Hex

1. Loom

2. Street Scene

3. Absent Friend

4. Big Shot

5. Fingerspit

6. Eyes & Smiles

7. Pendulum Man

Hex,Bark Psychosis,Caroline,Experimental,Experimental Ambient,Pop,Post-Rock/Experimental,Rock,Rock/Pop

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Hex

Average customer rating: emptiness moving in shadows If fungus was tumbleweed slooooooow down there cowboy for Astro Zombie dot com-munication...

Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method Earth Manufacturer: Southern Lord 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 General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: Black One Hibernaculum Flight of the Behemoth White2 Pink ASIN: B000AA4LSM Release Date: 2005-09-20

Tracks:

1. Mirage
2. Land Of Some Other Order
3. The Dire And Ever Circling Wolves
4. Left In The Desert
5. Lens Of Unrectified Night
6. An Inquest Concerning Teeth
7. Raiford (The Felon Wind)
8. The Dry Lake
9. Tethered To The Polstar

Album Description

Fifth official studio album and first in nine years. Band leader Dylan Carlson is regarded as an innovator in ambient, experimental, drone, doom circles. Known mostly for the Black Sabbath-meets-Melvins played at 16 RPM sound, they branch out here, incorporating new influences and continuing to innovate. Bold, vital, and essential.

Customer Reviews:

emptiness moving in shadows.......2007-05-24

Imagine yourself drifting across an open plain with nothing for miles around. The dust kicks at your heels. The silence is like a blanket.

You see a barn in the distance. You make your way towards it. The farmyard is deserted. You're hoping to find water.

Once in there you realise the scrubland was nothing compared to infinity. The barn opens into other worlds and the farmyard is a station for ghosts.

There is no going back. You resign yourself to staying. Night closes as you disappear into the sand. Somewhere a dust storm is rising.

If fungus was tumbleweed.......2006-05-19

Being familiar with Earth is only mildly useful in hearing "Hex" for the first time. While "Hex" normally refers to Pennsylvania Dutch symbolism used on buildings (barns) to ward off bad or encourage good, this record is just as easily the backdrop to a desert you can't even dream of.

If you've traveled (or live in) southern parts of UT, AZ, NM, and CA, the pull that one feels towards the desert is perfectly embodied in the simple and harsh notes of a single guitar. Imagine Clint Eastwood sharing a world with Stephen King's gunslinger Roland in a land that is between world's but most certainly bleak.

slooooooow down there cowboy.......2006-03-14

Hex: Or Priniting in the Infernal Method is the first studio Earth album in nearly a decade, and as most reviews will agree, a departure from the previous four. it's an instrumental album (not to be confused with instru-metal) and comes complete with a drummer. it's released on southern lord (sun o))) and stephen o'malley). I haven't heard any other earth albums but i think pentastar also had a drummer.

Firstly it's slow and i mean slooooow. There's acres of space between notes and, i haven't counted, but some tunes clock in at like 15bpm.

Secondly it's heavy but this must certainly not be confused with dark. The album draws on influences from the american midwest in particular the German Lutheran and Swiss settlers of Pennsylvania. The midwest influence is most strongly heard on "an inquest concerning teeth".

The slowness and space between notes make some songs sound like your stuck out in the middle of some open plane with nothing but endless space. Or there's "left in the desert" with the howling wind complete with chimes.

The heaviest tune "Rainford (the fellow wind)" starts of with a single drum beat for about 1 minute then a two cord repition for another minute then both are superimposed with a distorted, elongated couple of notes that become progressively more central by the time it wraps up after about 7 minutes. The reviewer above is entirely accurate to suggest this could be the song to a slow motioned shoot out in the ok carol.

This album is wicked. I wouldn't necessarily call it a metal album...in that screaming and/or anrgy sense. i'm not even sure purists would call this drone metal. But however you classify it this album really is something. you just need some patience and an empty living room to be rewarded. Do yourself a favour and at least listen to it @ your favourite store.

for Astro Zombie dot com-munication..........2005-09-22

If Jonah Hex were to bash John Wayne's head open with a rock after shooting him in the neck and then slowly drag the body across the desert this would be the soundtrack heard within the harsh sandstorms and echoing across jagged red rocky valleys.

Ennio Morricone has become a heroin addict. Merle Haggard slits his wrists in the back of a pick-up truck while White2 tears apart the speakers.

Horses hang their heads so low their necks snap. Tumbleweeds turn into dust. Cacti needles invert and blood flows...

1. Mirage

The album opens with blowing wind and minimalist reverbed clean guitar strumming setting the tone for what's to come. A short and ominous introduction.

2. Land of Some Other Order

This track begins with more clean guitars but now accompanied with slow drums and what seems to sound like a droning bass guitar or possibly the baritone guitar. Trombone is actually used in this song also. The various tones melt into each other and slide along smoothly and perfectly. Picture an outlaw on horseback approaching a ghost town up on the horizen. You'd hear this.

