The Other Side

Amazon.com
On her seventh studio album, Ferrick gets in touch with her inner control freak, producing, arranging, recording, mixing, and playing every note. That sound you hear isn't a train wreck; it's her manic, percussive guitar and jittery drumming pushing her strongest set of songs over the edge of polite folk confines. The aggressive, albeit mostly acoustic, sound suits the sexual and personal confidence of her lyrics. She burns bridges and laughs, "I'm a wicked good swimmer/watch me dive." She dares an ex-lover to call her "fearless" and when she finds a new partner she threatens to dance into a romantic "slaughterhouse." But the set's finest moment is the deceptively simple highway song "Westbound," a trance-like groove surrounded by spacey synth loops and murmured vocals urging Ferrick further down the road--an apt closing sentiment for her most ambitious album. --Roy Kasten

The Other Side,Melissa Ferrick,Right on Records,Alternative Pop/Rock,Indy Folk Rock: "Ferrick is a high-energy belter who has stunning vocal finesse and an ability to play syntax like Armatrading and Van Morrison." Steve Morse, Boston Globe,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,Singer/Songwriter

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The Other Side

Average customer rating: "On the Other Side" songs to put you in a mood Just great Nice addition to the Sutton archive The Greatest Female Singer of Our Generation...

On the Other Side Tierney Sutton Manufacturer: Telarc ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Vocal Jazz General | Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Jazz | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Surrender I'm with the Band Not Too Late Easy To Love Nightmoves ASIN: B000LV6RB4 Release Date: 2007-02-06

Tracks:

1. Get Happy (Version 1)
2. Happy Days Are Here Again (Version 1)
3. You Are My Sunshine
4. Glad To Be Unhappy
5. Sometimes I'm Happy
6. Happy Talk
7. Haunted Heart
8. I Want To Be Happy
9. Make Someone Happy
10. Great Day!
11. Happy Days Are Here Again (Version 2)
12. Get Happy (Version 2)
13. Smile

Amazon.com

On the Other Side is an album of happy songs--"Get Happy," "Make Someone Happy," "Happy Talk," etc.--but isn't always so chipper in contemplating life and love. Indeed, it's difficult to imagine Tierney Sutton, one of whose calling cards as a jazz singer is her intensity, letting herself go--consider her inclusion of "Haunted Heart" at the middle of the album as a reflection of that. But in the cozy embrace of her working band, including the fine pianist Christian Jacob and two bassists, Sutton excels at exploring different shades of feeling, boosted by a guest turn by the ebullient veteran trumpeter and singer Jack Sheldon. Her somber dark tones, which bring her contemporary Patricia Barber to mind, are offset by a llilting catch in her voice that may remind you of Diana Ross. Ultimately, you wish her delivery was less cooly detached, but she has a winning ability to make the familiar new, as heard on two creative pairings of "Get Happy" and "Happy Days Are Here Again." --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews:

"On the Other Side".......2007-07-12

After reading her views on "happy", and her perspective on reaching for "happiness", etc., on the CD's notes, I had a better feel for the meaning and delivery of her great message............ that came through all the more clearly, because of her great voice.

songs to put you in a mood.......2007-07-07

Ms. Sutton's style and choice of songs puts me in the mood to be part of that joyous and sophisticated semi-mythical group "New York Cafe Society."

Just great.......2007-06-08

Just great - This is the minimum I can say about this CD.

Tierney is better cd after cd

Nice addition to the Sutton archive.......2007-05-24

Tierney Sutton distinguishes herself as a unique presence among the welter of contemporary female jazz vocalists. She has it all: flawless intonation, soulful delivery, and an extraordinary sense of how to spring a rhythm. Combine those attributes with her penchant for the eclectic songbook, and Sutton dwells in ethereal company with the likes of Cassandra Wilson.

Sutton's new CD, The Other Side, makes a strong thematic statement. It consists mostly of traditionally upbeat songs such as "Get Happy," "Happy Days are Here Again," and "Make Someone Happy" and gives them a pensive, ballad-like treatment. Given Sutton's energy and her band's restless probing, none of the tunes comes off as lugubrious, but a sequential listening of the entire CD is likely to jade the senses of even the most devoted Sutton fan.

