OF THE INNOCENCE" was originally released in 1989 on Compact Disc on the Geffen Records label which is distributed by MCA Distributing Corporation. I own this legendary album in the ORIGINAL MASTER RECORDING in the ULTRADISC II series by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. If possible, I would highly recommend purchasing this legendary album in the MFSL series because the sound quality is out of this world and is nothing but incredible. The MFSL release brings you a sound that you do not hear on the regular CD release. As always, if I hear any new additional information concerning this legendary album or the artist, I will edit this review immediately so that you the consumer will get the overall best informative and most accurate review possible.

DON HENLEY will forever go down in Rock n' Roll history and be remembered for composing and recording some of Rock's all-time greatest sacred anthems ever. Along with that, HENLEY was also one of the orignal founding members of one of Rock's most all-time greatest and beloved bands ever, T-H-E E-A-G-L-E-S! Following the break-up of THE EAGLES, HENLEY would set out and venture on his own with his own solo career which would prove to be extremely successful. Up to this very day, out of all of THE EAGLES' members, DON HENLEY'S solo career would prove to be the most successful. In 1982, HENLEY would release his first solo album to highly critically acclaim entitled "I CAN'T STAND STILL" featuring the worldwide smash hit song "Dirty Laundry." Following this album, HENLEY would establish himself as a legendary solo artist to be reckoned with while releasing many more great albums containing hit songs such as "Boys Of Summer," "All She Wants To Do Is Dance," "Not Enough Love In The World" and "Sunset Grill." As the 1980's were drawing near to a close, HENLEY wanted to record an album that would reflect and simply sum up the corrupted world of Politics, Lawyers and everyday love in the 80's. In 1989, DON HENLEY would do just that with the release of "THE END OF THE INNOCENCE." In this album, HENLEY would go all out and tell it the way it is with his most powerful lyrics translated into sound and music. HENLEY would also have many legendary artists that would contribute their talents in this album. Legendary artists such as Bruce Hornsby, Danny Kortchmar, Patty Smyth, W. Axl Rose, Jim Keltner, Ivan Neville, Sheryl Crow and J.D. Souther to name a few, would add their own personal touches to this album giving it a life of its very own. "THE END OF THE INNOCENCE" is without a doubt, HENLEY'S best work. In my opinion, "THE END OF THE INNOCENCE" is without a doubt, a true testament of the brilliance and musical creativity of a masterminded genius. This legendary album is also a fine fitting tribute to a great legendary solo artist that is still truly indeed, far ahead of his time. "THE END OF THE INNOCENCE" is the tales in the life and times of DON HENLEY, his music is his story that speaks for itself.

It is now time to let the music of DON HENLEY to speak for itself and back it up by doing all of the talking musically as DON HENLEY originally truly intended for it to be listened to and heard. "THE END OF THE INNOCENCE" from 1989 begins with the beautifully slow, soothing and powerful Rock anthem "The End Of The Innocence," the drum pounding synthesized progressive Rocker "How Bad Do You Want It?," the a*s kicking Rocker "I Will Not Go Quietly," the beautifully slow acoustic synthesized mild Rocker "The Last Worthless Evening," the beautifully slow and soothing orchestrated and synthesized mild number New York Minute," the bass pounding funkish Rocker "Shangri-La," the Raggae Rocker "Little Tin God," the rugged and tough Progressive Rocker "Gimme What You Got," the music thumping and bass pounding Progressive Rocker "If Dirt Were Dollars" and the beautifully slow synthesized mild Rock anthem that pretty much sums up the 80's, "The Heart Of the Matter." May I also add a few personal notes and commend all of the legendary artists that contributed to this legendary album on a great job well done. I would also like to commend MR. DON HENLEY for gracing us with his beautifully stunning lead vocals while laying down the vocal tracks in the recording studio during the recording and making of this great album. WELL DONE GUYS!

I would like to highly recommend purchasing this legendary landmark album for everyone of all ages to own as a valuable and important part of his or her own personal music collection. This legendary priceless gem has already proven to stand the test of time and will always be around to be enjoyed, appreciated and cherished for many years to come, NOW AND FOREVER.

You may also want to research further into and check out the many other DON HENLEY albums as well as his greatest hits compilation albums that are widely available everywhere. You may also want to research further into and check out the numerous EAGLES albums available. In doing this, you will have chosen the album that is right for you and suits your musical tastes and needs. When this is accomplished, you will have taken a giant step in owning and beginning your very own personal DON HENLEY music collection. You can do all of your album researches and purchases either on Amazon com or at your nearest local Borders Books and Music store.

In closing, DON HENLEY has successfully continued in recording and releasing many more albums that were to come followed by his breathtaking world tours to sell-out audiences the world over up to this very day. If that wasn't enough, the members, including HENLEY, would reunite and regroup the legendary band, THE EAGLES for a series of live shows the world over to highly critically acclaim. However, it would be DON HENLEY who would prove to tour successfully as a solo artist to highly critically acclaim as well. Knowing this, I guess it is safe to say that DON HENLEY isn't going anywhere anytime soon. With this in mind, DON HENLEY has forever left his place and mark in Rock n' Roll history and his many contributions, accomplishments and achievements will never forgotten or denied. But DON HENLEY is not about to rest on his laurels just yet. DON HENLEY still has so much music that is bottled up and instilled inside of him that is just dying to come out. Knowing this, there will be many more new tales and stories in the DON HENLEY legend and legacy that will still need to be told and written in many pages and chapters. But that, my fellow readers and reviewers, you will just have to stay tuned and read further more about it at a later date. So here's to you DON. Thanks for the many great memories and moments with many more still yet to come. Keep Persevering. Keep The Faith. And as the saying goes, "AND THE REST IS ROCK N' ROLL HISTORY," need I say more? Thanks for reading my review and I truly hope that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have truly enjoyed writing it for your reading pleasure. I also deeply hope that you will continue in reading all of my other reviews in the near future when time permits. DON HENLEY RULES! THE EAGLES RULES! Long Live Rock n' Roll. Rock out always and take it easy. Forever in Rock, John L.

Great album.......2007-06-23

I bought this album when it came out, a friend of mine recommanded this one to me. I have to say that I still enjoy listening to it, every song a pleasure to listen to, no filler. Great from the beginning till the end. My favorite tracks are "The end of Innocence", "The last worthless evening", "New York minute" and "The heart of the matter". A very good addition to any cd collection.