3. The Dire and Ever Circling Wolves

Tubular bells create the sound of wind chimes here. More plodding clean guitars and drums.There's a, dare I say, distinct country-western aura within this track and throughout most of the album. Imagine every score you've ever heard in a television or movie scene involving cowboys served a large dose of darkness and compacted into about eight minutes. It has been done here.

4. Left in the Desert

More wind and wind chimes with guitar ambience creeping in the background. A very short "intro in the middle of the album" type of track.

5. Lens of Unrectified Night

Yes, clean guitars again. Slow twanging over slow drumming. The difference between this track and the others is that seems to let a little "hope" creep it's way into the notes. But when I say a little, I mean it.

6. An Inquest Concerning Teeth

This song features banjo from what I can hear. It's rather hard to tell which of the various instruments are being used at certain points because they are sort of drenched in a clean, harmonial feedback.It's kind of amazing after listened to numerous times.

7. Raiford (The Felon Wind)

It sounds like there's going to be a standoff in front of the old saloon or some such place. Cymbals are used to create the sound of spurs over slow war drums. There's banjo and trombone with clean and distorted guitar coming up with a wild atmosphere up front while producing another layer of atmosphere with feedback below everything.

8. The Dry Lake

If you've ever heard the wind instrument used in Buddhist temples when reciting the Mahakala Tantra you'd recognize the sound the trombone carries over from Raiford.Underneath this sound is something reminiscent of the avant-jazz scores to films like The Salton Sea or Naked Lunch. Also includes tonal droning and samples of neighing horses. Short and haunting.

9. Tethered to the Polestar

Minimalist clean guitars signaling the end. Like Michael Hedges with one hundred pound weights on his arms. This continues over the drums and varied guitar sounds until the disc, unfortunately, stops spinning...


Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method spawns a dark, spacious, slithering, post-country doomscape. Like one giant song divided into nine tracks. It's a concept album without words. An audial framework for "something" so massive it couldn't possibly exist simultaneously with mere human beings. Earth are providing the score while forcing the listener to provide the imagery. Just be sure not to get stuck there...

Average customer rating: Achilles ~Hospice~ Rochester Hardcore Heroes Return!

Hospice Achilles Manufacturer: Hex Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000P6R6QK Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

1. Curtains
2. Untitled Track
3. We Are Fixtures
4. Dear Old Tyger That Sleeps
5. To the Teeth
6. Raping the Dead
7. Standing Night
8. Reprieve
9. Swallow
10. In These Stark Halls
11. Sea Level
12. The Cold Floor

Album Description

Achilles return on their sophomore outing, a thematic collection of songs based on birth, life, and death with their unique brand of mathy hardcore supplying the soundtrack. Achilles retain their familiar heavy sound and add some interesting new hooks to the mix making for one of the most intruiging listens of the year.

Customer Reviews:

Achilles ~Hospice~.......2007-05-20

Achilles presents us with a nice change of pace to the mathcore scene by not being obnoxiously heavy and, well, by not being overly mathy. The vocals on the album are very reminiscent of old Boy Sets Fire (the screaming vocals) which could place these guys very firmly in the old school screamo category. Before screamo was about being whiney and faux-punk--Achilles is a good representation of that sound. They're guitar tones are dirty and sometimes sloppy but, on purpose. They're aiming to create that tone and in doing so avoid falling into the bloated metalcore/technical hardcore genre.

This band isn't trying to be over the top heavy and they're not trying to impress you with their technique (though their technique is quiet excellent as evidenced in ""to The Teeth""); they're writing songs that are catchy and emotional without all that bleeding vagina, "you broke my heart now I'll slit my wrists," you're used to.

You'll have to be into punk to enjoy this and you'll have to be able to endure the old school hardcore vocals but the payoff is huge.

Rochester Hardcore Heroes Return!.......2007-05-10

Unbelievable. Following up their incredible debut full-length "The Dark Horse," Rochester, NY's Achilles release another biting, precise blast of hardcore. Building on what they do best, the band adds an incredible amount of color to this album while maintaining an overtly rough edge.

I've owned "Hospice" for about two weeks now and I've listened to it at least two dozen times. Catchy, raw, and genuine, "Hospice" continues on the upward slope Achilles has been building for the last few years. For all fans of true to form hardcore; honest lyrics, amazing shifts in sound and texture, and in your face.

Average customer rating: Quantum leap for the Fall The Fall's finest mad genius

Hex Enduction Hour The Fall Manufacturer: Castle Us ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | Vinyl Records | American Punk | British Punk | Emo | Garage Punk | Hardcore | Post Hardcore | Proto Punk | Punk | Punk Revival | Punk-Pop | Riot Grrl | Ska Punk | Straight Edge Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Grotesque (After the Gramme) Live at the Witch Trials Dragnet Perverted by Language Slates ASIN: B0009JE58A Release Date: 2005-06-07

Tracks:

1. The Classical
2. Jawbone And Air-Rifle
3. Hip Priest
4. Fortress
5. Deer Park
6. Mere Pseud Mag. Ed.
7. Winter (Hostel-Maxi)
8. Winter 2
9. Just Steps S'ways
10. Who Makes The Nazis?
11. Iceland
12. And This Day