The best approach is to ignore the programmatic intent and focus on the truly remarkable numbers: "Haunted Heart" derails expectations in offering the most conventional of vocal lines over an atypical and initially incongruous accompaniment. But the tension between the vocal and the rhythm lines finds resolution at various points along the way. This radical treatment of such a well-entrenched classic is risky, but finally compelling. Another standout, "Get Happy (Version 2)," features stunning work from pianist Jacob Christian and drummer Ray Brinker. In "Happy Talk," Sutton improvises some of her best scat to date.

In a November concert, Sutton told her audience, "Basically, we take a song and work it until it's unrecognizable." Usually, that experimental impulse makes the break toward freer interpretations. Not this time. Most of these pieces are restrained and subdued. Their tone is the antithesis of their message. But the formula works for most of the numbers, and the CD marks another significant milestone in Sutton's evolution as a unique voice.

The Greatest Female Singer of Our Generation..........2007-04-15

...And the most interesting trio working today-- that's the full package presented by The Tierney Sutton Band. Ms. Sutton's voice is the fourth instrument in what is in reality a quartet. In partnership with the incredible Christian Jacobs, Ray Brinker and Trey Henry and Kevin sharing bass, Tierney has produced a collection of songs of singular quality that demand your full attention. The addition of Jack Sheldon only adds to the importance of the CD. This band has deep roots with Jack Sheldon, and Sheldon is a major jazz figure who is consistantly overlooked for reasons that befuddle the muscians who have played with him or heard him play. He's a jazz master as well as showman, and I adore Tierney for including him on this master work. Play it loud, play it often. Buy as many copies as you can afford. We need to encourage the recording industry to make more Tierney Sutton Band recordings.

Average customer rating: Shucked Korn......is all they are now excellent album The weak link in the Korn music catalog. awsome! this is sweetness! Korn's changing, but they still good

See You on the Other Side Korn Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music $9.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Pop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Alternative Rock | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music $9.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Hypnotize Ten Thousand Fists Korn - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 10,000 Days Educated Horses ASIN: B000BMSTMS Release Date: 2005-12-06

Tracks:

1. Twisted Transistor
2. Politix
3. Hypocrites
4. Souvenier of Sadness
5. 2-Way
6. Throw Me Away
7. Love Song
8. Open Up
9. Interlude #2
10. Coming Undone
11. Getting Off
12. Liar
13. For No One
14. Interlude #3/I've Seen It All
15. Tearjerker

Amazon.com

On its seventh album--and first without founding member Brian "Head" Welch--Korn makes a few changes and gets on with proving that it's still a viable force within the world of heavy rock. The venerable veterans lean on outside help from the songwriting team of the Matrix and producer Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails). The end result is that this is a big change for Korn and one that will garner large shares of message board controversy on wether this album is more industrial than nü. The band is at its deftest on "Getting Off," "Politics" and "Coming Undone," which highlight the industrial bend. Stalwart fans need not worry for "Liar" and "For No One" remain in lock-step with classic Korn. One need not listen to the full hour-plus to discover flaws. Its center becomes weighed down with bland mid-tempo numbers and the final song detracts from the powerhouse close the record might have had they ended with "Interlude #3/I've Seen It All." Still, Korn has demonstrated that it's capable of weathering the storm and emerging with an album that will carry them onward. -- Jedd Beaudoin

Album Description

With such daring new songs as "Twisted Transistor," "Politics," and "Love Song" among others, it's clear that KoRn--Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Fieldy and David Silveria--have opened the doors to even more creativity and disarray. And no one does "disarray" like KoRn. The result is the most revolutionary KoRn album since their debut, a barb-wired, bastard son of blinding musical fury, dark and twisted lyrical candor, and searing, sociopathic tendencies. It's the culmination of everything KoRn have come to represent musically, morphed with an industrial-strength alter ego that's been suppressed--until now. "See You On The Other Side" is more than the evolution of KoRn--it's an evolution of heavy.

Customer Reviews:

Shucked Korn......is all they are now.......2007-07-21

Whenever I was in junior high in like 94 these guys owned the metal scene. Their music was very original All the poser kids wore the korn hoodies and everything addidas and pretended to be all mad and hard and emotionally distrought, but their parents were rich doctors and stuff like that, but it was a fun time. Their music was energetic and raw. Hell, I even used to listen to Daddy in my room with the lights turned off, cause I thought it was evil sounding and scary, but then again I was like 12. So now I'm 25 and they just don't do it for me anymore. This album is TERRIBLE!!! I use it as a coaster for my coffee table, it matches my couch. When issues came around I heard the beginning of the end. Why did they have to go and experiment with rapid pads and all those other computer generated annoying sounds? It seemed like the more weight Johnathan Davis gained, the worse their music got.

excellent album.......2007-06-04

Despite missing a guitarist this album is suprisingly good. Each song is good. Now that the drummer is also on hiatus it might be time for Korn to pull the plug instead of milking the cow until theres nothing left.