Don Henley - His Best Solo Album.......2007-05-09

For me this album was Henley's high water mark as a solo artist. The album was another huge hit that spawned several big singles and propelled the album well beyond platinum status. This is one disc that deserved the sales in my opinion as every song on it is a winner. Henley's social, religious and political commentary has never been more prevalent, and whether you agree with his points of view or not, the subject matter is always thought provoking. Highlights of the disc include the opening title track which was co-written with Bruce Hornsby. Bruce's signature piano is the main instrument of this tale of lost innocence in the Regan years of the U.S. "I Will Not Go Quietly" is a rocking duet with Axle Rose from Guns And Roses. "The Last Worthless Evening" is a cool ballad that was a big hit. "New York Minute" was another big hit with great lyrics. "Little Tin God" is Henley's reggae-ish take on religion. "If Dirt Were Dollars" is another great lyric and one of the heavier rocking tunes on the disc. The last track "The Heart Of The Matter" is one of those relationship songs that came along at just the right time in my life. This song always brings me back to my turbulent 20's, and relationships gone badly. The lyrics pretty much reflected exactly what I was going through at the time, and it was like Henley got in my head and ripped this right out of my brain. He does this type of song as well as anybody in my opinion. Henley is once again supported by an all star cast of players. The music is never overly adventurous, but fits exactly what Henley was trying to get across in most cases. There are a few weak tracks here "How Bad Do You Want It?", "Shangri-LA", and "Gimmie What You Got" are all ok, but not up to the rest of the disc. Overall though this is a very enjoyable album and the best of Henley's solo career.

Decadence shattered .......2007-03-08

There is always a day of reckoning. As the 1980's drew to a close, Don Henley's conscience cracked wide open, leaving no alternative but exorcizing the demons that dominiated from the mid-70's forward. This was the end of the innocence.

The title track is an accomplishment in musicianship, but also a fine look at society's descent into shattered myths coupled with dreams destroyed. Great song for lying under a tree on a lazy summer day, wondering where it all went wrong.

" I Won't Go Quietly" is a fabulous duet with none other than Axl Rose. It seriously rocks. " If Dirt Were Dollars" is so direct the metaphors get lost. " The Heart of the Matter", the closing track, finds Henley melancholy, accepting equal parts sorrow and blame. It's an open invitation to put self aside in order to return some dignity.

A little philosphical, a lot melodic, this continues to stay fresh, almost twenty years later.

Deja Vu All Over Again!.......2006-12-14

The lyrics from the Reagan days are hauntingly applicable today!
Some of his greatest hits and some heavy unknown tunes are here. Highly recommended to anyone who loves thought-provoking classic rock and roll.

Average customer rating: 2007's Best Recording.....so far Stable as a rock, quiet as a whisper Good album but not the best by the Innocence Mission Songs of Unity and Friendship Holy

We Walked in Song The Innocence Mission Manufacturer: Badman Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: These Friends of Mine Befriended Now the Day Is Over Glow Discount Fireworks ASIN: B000M7FO8Y Release Date: 2007-03-13

Tracks:

1. Brotherhood Of Man
2. Happy Birthday
3. Love That Boy
4. Into Brooklyn, Early In The Morning
5. Lake Shore Drive
6. Song For Tom
7. Since I Still Tell You My Every Day
8. A Wave Is Rolling
9. Colors Of The World
10. Over The Moon
11. My Sisters Return From Ireland

Amazon.com

The Innocence Mission started out as something of a shoegazer band in the late 1990s, but midway through their life they've taken on an even more introspective and intimate tone. Like guitarist Don Peris's solo album, Go When the Morning Shineth, this sounds like it could have been recorded in somebody's parlor a century ago, with just Mike Bitts on basses and Karen and Don Peris on guitars and keyboards. And when I say keyboards, I don't mean synthesizers, but pump organs, Hammond organs, and piano, the instruments of bygone years. They often hover like dusty ghosts in the background of songs that read like diary entries. The most modern this album gets is a quaint, late '50s pop-ballad ambience on tunes like "Lake Shore Drive" and "Love That Boy," which sound like something Sandra Dee or Debbie Reynolds' would have sung--although they would never have allowed the fractured vulnerability revealed by Karen Peris. She has a voice with the fragility and sadness of a fallen autumn leaf, often intentionally breaking at the edges of her range. But We Walked in Song isn't an album of sadness--rather of quiet joy and peace of mind. The husband-and-wife team of Karen and Don Peris have been together since they were in high school, and most of Karen's songs reflect on their lives, relationships, and children. We Walked in Song isn't an album that leaps out and grabs you: it's a diary of autumnal moods that celebrates the small moments in life, and like life, quietly insinuates itself into yours. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

2007's Best Recording.....so far.......2007-07-07

The Innocence Mission have evolved to greatness. Starting with "Birds of my Neighborhood" the band took their "mission" in a new direction and began to document their personal lives in song with only minimal heartfelt musical arrangements. "Befriended" was indeed another triumph for the band and Karen Peris' lyrics took on new dimension and depth -- each song carefully crafted to evoke delicate emotion around joy, hope, and loss. "We Walked in Song" picks right up. The Peris' children are growing up and it is reported Karen Peris lost her father and it is all documented beautifully here in song -- "beautiful life, full of grieving" on one of the recordings best tracks "Into Brooklyn, Early in the Morning" sums up the skills of Peris' songwriting which always captures joy's partner, sorrow. The contribution of Don Peris can't be overlooked or minimized in any way for his guitar playing supports these beautiful lyrics is a way that can't be described but must be heard. "Lake Shore Drive" is vintage IM with the lyric "It seems the right time, to let go of the steep incline, of this day and to know you're mine, forever and I will be fine." All wrapped up in Don Peris gorgeous shimmering guitar playing. Hopefully fans will be lucky to hear from this band for years to come.

Stable as a rock, quiet as a whisper.......2007-07-01

Zo'n 3,5 jaar na Befriended is - afgezien van het kinderslaapliedjesalbum Now the Day Is Over (2004) - er nu We Walked In Song , waarop Karen Peris opnieuw 11 zelfgeschreven, herkenbare luisterliedjes zingt, manlief Don gitaar speelt en de spaarzame drums en het orgel erbij sleept en Mike Bitts de bas beroert.

Ten opzichte van vroegere albums als Glow is de muziek van meer art-folk/rocky al jaren teruggebracht tot krachtige eenvoud. Werd Karen Peris' vocalen en muziek in de beginjaren nogal eens vergeleken met Karen Bergquist's Over The Rhine , gaat de analogie niet meer op. Waar Befriended in het licht van het heengaan van Karens moeder stond, verhaalt We Walked in Song het verlies van haar vader (Brotherhood of Man, Over The Moon) en de liefde voor haar kinderen (Happy Birthday, Love That Boy). Introspecties over ontmoetingen, reizen, afscheid, terugkeer (My Sisters Return from Ireland, Into Brooklyn Early In The Morning, Since I Still Tell You My Every Day, A Wave Is Rolling). Peris & Bitts zullen nooit een slecht album maken; een kritische noot is het gebrek aan muzikale progressie. Muzikaal zijn de albums inwisselbaar, positief gesteld: zo klinkt de band!