Tracks:

1. Deer Park
2. Who Makes The Nazis?
3. Kamara ERA004, April 1982 (7''):
4. I'm Into C.B.
5. Session Musician
6. Jazzed Up Punk Shit
7. I'm Into C.B. (Stars On 45 Version)
8. And This Day
9. Deer Park
10. And This Day (Revisited)

Album Description

Hex Enduction Hour is regarded by most Fall fans as their bone fide classic, encapsulating everything for which The Fall are so loved and revered. Originally released in March 1982, Hex.. displays the vicious lyrical edge of Mark E. Smith whilst the team of Mark Riley and Craig Scanlon produce more extreme industrial edge clattering, combining both riff and melody. This double re-mastered deluxe edition adds bonus tracks recorded for a John Peel Radio One session in '81, the '82 Single, "I'm Into C.B.', and a gaggle of live tracks recorded in England and New Zealand between Nov. '81 and August '82. To top all this off, we've included a track recorded at the Astoria, London.

Customer Reviews:

Quantum leap for the Fall.......2007-05-14

It's a real joy to listen to Live at the Witch Trials, Dragnet, Grotesque, Slates, and Hex Enduction Hour, in that order. You see the Fall's evolution and non-evolution quite clearly - a process that continues to this day. Hex combines the muscle of Witch Trials with the lo-fi recording techniques of Dragnet and Grotesque, to great effect. Some of these songs get airborne in a big, lumbering way, thanks to the two drummers. Others have that creepy ooze of many "softer" Fall songs. For new converts, I can't think of a better introduction to the Fall. It's an early enough album that they weren't an institution yet, it does show a leap forward in terms of development, it covers all the bases that they have visited time and again over the years, and per the liner notes, it f*cking rocks! No band has ever done so much with so little. Play loud.

The Fall's finest .......2006-03-21

For me, this is the Fall's high-water mark. It's also one of the all-time greatest albums by any band. Dark, complex, and fascinating. Mark E. Smith's voice sounds great (in a way only MES can), the band is tight with the two-drummer approach, and the production is just crisp enough to let everything come through clean while still keeping it raw and immediate. The bonus tracks are also well-worth it, much better than the usual tossed-off extras that usually come with reissues. I especially enjoy "I'm into CB" (as you may have guessed by my user name). Any fan of the Fall and of rock music in general should buy this right away.

PS - A note to those just getting into the Fall... none of their albums are exactly "accessible", but this one is especially challenging and may not be the best one to start with. For that, I would recommend "Grotesque" (the album released just before this one) or the excellent compilation "50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong." Once you've digested one of those, make "Hex Enduction Hour" your next purchase and be prepared to listen to nothing else for the next couple of months.

mad genius.......2005-12-09

This was my first Fall album and it's just superb. Melodic bass drives most of these tracks and, along with Mark E. Smith on vocals, an addictive musical concoction is created. The lyrics are both humourous and thought provoking, and are delivered in Smith's own inimitible style. Tracks that really stick in my mind are Classical, and Hip Priest, phrases from each will stick in your mind and make you spin the CD once more to get another fix.

The bonus CD with live tracks is fantastic as well, I can only recommend this album. If you havent heard The Fall before then this is a good starter album, if you already know The Fall then you'll be aware that this is considered to be one of their best (they have released about 25 studio albums since 1979!). Just buy it!

Average customer rating: Great opera, not just for children Wagner pour enfants!

Hansel & Gretel (Dig) Humperdinck , Fassbaender , Popp , Vpo , and Solti Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra | ( V ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Hansel and Gretel Vocal Score Humperdinck - Hansel und Gretel / Edita Gruberova, Brigitte Fassbaender, Hermann Prey, Helga Dernesch, Sena Jurinac, Georg Solti, Vienna Philhamonic (1981) Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Violin Romances Puccini - La Bohème / Freni, Pavarotti, Harwood, Ghiaurov, Karajan ASIN: B00006LENJ Release Date: 2003-01-14

Tracks:

1. Vorspiel - Overature
2. Suse, Liebe Suse... Griesgram Hinaus!
3. Bruderchen, Komm, Tanz Mit Mir
4. Holla! - Himmel, Die Mutter!
5. Rallalala, Rallalala
6. Doch Halt - Wo Bleiben Die Kinder?
7. Wenn Sie Sich Weirrten Im Wald Dort... Eine Hex', Steinalt, Haust Tief Im Wald
8. Hexenritt - The Witch's Ride
9. Ein Mannlein Steht Im Walde
10. Gretel, Ich Weiss Den Weg Nicht Mehr!
11. Der Kleine Sandmann Bin Ich
12. Abends, Will Ich Schlafen Gehn
13. Pantomime - Mime

Tracks:

1. Vorspiel - Prelude
2. Der Kleine Taumann Heiss' Ich
3. Wo Bin Ich? Wach' Ich? Ist Es Ein Traum?
4. Mir Ist So Wohl, Ich Weiss Nicht Wie
5. Bleib Stehn, Bleib Stehn!... Von Kuchen Und Torten Ein Hauslein Gemacht!
6. Knusper Knusper Knauschen
7. HiHi, Hihi, Hihihi!... Kommt, Kleine Mauslein, Kommt Mein Hauslein!
8. Halt! Hokus Pokus, Hexenschuss!
9. Der Teig Ist gar.. Hurr Hopp Hopp Hopp
10. Auf, Wach Auf, Mein Jungelchen
11. Juchhei! Nun Ist Die Hexe Tot
12. Erlost - Befreit Fur Alle Zeit!
13. Rallalala, Rallalala, Waren Doch Uns're Kinder Da!