The weak link in the Korn music catalog........2007-05-31

"Twisted Transistor" is kind of a cool song, and there are a handful of other songs on here that are pretty good, like "Coming Undone", "Politics", and "Souvenier", but I don't know if I like this stripped down, industrial sound that they have tried on. It has some moments, but overall, I was unimpressed with it. Stick to earlier Korn if you are just discovering them, and if you buy it, plan on being surprised by the new musical direction.

awsome! this is sweetness!.......2007-04-19

twisted transistor-10/10
politics-7/10
hypocrites-7.5/10
souvenir-5/10
10 or a 2-way-3/10
throw me away-10/10
love song-7/10
open up-10/10
coming undone-7.9/10
getting off-7/10
liar-8/10
for no one-9/10
seen it all-?/10
tearjerker-1/10 :-)

Korn's changing, but they still good.......2007-03-23

I thought the album was alright. I kind of preffer their other styles, but this album was alright. It's just that usually bands change and start to burn out a tad, and it's not always easy to keep up with facinating ideas, so I still give them credit.It seems that every album they have realeased has been good. Not all bands are like that, usually they'll run out ideas and change terribly, not Korn! SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE doesn't suck, it's just simply not there best album that's all. I liked twisted transister, hypocrits, souvenere, coming undone, and liar.

Average customer rating: Is It Just Me? Gives you chills ~! Magic Outstanding Recording - Flawless Performance Eva? Simply the Best

The Other Side Chuck Brown , Eva Cassidy , and Eva Cassidy Manufacturer: Liaison Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Singer Songwriters | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Live at Blues Alley Eva by Heart Time After Time American Tune Songbird ASIN: B000005FN2 Release Date: 1995-12-12

Tracks:

1. Let The Good Times Roll
2. Fever
3. You Don't Know Me
4. I Could Have Told You So
5. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
6. I'll Go Crazy
7. You Don't Know What Love Is
8. Drown In My Own Tears
9. God Bless The Child
10. Red Top
11. Dark End Of The Street
12. The Shadow Of Your Smile
13. Over The Rainbow
14. You've Changed

Amazon.com

Only in America could an album like this have come together: Eva Cassidy, a young vocalist who, had she lived, might have gone on to become her generation's favorite song interpreter, trading verses with Chuck Brown, seasoned godfather of the D.C. underground funk movement known as go-go. By the time this was recorded in 1992, the go-go trend had long since peaked for Brown, while the twentysomething Cassidy was still an unknown local session vocalist. Yet, on this set of standards, the two collaborate as if they were picking up where they'd left off decades earlier, from easy-riding versions of "Let the Good Times Roll" and "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You" to near-definitive renditions of "Over the Rainbow" and "Dark End of the Street." And while it's easy to focus on the posthumously acclaimed Cassidy, Brown's haunting solo turn on "You Don't Know What Love Is" suggests that unjustly overlooked talents are still making music in the shadows of our nation's capital. --Bill Forman

Customer Reviews:

Is It Just Me?.......2007-06-12

Probably. I'm assuming no one could be so apparently tacky that there must be a meaning to this album's title beyond the obvious. If so, it's over my humble head.

As to the music itself... The Eva Cassidy movement is so fervent it's tough to criticize anything she's ever done, but this is a very mixed collection of cuts that doesn't really even belong inside one jewel box. Three or four absolute pearls in a slurry of tired standards performed so perfunctorily they sound like they were taped on the Catskills circuit in the 1950s. Nothing wrong with Eva's voice, or Chuck Brown's for that matter, but you can smell the mothballs on much of the song selection and non-arrangements.

2 1/2 stars for the pearls.

Gives you chills ~! .......2007-04-26

Eva's voice is so pure and pristine . It will give you chills and goosebumps every time you hear it .
She truly was the greatest female singer ever - her passion and pathos is unparalled . Her rendition of " God Bless the Child" is the best ever ! It will bring tears to your eyes .