Good album but not the best by the Innocence Mission.......2007-06-01

The Innocence Mission is one of those groups that, on certain occasion, I find their sound flawless (namely 'Birds of my Neighborhood'), which is why it was something of a let-down to hear the tracks of 'We Walked In Song'. While the songs are, as to be expected, beautiful, lyrically-rich and enjoyable to listen to, these songs just didn't blow me away as much as some of their earlier albums have. Just my 2 cents.

Songs of Unity and Friendship.......2007-05-29

Without a doubt, this is the Innocence Mission's most homogenic work to date. All of the songs are in the same mode, carry a similar tone, blend melodically and stylistically. Listen to the lyrics: Every single one of these songs is about Unity, or Friendship, or both.

Though the Innocence Mission really -can- rock out when they want to do so (e.g., Black Sheep Wall on their eponymous 1980s release), they CHOOSE not to in this offering. The orchestrations are simple, in line with past works Small Planes and Befriended. Karen Peris is largely unaccompanied, making much of the album feel like a delicious, confessional solo. If one were forced to name the music genre encapsulating all the tracks on this CD, it would be 'Folk'--and that would be correct, albeit an oversimplification. Nuanced and subtle, these songs are mellow in the extreme, but very surprising. How can that be?

The prior release from The Innocence Mission, Now The Day Is Over, was also very laid back. However, those tracks were Lullabies--one EXPECTS them to be serene and inspire a soporific effect. By contrast, these hymns to friendship and unity are completely unusual and unexpected. The beauty of this set includes Karen Peris' clear-as-a-bell intonations of the lyrics. One need not refer to the liner notes, to discern the unusually-selected, poetic words and phrases comprising these songs. A careful listen is all it takes--and the reward is immense. How can songs so gentle, so peaceful, surprise and delight the ears?

Take a listen for yourself--you will be surprised at your thoughts, blossoming in response.

Holy.......2007-04-02

Who is this goddess prophetess who heralds freeway tears and renders me nostalic and yearning?
Is her skin as smooth as her soul?
How is it possible to hear a smile through a subaru speaker?
Who is this siren who emotes such warm, deep, light, devastating, perfect, melodious affirmations?
Does she even have a pancreas? Does she ear cheerios -- honey nut? Did she ever pass through Eugene, Oregon, in the 1990s?
The songs are like embers of bones from whales who are still in love.
The songs are like youthful attributes to birds that congregate on the heads of dead poets in little parks full of leaves and roots.
Something strange tells me that this woman is as beautiful as her music.

Average customer rating: Sad, Really Sad An excellent movie themes antology by ELMER BERNSTEIN Excellent Great Film Music Fun, Powerfull music

The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection Manufacturer: Silva America ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years of Film Music The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration Way Out West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection, Vol. 2 John Barry: The Collection ASIN: B0007XTQ14 Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

1. The Magnificent Seven
2. To Kill A Mockingbird (Suite)
3. The Buccaneer (Overture)
4. Walk On The Wild Side
5. An American Werewolf In London (Metamorphosis)
6. The Age Of Innocence (End Titles)
7. The Comancheros
8. Ghostbusters
9. Heavy Metal (Taarna's Theme)
10. Johnny Staccato
11. True Grit (Rooster Cogburn/A Warm Wrap-Up)
12. Hollywood And The Stars
13. Zulu Dawn (River Crossing)

Tracks:

1. The Great Escape
2. The Man With The Golden Arm
3. Far From Heaven
4. The Sons Of Katie Elder
5. Airplane (Suite)
6. The Shootist (Main Title)
7. Hawaii (Overture)
8. The Birdman Of Alcatraz (Finale)
9. The Hallelujah Trail (Overture)
10. The Bridge At Remagen
11. Thoroughly Modern Millie (Sky-Hi)
12. The Scalphunters
13. The Ten Commandments (Overture)

Album Description

*A specially priced 2CD set with over 110 minutes of some of the greatest film music in the history of cinema.

*New digital recordings in spectacular and sound performed by the acclaimed City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and National Youth Jazz Band.

*Includes world premiere recordings from "The Birdman Of Alcatraz," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Airplane!" and "An American Werewolf In London."

*In 2004 the world of cinema lost one of the most iconic figures in film composing. In a career that spanned half-a-century and over 250 films, Elmer Bernstein was responsible for writing the music to many of the greatest and most loved movies of all time ranging from "The Ten Commandments," "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape," through to "True Grit" and "Airplane!" This collection has been lovingly created and compiled as a tribute to a genius and true master of the art of film scoring.

Customer Reviews:

Sad, Really Sad.......2007-05-13

These CDs don't meet the standards that I expect from Elmer Bernstein's wonderful film music.
*It's just Boring*
The ensemble doesn't have the energy one would expect to play "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Man with the Golden Arm". I think the City of Prague and National Youth Jazz Orchestras were bargain orchestras used to make an inexpensive CD set of one of my favorite film composers. The conducting and arrangements were what made this an obviously bad album.

An excellent movie themes antology by ELMER BERNSTEIN.......2007-05-10

Silva Screen Records, presents this antology of the music from the late great composer/conductor ELMER BERNSTEIN, who supervised this recording just before die.
Played the The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and conducted by his one time assistant James Fitzpatrick
Recorded in HDCD and Dolby Surround

Excellent.......2007-04-22

it's unfortunate that more tracks weren't able to be recorded as theree was a good 15-20 minutes of space remaining on both discs. Regardless, this is an excellent sampler, especially in conjunction with Varese's Bernstein sampler including rare stuff like the Black Cualdron.


With regards to this silva set, these recordings range back to 1994, with Sons of Katie Elder and True Grit being recorded for a John Wayne CD and Bridge At Remagen for a CD of classic War themes. The Great Escape was also recorded for that CD, but producer James Fitzpatrick opted to record a new arrangement (same with Magnificent Seven). In '97, The Buccaneer for included on a Swashbucklers disc, while Heavy Metal was on the popular 'Space and Beyond' compilation. In '98, the world premiere recording of Airplane first appeared on a DISASTERS film disc. So while it may technically be the world premiere RECORDING it certainly is not the world premiere CD RELEASE of that recording. Ghostbusters was included on Space 3: Beyond the Final Frontier, the second followup to the popular 'Space and Beyond'. Fast forward to 2002 and 4 recordings first appeared on WAY OUT WEST: ESSENTIAL WESTERN FILM MUSIC COLLECTION VOLUME TWO, those being The Comancheros, The Hallelujah Trail, The Scalphunters and The Shootist. Man With the Golden Arm and Walk on the Wild are from Silva's JAZZ IN FILM cd.


The remaining tracks were all newly recorded for this release. They are of course the strongest tracks, seeing as the City of Prague Philharmonic has improved over time. I do wonder though why they did not include the older arrangements of Great Escape and Mag. Seven as bonus tracks.

I also recommend the simultaneously released '40 years of Film Music: Jerry Goldsmith' for another great set honoring a late great film composer.

Great Film Music.......2007-03-09

This is a great recording of some of the best film music ever. From the
great westerns to the Theme from Airplane to music he did for television,
Bernstein was one of the greatest.