Customer Reviews:

Great opera, not just for children.......2006-10-06

Regrettably Hansel and Gretel has acquired a reputation as an opera for children. Yes, the title characters are children (sung by adult sopranos) and children often find this opera more appealing than most other operas, but Hansel and Gretel is a great opera which should appeal to people of all ages, if they will listen to it without bias. Personally, I think it's one of the half dozen or so greatest operas ever written. Humperdinck was a student and devotee of Wagner and was heavily influenced by him, but he managed to express the best elements of the Wagnerian style on a human scale. Even people who regard Wager's operas as long and tedious should find Hansel and Gretel quite beautiful and appealing. This is a very good performance, comparable to the one with Anna Moffo as Gretel and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau as the father, which is my personal favorite. But whichever performance you choose, if you love great operas, please get Hansel and Gretel and listen to it without any preconceived notions.

Wagner pour enfants!.......2003-04-17

Il est évident que Humperdinck suivait la tradition Wagnérienne lorsqu'il composa Hänsel et Gretel. Mais Wagner n'aurait pu faire quelque chose d'aussi rafraichissant! Nous avons droit ici à un opéra pour enfant mais, excusez-moi le mot, mais mignon comme tout. Vous aurez un plaisir incroyable à l'écouter et les chanteurs et surtout chanteuses (!) qui font un travail incroyable. Lucia Popp et Brigitte Fassbaender font toutes deux un travail époustouflant! La direction de Solti est impécable et elle est empreint d'une vivacité incroyable. Chacune des scènes clés est superbement dirigée (La prière ainsi que la Pantomime sont d'une beauté subliminale) et les effets sont extrèmement réussis. Nous avons ici le droit au four qui éclate (!), un effet très amusant! Et que dire de Anny Schlemm qui interprète avec une vivante vigueur le rôle sorcière, qui sait insuffler à son personnage une touche diabolique incroyable. Offert ici dans la nouvelle série The Compact Opera Collection de Decca, le libretto n'est toutefois pas inclut en version papier. Un livret est présent pour expliquer le déroulement des diverses scènes de l'opéra et le libretto complet est inclut sur le premier CD, que vous pouvez ouvrir lorsque vous mettez votre CD dans votre ordinateur. Vous pouvez vous procurez la version avec libretto papier inclut pour quelques dollards de plus! Quoi qu'il en soit, vous ne pouvez vous passer de ce superbe petit bijou, que vous et vos enfants (!) aurez du plaisir à écouter!

Average customer rating: Great Music, Lyrics are still wishy-washy Where Barbara Manning meets Fugazi? Super Rad- On Record and LIVE!! Made me get up and dance around my apartment! Highly recommended

Ex Hex Mary Timony Manufacturer: Lookout Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: The Golden Dove No Guitars EP Learn to Sing Like a Star Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Rather Ripped ASIN: B0007YXQ6Y Release Date: 2005-04-19

Tracks:

1. On The Floor
2. Friend To J.C.
3. Silence
4. In The Grass
5. Return To Pirates
6. Hard Times Are Hard
7. 9 x 3
8. W.O.W.
9. Moon Song
10. Harmony
11. Backwards/Forwards

Album Description

Mary Timony's latest effort "Ex Hex" reasserts her place as a central innovator, songwriter and singer in the American underground music scene. Timony, formerly of Helium, has teamed up with drummer Devin Ocampo (of Dischord's The Medications) to form this powerful duo.

Musically, this album features sophisticated guitar and drum-based songs with a range of sonic textures but maintaining an insistent delicate urgency. A recent live review on WashingtonPost.com by Patrick Foster sums up "Ex Hex" best: "With spiral-staircase chord progressions and lyrical snippets that evoked mystic spells and relied heavily on metaphor, the density of her past work was evident, but Ocampo's stomping drum work flushed the tunes into a clearer place. The resulting sound suggested a pool of art-garage rock with withered flowers floating on its surface."

Mary Timony has enjoyed extensive critical attention and acclaim. Starting out in Washington D.C.'s Autoclave, then as the frontwoman of Helium followed by two additional solo albums on Matador Records. "Ex Hex" was produced by Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, also responsible for Ted Leo & The Pharmacists' "The Tyranny of Distance."