This pairing is incredible - I have always been a sucker for a good duet and these two are superb and the musicians are first rate also . I guarantee you will love this gem of a CD !

Magic.......2006-08-27

Only some eighteen months ago did I hear about Eva from a young lady serving in a record store but already she is my favourite female artist. Her range is fantastic and to borrow the words from another reviewer (as I am not good at this) she has a "mix of aching clarity and rich warmth". In this particular album which is one of my very favourites she and Chuck Brown collaborate in an amazing way. They are just so amazingly excellent together and I thoroughly recommend all of the songs. Eva pounds it out but there are moments when her sensitivity and warmth also shine through. Chuck has a deep rich voice and I hope he does more of this type of work.

Outstanding Recording - Flawless Performance.......2006-05-03

This is one of the best CD's in my collection. It's great pleasure to listen to world class musicians who can do it all and hats off to the audio engineers to capture this timeless material. Chuck Brown is one of the best blues singers I have heard and Eva Cassidy - a huge talent. If you are considering this CD, you have come to the right place. You will be very happy about your purchase.

Eva? Simply the Best.......2004-06-23

Eva Cassidy? I have all her albums. This was the first one- and my favorite. There aren't enough superlatives in the language to describe the talent this woman had. I am seventy-two years old, and I have listened to all the great ladies of jazz for sixty of those years. Although there are some good young jazz voices around these days, Eva had no peers. She was a great artist who belongs at the top with Ella, Sarah, and Billie. I lament her passing, and treasure the recordings she left us. The duets with Chuck Brown are outstanding.

Average customer rating: awsome CD Versatile Singer il divo ancora music Amazing... His wrost CD

Encore Russell Watson , and Leonard Bernstein Manufacturer: Decca ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Leoncavallo | Leoncavallo, Ruggiero | ( L ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Russell Watson · The Voice Amore Musica Reprise The Voice: The Ultimate Collection Russell Watson Live ASIN: B00006JI9W Release Date: 2002-10-01

Tracks:

1. Va, Pensiero (Verdi)
2. Volare
3. The Prayer
4. 'O Sole Mio
5. Ave Maria
6. Mattinata (Leoncavallo)
7. You Are So Beautiful
8. Somewhere
9. Che Gelida Manina (Puccini)
10. E Lucevan Le Stelle (Puccini)
11. Magic Of Love
12. Catch The Tears
13. Is Nothing Sacred?
14. Bohemian Rhapsody
15. Celeste Aida (Verdi)
16. Where My Heart Will Take Me (from "Enterprise")

Amazon.com

Following up on the release of his debut CD, The Voice, Russell Watson is back with Encore, another mix of opera favorites and popular songs. By now Watson has become virtually a household name--he sells out large concert venues and remains on the top-seller charts. On Encore, we find Puccini and Verdi sharing the billing with Lulu and Lionel Ritchie on the CD's 16 tracks, which range from the much-loved Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria" to "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the theme for Enterprise (the latest Star Trek TV series). Indeed, a more fitting title might have been The Voices, since Watson explores opera, sacred works, film, television themes, and pop songs. The orchestral arrangements on tracks such as "Va, Pensiero" may not win him any fans from the opera contingency, but Watson reveals a captivating sound on pop ballads, including "You Are So Beautiful" and "Somewhere." If you enjoyed The Voice, you're certain to want an encore. --Rebecca Agnew

Customer Reviews:

awsome CD.......2007-06-09

This CD is overall a wonderful sellection of music. I bought it for the one song and have enjoyed all of the songs on the CD.

Versatile Singer.......2007-03-30

Russell Watson has an incredible voice range & a very versatile singer. He even made me appreciate opera!

il divo ancora music.......2006-11-10

The book is wonderful. I love playing their music, its so great. Worth the money, no doubt.

Amazing..........2006-05-05

Russell Watson is amazing. It is truly a delight to hear him sing both the pop and the arias, for he performs both equally well. His rendition of Volare is very fun, and when he sings Somewhere, it's simply breathtaking. His duet with Lionel Richie was also splendid. They really did sound fantastic together. The two low points for me were The Prayer, because I couldn't stand Russell's duet partner, Lulu, and Don't Know How I Got By, because the song just didn't seem to suit Russell's voice. However, the other tracks more than make up for those few inferior selections. Russell Watson truly is a talented man, and I highly recommend this album.