Fun, Powerfull music.......2007-02-17

It's great! It brings back memories of my dad. He loved John Wayne and the old cowboys of the Magnificent Seven. But it's nice just to listen and relax (it's not all cowboy music).

Average customer rating: Innocence Mission is an appropriate name Sickenly too sweet absolutely love this album I Love You, Innocence Mission. works beautifully

Now the Day Is Over The Innocence Mission Manufacturer: Badman Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Children's Music | Styles | Music Lullabies | Children's Music | Styles | Music Similar Items: Befriended Glow We Walked in Song Birds of My Neighborhood Small Planes ASIN: B0002ZMJ4I Release Date: 2004-11-09

Tracks:

1. Stay Awake
2. Over The Rainbow
3. What A Wonderful World
4. Moon River
5. Somewhere A Star Shines For Everyone
6. Prelude In A
7. Once Upon A Summertime
8. My Love Goes With You
9. Edelweiss
10. Sonata No.8
11. Bye-Lo
12. It Is Well With My Soul
13. Now The Day Is Over

Amazon.com

The Innocence Mission have, over the course of a decade, created a half dozen albums which celebrate small pleasures, fragile details and the wistful edges of life. As the title suggests, Now the Day Is Over offers a set of lullabies. The dozen covers and one original were not all written as bedtime reveries, but it's a testament to the graceful nuances Don and Karen Peris that such a familiar song as "What A Wonderful World" can bring out the twinkling stars of nighttime with heartfelt purity. Free of embellishments, either internal or studio created, Karen's vocals are at once magical and direct. The trio has done much more than to simply streamline or slow down these selections, they've found the core of each number and built around it only that which is necessary. -- David Greenberger

Customer Reviews:

Innocence Mission is an appropriate name.......2007-06-02

Not the worst cd I have and certainly not offensive. However, lacks depth, character, and content. Could be good for the kids. Bought it because I fell in love with a track I heard on Radio Paradise. Overall I could have spent the money in other ways.

Sickenly too sweet.......2007-05-12

I am new to the Innocence Mission. We have a one year old baby, so a friend gave us this CD as a gift. For me, Karen Peris's voice has the "nails across the blackboard" effect on me. She has no range and her voice is cloying. I am not expecting rock 'n roll or anything like that, but I just cannot find anything attractive in her voice. She absolutely "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," a classic and a song that I want to associate with my relatively unspoiled childhood. Oh well, different strokes for different folks.

absolutely love this album.......2007-01-12

I play this album as part of my daughter's bedtime routine. I absolutely LOVE it. Has such a beautiful calmness to it. And as I sit their rocking with my daughter before I put her in her crib, it often brings both smiles to my face and tears to my eyes.

I Love You, Innocence Mission........2007-01-04

In the winter of '89-'90, I picked up The Innocence Mission's eponymous debut on cassette one evening in a mall in Muncie. During my solitary rural Indiana backroads return to Taylor Univ., I was introduced to the delightfully solid intangibility of these troubadours of Heart, Soul, and Mind. I wanted Don and Karen Peris to mother and father me, or to marry Karen, or to be a brother or sister of one, to experience in my life the meaningful connections that in song resonated on and strong without dwindling into the inevitable nihilism that so much of art does nowadays. (Soon realized they were Catholic Universalists or something like that.)Fan for life.

And so, I kept up with their oeuvre. Enjoying the experimental phases of beauty along with the return to simple folk beauty. "Bright as Yellow", on "Glow", piqued the world's interest on the "Empire Records" soundtrack. They toured at least a little with Lilith Fair one year. I found later they've done a blatantly spiritual album "Christ Is My Hope", and that Don (genius of guitar understatement/suggestion) has a couple of his own albums out. I still need to get those 3.

Anyway, the idea of a lullaby album from The Innocence Mission is so perfectly obvious that I never expected it. I mean, she sang songs to her "Someday Coming Child" (on "Umbrella") years before she birthed!

It is as perfect as it could be. Minimal in performance, maximal in effect. (With 3 little boys, I'm a connoisseur of artfully-lulling lullaby albums. Get the Disney Lullaby Album too--no, really--Greg Diakun and Fred Mollin create real art right under DisneyCorp's nose.)

Finally, Karen can sing me to sleep--and my family too.

works beautifully.......2006-10-18

I am a mother of twins and this CD was given to us as a gift. My babies fell asleep to this time after time and it was pleasant listening for both mom and dad. I plan on giving this as a gift to all my new parent friends.

Average customer rating: years later, this is stil my summer time record ::: Inspiring and Calming Mellow-in a good sense One Of The Best Albums of All Time Warm Glow

Glow The Innocence Mission Manufacturer: Fontana a&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Folk Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Befriended Birds of My Neighborhood Now the Day Is Over Small Planes We Walked in Song ASIN: B000002G38 Release Date: 1995-06-06

Tracks:

1. Keeping Awake
2. Bright As Yellow
3. Brave
4. That Was Another Country
5. Speak Our Minds
6. Happy, The End
7. Our Harry
8. Go
9. Everything's Different Now
10. Spinning
11. There
12. I Hear You Say So

Amazon.com

Karen Peris is a vocal ringer for Natalie Merchant (though there's also the faintest hint of Bjork in her delivery), and the band is unfailingly tuneful in acoustic guitar-piano mode. Hypnotic, slow-paced gems abound, notably "Everything's Different Now" (not the Aimee Mann song), "That Was Another Country," and "Bright as Yellow." --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

years later, this is stil my summer time record :::.......2007-06-01

on this very perfect record they transitioned with huge growth from the Ritalin-dream where the lyrics were not understandable to the middle-state of dream-folk.

the album tells a panoramic story beginning by getting tucked into bed and follows through with child-like anticipation of comings and goings... and it is part of the soundtrack of my life.

Inspiring and Calming.......2006-11-10

I love this cd! all of their discs are great and the innocense mision is always on top of my playlist.

Mellow-in a good sense.......2006-11-04

I recently purchased the CD version of this album,replacing the cassette I had played frequently,especially when my children were younger.GLOW was the Innocence Mission's stab at the brass ring of mass-market success.Produced by Peter Asher,of Peter and Gordon and producer of Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor in their pop primes,this is a pleasant enough collection of simple,mood-setting tunes sung by Karen Peris in a sweet but oddly accented voice.Although they didn't steal the hearts of America,these songs with their snapshot emotional images will tug at yours if you give them half a chance-HAPPY,THE END,with its moments of bliss narrative ,always gets me.

One Of The Best Albums of All Time.......2006-04-07

I have never found better music anywhere. Brilliant simplicity, beauty found nowhere else, innocence for sure, and the desire and happiness in life that exudes from this music: it's unmatchable. I highly recommend it as one of the top albums of our time. Karen's voice is stunning, the guitar work is outstanding, everything flows and leaves me always wanting more. This album has been a favorite of mine for ten years and I still love it as I did when I first got it. It definitely GLOWS.