Customer Reviews:

Great Music, Lyrics are still wishy-washy.......2006-06-16

I love Mary Timony, especially during her days in Helium, and the music on Ex Hex is the best it's been during her solo career, but the lyrics are still lacking for me. It's like she puts little or no effort into writing lyrics. That being said, there are some very Rush-esque moments on Ex Hex and I mean that in a good way.

This one has a lot more Umphh! than her last two, and the melodies and structure just get better and better, but it's best just to tune out the words.

Where Barbara Manning meets Fugazi?.......2006-01-17

A refreshingly raw antidote to the Liz Phairs of the scene. When I bought this, the clerks commented that she had made one of the all-time best in-store performances they had ever heard--high praise given that it's the kind of store that features the cream of whomever makes their way towards Southern California. This album is produced superbly by Brendan Canty, and the guitar, even as heard on my tinny car speakers, floored me. It's as if Steve Albini "recorded" this. Docked a star for what's at least a by-now predictable shortcoming of any Helium-solo Timony product. Why? Her often iambic, too-easily rhymed, and faux-naive lyrics often fail to grab me; her singsong style, unchanged since Helium, has not evolved, although her instrumental prowess has.

And the latter, for the first time since "No Guitars" and "Magic City" (both Mitch Easter productions from the waning days of her band) impels me to hear this again. Her welcome return to more aggressive guitar reminds me of Barbara Manning's combination of structured tunecraft and alternative, DIY attitude. Better than "Mountains" or "Golden" simply because Timony and collaborators have taken what sounds like much more time, and hunkered down in perhaps a better studio, to craft this deceptively immediate ambiance on tape--it's as if these are spontaneous, garagey, yet tuneful explosions by your quirky neighbor who's actually able to play--well!

Super Rad- On Record and LIVE!!.......2005-07-22

This Record has swirling guitar lines, fantastic drumming and Mary's great lyrics all in a tasty Progressive-Indie-Rock Cookie! MMMM Scrumptious!

Made me get up and dance around my apartment!.......2005-06-26

And it is the first album to do so in many, many years! This is refreshing after listening to the harsh, loud rock of Sleater-Kinney's The Woods (which I also like a lot--but not exactly for dancing). I'm confident this will be an all-time favorite of mine that my husband will have to listen to repeatedly in the car--whether he wants to or not.

Highly recommended.......2005-06-02

Mary Timony is my favorite of recent discoveries. If you ask why, it's because her music reminds me so much of Sonic Youth. But she wants the listener to know this right from the start. She's like a younger Kim Golden. Ex Hex, her latest release, is extremely good. It's a blend of her medieval tones like piano, strings, chimes with indie rock and some added noise pop from her previous outfit, Helium. "On the Floor" is an powerful way to begin the album. Timony immediately indicates a departure from her previous two albums that have been more of a focus of low fi experimentalism. "9X3" is perhaps my favorite, because it does everything right. It builds with a strong weaving pattern very nicely, and just when you think the song has nowhere to go, it breaks down into a completely different section (at about 3:00) and concludes beautifully. To close, "Backwards/Forwards" is just what you think it is. It's a dizzying array of textures and moments (to quote Newman from Seinfeld describing 'love'). It spirals in and spirals out. Wow, I'm beginning to sound like Maynard from Tool on "Lateralus". Hahaha, I could go on forever with this. Anyway, I'm really fond of this woman for bringing back some originality and power to indie rock. Probably my second favorite album this year.

Average customer rating:

Reproach Engineer Manufacturer: Hex Records 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 Similar Items: Aeolian ASIN: B000CCBBP4 Release Date: 2006-02-28

Tracks:

1. Nomad
2. In the Grit
3. Small Rose
4. Heel Toe
5. Lift
6. Shiner
7. Heavy Drag
8. Caretaker
9. Long War

Average customer rating: Keep Your Eyes Open Achilles - Rochester, NY's finest

The Dark Horse Achilles Manufacturer: Hex Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music ASIN: B0009A1B6S Release Date: 2005-05-24

Tracks:

1. Every Hour Wounds, The Last One Kills
2. Ivory
3. Over Our Heads
4. Dark Horse
5. In Lights
6. (Reprise)
7. Wake Me When It Thunders
8. Rushmore
9. Talons
10. )))

Customer Reviews:

Keep Your Eyes Open.......2007-04-04

This is a classic. Keep your eyes open for the new Achilles record "Hospice" coming out on HEX Records this spring. I saw a few songs from the record performed live and all I can say is "wow." If you own this disc, please keep supporting these guys. They're staying true to hardcore and putting out stuff worth supporting. And if you're like me, it's worth memorizing every last lyric and screaming at every show. If you haven't heard them yet, please buy this now.

Achilles - Rochester, NY's finest.......2006-02-28

Achilles...what can I say? Solid, precise, in-you-face, intense, emotional, biting hardcore from the Roc, NY. "The Dark Horse" is unrelenting in its commitment to true hardcore, not the sugary sweet sound that mallrats bang their heads to...this is the real deal...take a listen for yourselves...you'll have a hard time getting this disc OUT of your player.