Warm Glow.......2006-02-17

I'm so glad I picked up this album. It's just the right spice when you need to hear something soothing and uplifting. Fans of The Sunday's will enjoy this recording.

Average customer rating: magnificent I can't help getting tears in my eyes each time I listen. Innocence & Despair - Inspired A Love or Hate Thing I Guess Beauty and Innocence

Innocence & Despair The Langley Schools Music Project Manufacturer: Bar/None Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Experimental | Miscellaneous | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Philosophy Of The World The Glory (????) of the Human Voice Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music American Song-Poem Anthology Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music ASIN: B00005Q6NP Release Date: 2001-10-23

Tracks:

1. Venus and Mars/Rock Show (Paul McCartney & Wings)
2. Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys)
3. God Only Knows (The Beach Boys)
4. Space Oddity (David Bowie)
5. The Long and Winding Road (The Beatles)
6. Band On The Run (Paul McCartney & Wings)
7. In My Room (The Beach Boys)
8. I'm Into Something Good (Earl-Jean/Herman's Hermits)
9. Saturday Night (Bay City Rollers)
10. I Get Around (The Beach Boys)
11. Mandy (Barry Manilow)
12. Help Me, Rhonda (The Beach Boys)
13. Desperado (The Eagles)
14. You're So Good To Me (The Beach Boys)
15. Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond)
16. To Know Him Is To Love Him (Teddy Bears)
17. Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac)
18. Wildfire (Michael Martin Murphy)
19. Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft (The Recognized Anthem of World Contact Day) (Klaatu/The Carpenters)

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

In the mid-1970s, Hans Fenger taught music in the Langley, British Columbia, school district, using an experimental method inspired equally by Brian Wilson and Carl Orff. Occasionally he would record his students in the school gymnasium--elaborate affairs involving more than 60 kids per session. The result is this compelling collection of semi-accidental genius. Picture the Shaggs and Danielson presiding over an elementary school assembly for shy kids, and you begin to understand how sweet, sincere, and slightly unsettling these recordings are. The Langley students perform their favorite 1960s and 1970s hits as if they never heard the originals; they turn "Mandy" into the kind of lo-fi pop song that Neutral Milk Hotel would perfect 20 years later, and sing "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" like a delegation of extraterrestrial children on a friendship mission to Earth. Fenger's arrangements are spacious but elaborate, with prominent Orff percussion instruments that coat everything with a glimmering otherworldliness. The Langley students must've been proud just to hear themselves on tape, but for those of us encountering these artifacts for the first time, it's impossible to come away unmoved. (The photographs are precious, too.) --Mike Appelstein

Album Description

Originally waxed for friends and families of a rural Canadian elementary/middle-school chorus, these mid-70s vanity recordings capture the joy, confusion, discovery and loneliness of childhood like few before. The production's serendipitous journey from thrift store to non-commercial radio to public release fully preserves the original lack of premeditation, and further highlights the distance these performances kept from any taint of commercial calculation. The sugarcoated cuteness one might reflexively expect from a children's music project is entirely absent. Rookie teacher Hans Fenger wedded elements of Carl Orff's pioneering music curriculum with contemporary hit songs, to forge an inventive, safe space for his young performers. The occasional rhythmic wobble or flubbed note is subsumed by the children's unbridled expressiveness and modulated by the Spectorian gymnasium acoustics. No one associated with

Customer Reviews:

magnificent.......2007-02-15

The history of this collection and the spirit of the collection are moving.
I have had a copy for years. Now I'm giving it for gifts.

I can't help getting tears in my eyes each time I listen. .......2006-10-18

I cannot adequately describe the experience of hearing these recordings. They will touch most deeply, those who love and understand children and love and cherish the gifts that music brings to them and that children bring to us. Nevermind that the songs were unconventional for school music and unconventionally taught (thank goodness!). The heart and yearning, simplicity and joy with which these songs are sung, knowing how they were taught, will change your day. It's all well described in the pamphlet including, how these kids from 3 tiny, rural, Canadian elementary schools were brought together to learn to sing. Their avante garde music teacher was a rock musician/guitar teacher & took the job in this remote, rural district with no music program. He needed steady pay for the arrival of a new baby. The recording is the best that could be managed with the funds but is part of the character that leaves nothing lacking. The kids and parents paid for the cost of the recording which was only meant for friends and family. We're all SO glad someone found and re-published it!
Can you imagine a 9 year old girl singing Desperado with such tenderness and meaning that it far exceeds the original artists interpretation? Hear it for yourself. This CD is well worth the price. Especially since there's fund set up to compensate the kids (now, long since adults) as they are located.
Don't miss this wonderful gem.

Innocence & Despair - Inspired.......2006-07-14

A labour of love from Hans Fenger, music teacher, a fantastic find by Hoboken musicologist Irwin Chusid and an inspired recording from Bar None Records. Well done.

A Love or Hate Thing I Guess.......2006-05-24

It seems reviews here are mostly "this is God touching the earth" or "this is awful." I hope to offer a less one-sided review.

I can easily see how someone might not enjoy listening to the CD. To criticize the recording, vocal and instrumental quality or allude to child manipulation for profits doesn't hold up and misses the point. That low quality is what makes the music special for those who enjoy it (and not in some pretentious hip way). These songs were recorded without any concept of them being publically released; they were discovered and published years after recorded. The kids weren't manipulated for monetary gain. They were just singing in a gym.

The CD captures an energy that you can't find in most children's choirs... because they are being forced to sing things they don't want to (I was once in that position myself as I'm sure many others were). The Langley album is pure musical fun, undisturbed by perfected recording quality.

So, I'm not going to say anyone who doesn't love this has no soul left. Many won't find it appealing. Some will only like it for novelty purposes. Others, like me, will find something in it they can't find anywhere else. I love listening to these songs, and not just once but repeatedly. They move me... and many times they make me laugh (particularly "I'm Into Something Good").

You'll know pretty quickly upon listening where you fall, I believe.

Beauty and Innocence.......2006-05-22

When I first heard about this, I thought it was going to be some godawful novelty record that only hipster doofuses could like in an "ironic" way like the Shaggs, but I was wrong. This is music in its purest form.No pretention, no studio tricks, just a bunch of truly wonderful little kids falling in love with music and playing and singing their hearts out. It's underproduced and sometimes the songs are out of key and the beat just does whatever it will, but like another reviewer said, who cares? This is pure heart. Music should be a way to communicate with God(whatever your definition of God is) and they definitely do this. The version of God Only Knows here just might be the best ever done, and probably made Brian Wilson want to lock himself in his room again if he ever heard it.As for myself, it left me curled up in a fetal position , sobbing. I've always believed that kids have a lot more figured out than adults give them credit for, and this cd proves it. Every time I play this cd for people the reaction is always stunned silence, and then "where do I get this?" If you can't get past the amatuerish production and performances and see the true beauty in this album, then there's no hope left for you. I would love to know what Mr. Fenger was feeling standing in that room with the tape rolling.