Average customer rating: Achilles=Amazing

Engineer/Achilles Engineer , and Achilles Manufacturer: Hex Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B00074CBCY Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

1. Passing Into Shadow - Achilles
2. The Ritual - Achilles
3. The Ritual II - Achilles
4. Save Nothing - Achilles
5. Dialed In - Achilles

Tracks:

1. Evacuating - Engineer
2. The Great Mistake - Engineer
3. Televascular - Engineer
4. Decades - Engineer
5. Covered And Caloused - Engineer
6. Bonus Track 1 - Engineer

Customer Reviews:

Achilles=Amazing.......2005-03-08

Achilles is from my home town Rochester and ive had the privelage to see them many of times. Their music is amazing. If you haven't heard this album along with their last, you're missing out. Engineer is awesome as well. But check out Achilles. :)

Average customer rating:

Hex Enduction Hour The Fall Manufacturer: Sanctuary UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music British Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B000NQQ1ZE Release Date: 2007-04-30

Tracks:

1. Classical
2. Jawbone and the Air-Rifle
3. Hip Priest
4. Fortress/Deer Park
5. Mere Pseud Mag. Ed.
6. Winter
7. Winter, No. 2
8. Just Step Sideways
9. Who Makes the Nazis?
10. Iceland/Island
11. And This Day
12. Look, Know [*]
13. I'm into C.B. [*]

Album Description

2007 digitally remastered digipak pressing of Mark E. Smith and Co.'s 1982 album, one of many musical turning points in their career. With The Fall, you often know exactly what kind of album to expect from the band, but then suddenly, they slightly alter their course and release an album that remains rooted in the classic Fall formula but builds upon that foundation as well. Hex Enduction Hour is one of those mind-blowing albums. Instead of sounding ramshackle and unsure of themselves, The Fall finally sound like the powerful beast that we all know and love today. More confident than ever, this is The Fall at their best. Features 'Hip Priest', 'Jawbone & The Air Rifle', 'Winter' and more. Castle.

Album Details

2007 Digitally Remastered Edition of One of the Fall's Definitive Albums. Almost an Hour of Dense, Rich and Inimitable Music by the Early 80s Line-up of Mark E. Smith's Adventurers

Average customer rating: HANSEL GRETEL AND UNCLE HERBERT Great performance of a great opera. Still the recommended version. Exelent High quality and captivating characterizations

Great Recordings Of The Century - Humperdinck: Hansel Und Gretel / Karajan, Schwarzkopf, Grummer, Metternich, et al Herbert von Karajan , Loughton Girls School Chorus , Bancroft School Boys' Choir , Elisabeth Schwarzkopf , Josef Metternich , Maria von Ilosvay , Else Schurhoff , and Anny Felbermayer Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Humperdinck, Engelbert | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: R. Strauss - Ariadne auf Naxos / Schwarzkopf · Seefried · Streich · Schock · Prey · PO · Karajan Humperdinck: Hänsel & Gretel Lehár - The Merry Widow / Schwarzkopf, Wächter, Steffek, Gedda, Knapp, von Matacic J. Strauss: Die Fledermaus / Schwarzkopf, Gedda, Streich, Krebs, Kunz, Christ; Karajan Richard Strauss - Capriccio / Schwarzkopf, Wächter, Gedda, Fischer-Dieskau, Hotter, Ludwig, Moffo, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sawallisch ASIN: B00000K4FQ Release Date: 1999-09-21

Tracks:

1. Overture
2. Suse, Liebe Suse, Was Raschelt Im Stroh?
3. So Recht! Und Willst Du Nun Nicht Mehr Klagen
4. Bruderchen, Komm, Tanz Mit Mir
5. Holla!...Himmel!
6. Marsch! Fort In Den Wald!
7. Ral La La La...Heissa, Mutter, Ich Bin Da!
8. Ho Ho! Wer Spek-Spekta-Kelt Mir
9. Doch Halt, Wo Bleiben Die Kinder?
10. Wenn Sie Sich Verirrten Im Walde Dort
11. Eine Hex', Steinalt
12. Witch's Ride
13. Ein Mannlein Steht Im Walde
14. Mein Erbelkorbchen Ist Voll Bis Oben!
15. Gretel, Ich Weiss Den Weg Nicht Mehr!
16. Der Kleine Sandmann Bin Ich, S-t!
17. Abends, Will Ich Schlafen Gehn
18. Dream Pantomime

Tracks:

1. Prelude
2. Der Kleine Taumann Heiss' Ich
3. Wo Bin Ich?
4. Bleib Steh'n!
5. Wie Duftet's Von Dorten
6. Knusper, Knusper Knauschen
7. Ich Bin Rosina Leckermaul
8. Halt!...Hokuspokus
9. Nun, Gretel, Sei Vernunftig Und Nett!
10. Hurr Hopp Hopp Hopp
11. Auf! Wach Auf, Mein Jungelchen
12. Juchhei! Nun Ist Die Hexe Tot
13. Erlost, Befreit, Fur Alle Zeit!
14. Vater! Mutter!