Average customer rating: An Interesting Project By A Silent Witness Band Happy Dance peace, distilled. hope, too, maybe. Best Example of Group's Thematic Concerns Amazing

Befriended The Innocence Mission Manufacturer: Badman Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Glow Now the Day Is Over Small Planes Birds of My Neighborhood We Walked in Song ASIN: B0000A1HSG Release Date: 2003-09-02

Tracks:

1. Tomorrow On The Runway
2. When Mac Was Swimming
3. I Never Knew You From The Sun
4. Beautiful Change
5. Martha Avenue Love Song
6. One For Sorrow, Two For Joy
7. No Storms Come
8. Sweep Down Early
9. Walking Around
10. Look For Me As You Go By

Album Description

A haunting collection of ten songs that features the interplay of Don's gorgeously warm and shimmering electric guitars with Karen's transcendently lovely vocals and moving lyrics. Digipak. Badman 2003.

Customer Reviews:

An Interesting Project By A Silent Witness Band.......2007-05-14

I first discovered Innocence Mission in 1992, when I saw their five song '86 EP at a thrift store, and enjoyed it. A couple of years later, I heard one song, "And Hiding Away", from a more recent project. On those songs, lead singer Karen Peris sounded like a young girl. This project came out in 2003, 17 years after that first project. Karen's picture makes her look like she's in her late 30's. But her voice sounds as young as ever. (Note--Don Peris does the final song, "Look For Me As You Go By".)

Innocence Mission has managed to maintain a balance of not sounding Christian enough lyrically to scare off unbelievers, but with enough imagery to show the presence of their faith. For example, Amy Grant saw something in one of the songs from the above mentioned EP, "Shadows", and included it on her 1988 project "Lead Me On".

Those who have read my reviews know I can be tough on the content of lyrics of Christian singers. After all, being a Christian for over a quarter of a century, I want songs that build me up spiritually on the music in my collection. Innocence Mission is not overtly Christian, but they never had been. I only heard the one song ("And Hiding Away") on Christian radio, on a program that also included Collective Soul's "Shine" on their play-list. Therefore, I'm more tolerant with them than those who start out marketing their projects to Christians (e.g. Sixpence None The Richer, former band of Leigh Nash).

My favorite tracks on this project are "Tomorrow On The Runway", "When Mac Was Swimming", "Beautiful Change", "One For Sorrow, Two For Joy", "Sweep Down Early", and "Walking Around".

Happy Dance.......2006-11-10

The song Tomorrow on the Runway made me smile. I'm not sure what it is but it makes me do a little happy dance and giggle. Definitely good-mood music.

peace, distilled. hope, too, maybe........2006-05-12

This album is perhaps the most comforting album I own. That's the overwhelming impression I get from it; I'm surprised to find that not everyone agrees.

If I were to tell you about the words, I would mention the changes that show up all through the album, the changes that have already happened ("The flowers that grew, the things that happened since the day you came"--from "When Mac Was Swimming"; "Beautiful changes I've seen sometimes"--from "Walking Around") but maybe even more importantly, the changes that are just around the corner in a number of songs. A "Beautiful Change" could come anytime. An eschatological things-are-going-to-be-alright tomorrow is coming in "Tomorrow on the Runway" and "Sweep Down Early." The album claims these changes with pretty certain confidence, like prayers. All these changes are going to come. "Every burden shall be lifted" ("Look For Me As You Go By"), etc. Then sometimes the change is already here. "The snow is here. The light is bright" ("Beautiful Change"). Another of my favourite lines: "You know I've had enough of this trouble following me high and low. Now it can go." Just simply, like that, there it goes. The album prophesies and celebrates beautiful changes all over the place. Things might be bad now, but they are getting better, and resurrection imagery throughout helps that impression. Something bad might have to happen, like death, but then things will get better.

If I were to tell you about the music, which I'm infinitely less qualified to do, I would mention that the music is contemplative. It does not particularly invite the body to move, but to be still while the mind/soul/whathaveyou drinks in the beauty of Karen Peris's voice and the melody lines. While the lyrics are telling you that God, for instance, is causing and going to cause beautiful things, the music is giving beautiful things to you as well without you having to do a whole lot of physical work to climb into them.

I haven't had a nasty shock since I purchased this album a few months ago; nobody I love has died or gone on some disastrous self-destructive bender, and nothing particularly unpleasant has happened to me either. But if I'd had a shock, I suspect these would be the songs I'd reach for.

Best Example of Group's Thematic Concerns.......2006-03-16

With every release, The Innocence Mission gives voice to the yearnings within the human spirit that grip us all. This primary theme is perhaps no more evident than on their 2003 album Befriended. The yearnings expressed are fundamentally ones for change: to be better than we are, and, more specifically, more innocent than we are. This is the "mission" of the band. Lead singer/songwriter Karen Paris is always caught up between the sorrow and/or temporary joy of the moment and the greater joy of what lies ahead. For this reason, they probably have never given a song a title that more sums up their thematic concern than "One for Sorrow, Two for Joy." The Innocence Mission often dives deeply into melancholy, make no mistake about it. Still, that melancholy is always tempered by a joy of possibilities in the future, even if the present situation is hard.

The album opens with "Tomorrow on the Runway," a song with the memorable singsong chorus, "Did you leave the darkness without me?/You're always miles ahead/And you're standing in tomorrow on the runway." Evidently, Karen has said that this song was inspired by her child(ren?), but the lyrics suggest that another person is in view. It's hard to imagine her child(ren) saying the quote in the first verse:"'While my heart is sinking I do not want my voice/To go out in the air.'" Perhaps Karen's mother, the late Mary McCullough, is in view as well as her child(ren); the album and one song are specifically dedicated to her, and evidently it's her picture that adorns the credit page of the album. In this case, Mary's death and subsequent resurrection (an assumption I'm making based on the group's Roman Catholic faith) provide the imagery here: "the darkness" is this current life, and "tomorrow on the runway" is heaven. Other interpretations are possible, though.

In any case, the third verse of this song provides a standard Innocence Mission yearning: "Oh, I want to fly, fly forward into the light,/Be alive, to come alive." This heartfelt desire for spiritual transformation is found not only throughout the album ("Beautiful Change," "Sweep Down Early," "Walking Around") but previous albums as well (see, e.g., almost all of Glow, "Wonder of Birds" off of the band's debut album, etc.). In The Innocence Mission's worldview, change is always difficult; even when progress gets made, further advances are always out of reach. Seasonally, we are mostly in winter ("I Never Knew You from the Sun," "Beautiful Change," "Martha Avenue Love Song," "One for Sorrow, Two for Joy"), but we wait for spring. Karen gives us nature and Christian resurrection imagery in abundance, and pleas for change to come soon: "Flower forth, and soon, branch of Easter" ("Beautiful Change"); "Flower forth, all you branches of Easter" ("Sweep Down Early"); "The flowers that grew, the things that happened/Since the day you came" ("When Mac Was Swimming").