Amazon.com

Humperdinck's supremely ingratiating opera has an astoundingly starry recorded history. Its singable, easily learned roles have become sort of a drop-in-for-divas occasion (as in the recording by Christa Ludwig and Frederica von Stade, for example), often with extremely big names singing minor roles. This pre-stereo recording starring Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Elisabeth Grümmer in the titles roles with the youngish Herbert von Karajan would seem to be a forerunner to that, though, in fact, those starry names prove to be window dressing. All the secondary roles are sung by names not familiar to us now, but give us something the starrier casts don't: thoughtful characterizations rather than somewhat-indulgent star turns. Else Schurhoff not only sings the Witch pretty much as written but without mugging--and still manages to be funny. Anny Felbermayer's Sandman is an imaginative piece of vocal characterization that suggests what such an otherworldly creature might actually sound like. Karajan and the Philharmonia Orchestra supply all the orchestral color one could hope for in a mono recording, but without turning it into a showpiece. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

HANSEL GRETEL AND UNCLE HERBERT.......2007-03-06

Can it really have been as long ago as 1953 that this famous performance was recorded? I can no longer remember how the original issue sounded, but the sound comes over very well in general on this remastered set. As often with analogue-to-digital transfers there is a slight `edge' to the effect, particularly of the voices, but that is a very minor matter when set against the flawless clarity throughout. It has been a real thrill too to be reminded of the tone of the great Philharmonia Orchestra in its heyday. The horn sound right away in the first bars is exquisite by way of getting off to a perfect start, and the engineers for their part have done a brilliant job with the echo-effects in the forest.

The only names among the singers that I have stayed familiar with down the years are those of the Hansel and Gretel themselves, Elisabeth Gruemmer and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. However the entire cast is, to my own way of thinking, something close to ideal. Shwarzkopf and Gruemmer do not attempt any childlike vocal tone, and thank goodness for that. These vocal roles are written for adult sopranos and they call for a good deal of power on occasions. It is the music itself that evokes childhood with its innocent and beautiful tunes, a number of which are songs that that would remain as songs if this opera were given as a spoken stage-play. The other singers all seem to me to understand their parts very well too. What they bring to them is what this music calls for - tact, sensitivity, beauty of tone and musicianship first last and always. Fairy tales only involve simple and schematic characterisation. The witch obviously has to sound witchy to a certain extent, and I find the effect nicely judged here and not overdone. Similarly with the jovial father after a good day's trading and a few drinks to celebrate. Perhaps Maria von Isolvay could have suggested a little more annoyance when she knocks over the milk-jug and have sounded a trifle more aghast when she becomes aware of the danger from the witch. However even if so I still prefer restraint to exaggeration. This is not grand opera, after all.

It is singularly beautiful opera. The witty and stylish, though desperately shallow, Viennese critic Hanslick quotes with rueful agreement someone's statement that Hansel and Gretel is the finest opera since Wagner. I sincerely hope that, superficial though he was, he meant German opera - Verdi's Otello was only from a few years earlier, and Falstaff must have been premiered at something like the same time as Hansel and Gretel was. Assuming this interpretation, I guess I would have to agree as well.

I like the composer's photograph, with his innocent, vulnerable features. I would have liked another, of Karajan as he was in 1953, and I'm trying to recall him as he was then with his hair brushed back from his temples as if in the slipstream of his powerboat. The years have softened a certain antipathy I used to feel towards his showman's approach, and I am coming increasingly to admire some of his earlier work. This is a reissue that I recommend cordially, but please be aware that at a budget price the full libretto is not included. However the German liner-notes on the work and the composer are translated into English, the story must be familiar to everyone and it is easy enough to follow what is happening. All these years later it is still as fresh as the strawberries that the children picked in the forest.

Great performance of a great opera........2002-02-20

Yes, a great opera. Of course, Hansel and Gretel is an easy target, with its obvious story, highly accessible lyricism, strong appeal to six-year-olds, and composer named after a pop singer. But was there ever a lovelier and more moving little song than the evening prayer? Do the familiar tunes ever sound hackneyed? Is there anyone whose heart doesn't start to crack as the two children begin bravely to fend for themselves in the dark forest?

Perhaps the reviewer who called the music mundane was the victim of mundane performances. I've heard pianists make the Appassionata and the F-minor ballade sound mundane.

Many years ago, and old lady very close to me, a lady who in the 1920s and early 1930s had sung Puccini, Verdi, and Mozart throughout Europe and North America opposite some of the greatest singers of the day, told me that she believed Hansel and Gretel to be a great opera indeed. In its own way, she maintained, it is quite profound, but we so often hear it sung without emotional commitment.

Is it subliminal fear of Hansel and Gretel that leads people to belittle and disparage it? Why does just a mention of the title sometimes evoke laughter? Is there a little nervousness in that laughter? How many of us divorced parents have figuratively abandoned our trusting children to the wilderness? How many other listeners find themselves identifying uncomfortably closely with the two waifs? I couldn't listen to this opera for eight years after my divorce. Traviata? Boheme? No problem. I could handle tragedy for Violetta or Mimi, but seeing the effect of divorce on my 10-year-old boy and 9-year-old girl made Hansel and Gretel too much to bear. And is the witch with the cannibalistic designs any worse than what's really out there, just released by some judge or parole board, awaiting the innocent?

I put the Karajan on recently-my first try in eight years-and the hair on the back of my neck unexpectedly stood up with the first few notes. This performance cast a magic spell from first note to last, and neither the 1953 sound nor the mono recording was the least distraction. The singers are fine, their voices beautiful, and the sound is actually quite passable, but the greatness of this performance derives from the players' total commitment: they sing Hansel and Gretel as if it were Tosca or Trovatore. Perhaps Karajan's direction was a factor. This performance isn't some matinee for the kiddies. It's serious, and deadly so.

One reviewer mentioned slow tempos in places. Yes, but they're right for this performance. Listen to the Eichhorn for a superbly sung, high-fidelity, spirited performance that's lots of fun. It really is wonderful. The Karajan? Beware.

Still the recommended version........2001-11-22

Lying in the EMI vaults are many tapes of superb opera recordings made in the 1950s. Herbert von Karajan, prior to his Berlin Philharmonic days, was often engaged to conduct them by the producer, Walter Legge. The recording venue was London's Kingsway Hall - blown to smithereens recently when a bomb that had lodged in the roof during a W W 2 air raid was dislodged.

Amongst these splendid productions, this 1953 recording of "Hänsel und Gretel" has inspired great affection and received many reissues. Early reviewers, writing in the "Record Guide" thought the heroes of the occasion were Elisabeth Grümmer and Herbert von Karajan. Later reviewers have praised Schwarzkopf and Grümmer for their skill at "acting with the voice". Currently this EMI set is still the recommended version of the opera listed in the "Gramophone".

If these are some of the recommendations, are there any cautions? I offer only one. Don't expect 1953 mono recording to deliver the luscious listening experience that modern technology provides.

Listening to the long orchestral introduction to Act Two, you could be excused for thinking that the score was ghost-written by Wagner. In fact the reverse is partly true. In his younger years Humperdinck became strongly influenced and actively associated with Wagner at Bayreuth. Wagner called on his young disciple to help put the finishing touches to "Parsifal".

Exelent.......2000-10-23

I highly recomend this recording. It's greatly sang, and conducted, as It couldn't be in any other way, becouse It's sang by Schwarzkopf, that has a beautiful voice, and gives you the impression that she really is a child. Von Karajan, it's a genious, and gives the orchestra a beutiful sound. If you want to buy Hansel Und Gretel, please buy this version, It's marvelouse.

High quality and captivating characterizations.......2000-02-17

While it may be cliche, the old maxim rings true here: they just don't make them like this anymore. True, this set has its drawbacks, but a performance like this makes any such quibbles easy to forget.

Firstly, mention must be made of the exceptional cast assembled here: virtually everyone is excellent. Pride of place must go to Elisabeth Grummer's excellent Hansel. While this is a part normally assumed by mezzos, Grummer's lovely soprano has enough weight in the lower range to present no problems with the low tessitura. The higher-lying passages are, predictably, no problem for her. Her voice remains radiantly beautiful throughout, and her characterization is sweetly boyish without being cloying (a trap many interpreters of these roles fall into).

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf is a singer whose recordings continue to fascinate decades after they were made. Casting her as Gretel is an unusual choice (she normally took on slightly weightier roles -- she and Grummer, in fact, sang many of the same parts) and while she has to work to sound childlike, her way with the text is unmatched by any recorded Gretel. Her minx-like teasing of Hansel or her gauzy wonder at the appearance of the gingerbread house are just two notable examples. She also sings her Act 2 opening solo with a hushed innocence: for once, Gretel actually sounds like she's singing a folk tune to herself.

The rest of the cast is quite good, if without the obvious excellence of the two leads. Else Schurhoff's Witch is fine; she really sounds like an old crone, but manages to sound frighteningly imposing when casting her spell. Maria von Ilsovay and Josef Metternich are both good, and Anny Felbermayer's soft-grained, childlike tone is right-on for her otherworldly assignments. She is marginally better as the Dew Fairy. What really sets the entire cast apart, however, is their scrupulous attention to the text and the interplay between characters. Everyone seems to be listening to each other, and that concentration and involvement really shines through.

The sound, particularly in this remastered version, is excellent: not a digital sonic spectacular, true, but you'll probably forget you're listening to a mono recording.

I'm not crazy about Herbert von Karajan's conducting in this piece. The loftier sections are really wonderful, but the lighter moments lack the propulsion and fleetness to really sweep us along (the awakening scene seemed interminable here).

For the best recording of Hansel and Gretel, I'd recommend the Kurt Eichorn recording with Helen Donath and Anna Moffo. It also contains the best Sandman, Dew Fairy, and Witch (Christa Ludwig) on records. But if you have room for another classic recording, don't pass this one up.

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