But this waiting is not easy. It requires that we "stand ever firmly, love" ("One for Sorrow, Two for Joy") against the "trouble" that threatens to overwhelm us ("Walking Around"). We must believe that we are loved ("When Mac Was Swimming") and have faith that the sun will break through the clouds. (The sun is a recurring image in nearly every song on this album.) To wait, successfully, we need friends to hold us up ("Look for Me as You Go By").

But when we lose our friends, what do we do? The speaker on this album has lost her closest friend, her mother ("I Never Knew You from the Sun"), but still lives in hope, even "when there is so much time to miss you" ("Walking Around"). This hope is partially possible because we experience change even in the middle of doing ordinary things, such as washing the dishes ("Walking Around"). And hope lets us know that, sometime in the future, "we will go somewhere" ("Sweep Down Early") and "fly" ("Tomorrow on the Runway").

This album is, in many ways, incredible. You won't find many songs more beautiful than "Martha Avenue Love Song," with its chiming guitar. You'll scarcely find a lyric more moving and heartbreaking than "Sweep down early, Tomorrow, come./Ring out. Tell me you have arrived./I will kiss all the faces of my beloved ones." (That song, "Sweep Down Early," gets my vote for best Innocence Mission song.)

I have two concerns about this superlative album. First, while the spare arrangements on this album are wonderful, I miss the fuller sound of the group heard in the band's first few albums. While the band has been dropped by A&M and undoubtedly has a smaller production budget, it would be wonderful to see what someone like Glow producer Dennis Herring, or even the band's first producer, Larry Klein, would have done with this material. Second, this album is, of all the Innocence Mission albums I have (and I don't yet quite have them all), by far the most melancholic one. ("I Never Knew You from the Sun" is so sad that it's particularly difficult for me to listen to.) It lacks the more even balance of melancholy and joy found in The Innocence Mission, Glow, and Christ Is My Hope (although I hear that the soon-to-be-back-in-print Birds of My Neighborhood is more melancholic than this album). For this reason, it took me a while to appreciate it as much as I do now.

Anyone who loves excellent artistry should buy this album, and indeed, anything in The Innocence Mission's catalog.

Amazing.......2005-09-11

Rarely that you'll encounter an album worth listening from start to finish. This is one CD you shouldn't miss. No matter what music style you prefer. It's simply amazing. Best tracks: When Mac was Swimming (well-crafted) and One for sorrow, two for joy.

Average customer rating: Not their best work, but still very good WOW Cool as Ice almost 5, not just music to enjoy. How Strange Inncocence- EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY

How Strange, Innocence Explosions in the Sky Manufacturer: Temporary Residence 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 General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: f#a# (infinity symbol) Friday Night Lights Slow Riot for New Zero Kanada Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven Takk... ASIN: B000BCKFIY Release Date: 2005-10-11

Tracks:

1. A Song For Our Fathers
2. Snow And Lights
3. Magic Hours
4. Look Into The Air
5. Glittering Blackness
6. Time Stops
7. Remember Me As A Time Of Day

Amazon.com

"At certain points along the way, several of us wanted to buy back all the copies and burn them," writes Explosions in the Sky on their liner notes to this reissued debut. That's not a rousing recommendation, but an honest one from a group that three years later would produce one of the definitive post-modern guitar instrumental albums, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place. How Strange, Innocence was reportedly made in only two days and released as a 300-issue CD-R in 2000. It's as rough and ready as that might suggest, but the sound of EITS was already well-formed right out of the Austin electric guitar womb. The opening "Song for Our Fathers" with its languid rhythm and surf guitar reverb fits right in with their later work. It's not perfect. They hadn't yet become sultans of the slow build crescendo, and there are more muffs than any self-respecting musician would want frozen for posterity. Nevertheless, it holds up as a rustic artifact and songs like the opener and "Look Into the Air" fulfill their mission of mood. Even before they were providing atmospheric soundtracks for Friday Night Lights and recording minor symphonies of electric guitar twang, Explosions in the Sky already had a clear vision of their sound. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Not their best work, but still very good.......2007-05-18

Explosions in the Sky's debut album How Strange Innocence is not up to par with the albums they would follow it up with, but it is still a must for Explosions in the Sky fans and has a few gems like Glittering Blackness and Magic Hours. Don't go in expecting an album like The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place and you should enjoy it.

WOW.......2007-01-01

Amazing...didn't listen to any of the later albums, but I heard that this one was their first and "lightest". They were right. It really moved me, but don't take my word for it. I guess it was kind of contraversial, one of those "love it or hate it" albums, but to me it was really mind-blowing. When I'm in a bad mood I just turn it on and let it wash over me... you can just feel its power in your ears.

Cool as Ice.......2006-09-12

This might be the least thoughtful of 'Explosions in the Sky''s releases, but it's also quite possible their most enjoyable. To be sure, it's the lightest, for with 'Those Who Tell the Truth' (their best album if I'm honest with myself) and the subsequent 'Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place', their intended effect is much more pronounced, and therefore drenched in sentiment. 'How Strange', on the other hand, is gleefully unpretentious and the result of such an attitude is oh-so likeable. Like the opener on the album, 'A Song For Our Fathers', the music basically melts into your cerebrum (opposed to your heart, which they strove for later on).

'Explosions' is not my favorite post-rock band but I still love 'em. Those who fell in love with these guys for either of the albums mentioned above should prepare themselves for the inevitable absence of polish and lacking performances (when compared to their evolved selves), but hey, it 'is' their first recording, and once one gets past these things, there is little to dislike here. It might not contain enough genuine ideas for the 50 minute runtime, but even in its duller moments it remains pleasurable for the pleasing ambience.

The more I think about it, 'How Strange, Innocence' might actually be the best EitS album to begin with if you're unexposed. Well, that or 'Earth...', which is probably even more accessible and immediately gratifying. Even so, that one is still a great deal more melodramatic, if sincere, and nothing after 'How Strange' gave off the smooth, chill soundscape that the band came to fruition with. Really, it's an entirely different beast than their progressing work, for better or worse -- I.E., excellent, just like everything they've written since.

almost 5, not just music to enjoy........2006-09-08

Glittering blackness moves and you feel your mind hitting the surface with reality. my words don't give it the right meaning. Watch things collide. explosions in the sky best describes their music. good song titles to fit their music. and I do love this album but I prefer to listen to my favorite songs on the album again and again instead of listening to it through each time and that is why i give it 4 stars, cause all the songs don't always keep me fascinated. but the ones that do do. Glittering Blackness and Time Stops are the best songs on this album and are worth the hole cd. A song for our fathers also really amazing. like an old man and a young child living a life in the same body. weary and new. fresh and old. two seperate unique individuals meet and time stops blackness glitters. this album explores opposites without controversies between the two, they more blend and combine them, making smooth transitions and creating memories and stories. a song for our fathers introduces this and explores the mind of time with that old man you know and feel like he is your father or you in disguise. a weird coincidence of differences.

How Strange Inncocence- EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY.......2006-07-31

Wow I just don't know where to start with this album.Well, about the album itself: I think this is best explained by the band, so here's what they think- "How Strange, Innocence" was our first attempt at an album. We recorded it in January 2000 in Austin: recording took two days, mixing one day, mastering one day. Altogether we pressed 300 CD-R copies of this album...We had been a band about seven months when we recorded these songs. A lot of feelings (excitement/confusion/glimpses of visions/waking dreams/inability to play instruments) went into this record, but we didn't quite know what to do with those feelings, none of us had even really been in a studio before, and it shows in the recording, the songs show it, too--it's a young record. There are no tricks in it. There's a lightness in a few of the songs that we probably won't reach again. It sounds strange to say that instrumental songs are about something, but to us these songs were/are about such things as a couple walking through the park on a winter day, a child playing on 70's shag carpet, the story of a boy hero leading a revolution against the tyranny of the coal mines. We've had a bit of a love/embarrassment relationship with the record. At certain points along the way several of us wanted to buy back all the copies and burn them. Listening now to this album, it almost seems like a different band composed of four different people. We finally feel okay in re-releasing it, probably because we've now made a couple of records that are recorded better and that are closer to our visions for them. Anyway, we truly appreciate anyone who is interested and listening. Thank you."

That was on the CD itself- hope you found that helpful. I like this CD for two reasons. 1.The wonderful way Explosions in the Sky can tell a story through their instruments. 2.This album has a distinct sound- one all its own. If you didn't like Explosions in the sky before, you will once you listen to this album.
-Sherman.

Average customer rating: Outstanding The masterpiece of Scorsese is the masterpiece of Elmer Bernstein A Romantic Work Of Art A Masterpiece Bernstein's best work in years!!!!

The Age Of Innocence: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Elmer Bernstein Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Soundtracks | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Movie Scores | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Age of Innocence Far from Heaven (Score) The English Patient: Original Soundtrack Recording Sense and Sensibility: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1995 Film) Ragtime (1981 Film Soundtrack) ASIN: B0000029CE Release Date: 1993-09-14

Tracks:

1. The Age Of Innocence
2. At The Opera
3. Radetzky March
4. Emperor Waltz Op 437/Tales From The Vienna Woods (Excerpts)
5. Mrs. Mingott
6. Dangerous Conversation
7. Slighted
8. Van Der Luydens
9. First Visit
10. Roses Montage
11. Ellen's Letter
12. Archer's Books
13. Mrs. Mingott's Help
14. Archer Pleads
15. Passage Of Time
16. Archery
17. Ellen At The Shore
18. Blenker Farm
19. Boston Common
20. Parker House
21. Pick Up Ellen
22. Conversation With Letterblair
23. Archer Leaves
24. Fare Well Dinner
25. Ellen Leaves
26. In Paris
27. Ellen's House
28. Madame Olenska
29. End Credits

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-06-07

This is an outstanding soundtrack, perhaps even better than the movie itself! I'm not familiar with the work of Elmer Bernstein and I didn't like the movie very much, but the music narrates everything that the film by itself couldn't show. Brilliant!

The masterpiece of Scorsese is the masterpiece of Elmer Bernstein.......2006-11-10

The late Elmer Bernstein is a true virtuoso of talent and different genres. Here, the period-drama of director Martin Scorsese (Taxi driver, The Departed), Bernstein draws us the picture of love, suffering, denial, and lifelong longing. The music is simply perfect, sensitive, sensual, one of the best of this magnificent composer. A Modern classic.

A Romantic Work Of Art.......2000-05-19

This soundtrack features 29 songs composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein, with the exception of 3 songs. The CD insert features a bio on Elmer and includes a few pictures from the movie. The songs are peaceful and relaxing to listen to. One song not included on the soundtrack is Enya's Marble Halls (played during the scene when the men are holding onto their derbies during the gusty winds). I would highly recommend this soundtrack, especially for anyone who enjoyed the movie. The movie itself helped to capture the quintessence of New York's high society and one can learn quite a bit about the Victorian era, such as its formal dining, fashion, etc., by observing background details. Great movie and a great soundtrack!

A Masterpiece.......2000-02-26

Why the paucity of reviews for this extraordinary musical achievement in comparison with other, less acomplished OST's? This music is a joy to listen to. It is Victorian or Romantic classical work on par with the best from that era. It deserves much more than 5 stars. I highly recommend it.

Bernstein's best work in years!!!!.......1999-05-07

This score is Bernstein's best work in years, probably the best since "Magnificent Seven". He fully absorbed the feelings and style of the Age of Innocence and transformed them into a stunning film-score.The best cues are "Ellen at the shore" and the "Main Title". This CD ranks among my favorite Soundtracks of all time, although the film itself was only upper intermediate level!

Average customer rating: Quiet Brilliance A wonderful stand out album.

Birds of My Neighborhood The Innocence Mission Manufacturer: Badman Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Befriended Glow Small Planes We Walked in Song Now the Day Is Over ASIN: B000ENC7AO Release Date: 2006-04-11

Tracks:

1. Where Does The Time Go?
2. Snow
3. Follow Me
4. The Lakes Of Canada
5. You Are The Light
6. Birdless
7. I Haven't Seen This Day Before
8. She May Turn Around
9. I Was In The Air
10. July
11. Going Away
12. Green Grass, Red Tree

Customer Reviews:

Quiet Brilliance.......2006-06-04

Many of my favorite artists are in the midst of re-releasing remastered discs -- Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Cure, Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, etc. The results certainly improve the record, but so far it has not awakened anything new for me in the work.

This has changed with the release of the Innocence Mission's "Birds of my Neighborhood". The original release was the first without the band's drummer, and took on a far more acoustic and intimate sound than their earlier recordings. However, the remastering done here brings it to a new level. The guitars and vocal are clean and crisp, sounding as if the trio is playing in your living room. You can hear clearly the sounds of a home-made recording, which draws the listener in even further than the initial release.

This album is a joy to listen to, and it gives me hope that earlier Innocence Mission albums will see the same treatment and return to market. Do not let this release go by!

A wonderful stand out album........2006-04-13

One of the innocence mission's strongest albums. There are so many great songs on this CD. And it does sound wonderful in this re-issued, remastered version. A must have for fans of the melancholy- in that it also delivers hope.

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7. Live with a Little Help from Our Friends [Box set] [Collector's Edition] [Enhanced] [Live]
8. Living 2001-2002 [Import]
9. Long Misty Days/In City Dreams [Original recording remastered] [Import]
10. Luminescence [Limited Edition] [Import]

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