His wrost CD.......2005-01-12

I have all 4 of Russell's Cd's and this is by far his wrose.
The Classical stuff is great but The pop stuff is some of the wrose pop stuff he has even done.

Average customer rating: Godsmack CD "The Other Side" A so so collection Very Nice Best EP I own Excellent!!

The Other Side Godsmack Manufacturer: Universal ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Alternative Styles | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Post Grunge | American Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Alternative General | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Alternative General | Alternative Rock | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Pop General | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Alternative Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Hard Rock & Metal | 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: Faceless Awake Godsmack IV Godsmack - Changes ASIN: B0000DZE4L Release Date: 2004-03-16

Tracks:

1. Running Blind
2. Re-Align
3. Touchi
4. Voices
5. Keep Away
6. Spiral
7. Asleep

Customer Reviews:

Godsmack CD "The Other Side".......2007-02-24

I first listened to this CD in a local sport's bar. The bartender discovered that I had just retired from the military and he wanted me to listen to the CD his son had sent him. His son is serving over in Iraq.
I normally listen to XM radio, the Spanish stations or Frank's Place. Godsmack is not the music I would normally purchase. However, the group has a very deep appealing sound. I actually bought the CD for a friend of mine who is deployed over in the Persian Gulf - I thought if his son who is in Iraq likes it, then perhaps the fighting men and women over there would also relate and enjoy this CD.

A so so collection.......2007-01-10

I was a bit dissapointed with this CD. Not much more to say.

Very Nice.......2007-01-07

This CD has a very nice sound...I was shocked when I first heard it, because I was used to Godsmack's edgier sound on the other albums. This album has acoustic versions of some of their best songs. The sound is AMAZING, though. If you love Godsmack, definitely check this out, I think you'll be pleasantly suprised. The quality of the recording is excellent - the acoustic guitar is perfectly balanced with the vocals. I love it.

My only advice: Don't buy it on Amazon. Because there are only seven tracks, paying the Amazon price seems like a waste of money. You can get it on iTunes for $6.99.

Best EP I own.......2006-08-03

This album is a really pleasant EP. And unlike others you won't regret buying this one. The acoustic guitars suite Erna Sully's voice. The rhythm and the speed are maintained perfectly. Touche and Voices are my favourite. Go on buy it if you have not yet got it

Excellent!!.......2006-07-05

I have just recently "discovered" Godsmack but am rapidly becoming a big fan. This album was a pleasant surprise, I absolutely love it!

Average customer rating: Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material! Beginner or Expert Very Informative and Enjoyable Frank's view Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra

Instruments of the Orchestra Various Artists Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Featured Performers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra | ( H ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music London Philharmonic Orchestra | ( L ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra | ( M ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music National Philharmonic Orchestra London | ( N ) | Performers, A-Z | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Instrumental | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music Similar Items: Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra Op34; Simple Symphony Op4 The Mahler Symphonies: An Owner's Manual (includes 1 CD) The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Book & CD) What to Listen for in Music Study of Orchestration, Third Edition ASIN: B00006O0NT Release Date: 2002-12-03

Tracks:

1. Overture To 'Tannhauser'
2. Domna, Pos Vos Ay Chausida
3. We Don't Merely Use Instruments, We Play On Them. And They Play On Us.
4. Hungarian Dance No.7
5. The Violin Is One Of The Most Tender And Beautiful Instruments Ever Invented.
6. Violin Concerto In D Major (Adagio)
7. But For A Long Time It Was Seen As The Instrument Of The Devil.
8. The Soldier's Tale: Triumphal March Of The Devil
9. The Manipulative Seductiveness Of The Gypsy Violin.
10. Csardas Music
11. The Violin And The Initiation Of Nature
12. The Four Seasons (Spring, Mvt 1)
13. Birds Are Again Evoked In The Second Concerto, Especially Music's Natural Favourite.
14. The Four Seasons (Summer, Mvt 1)
15. Like The Devil, The Violin Is A Master Of Disguise.
16. Old Viennese Dance No.3 'Schon Rosmarin'
17. The Menacing Sensuality Of Ravel's Tzigane: A Very Different Side Of The Violin:
18. Tzigane
19. Do We Now Have The True Measure Of This Instrument? Not Just Yet.
20. Caprice No.24
21. The Many Effects Of The String Tremolando: Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Last Mvt)/From Joy To Fright/Quartettsatz In C Minor/The String Tremolo Practically Spells The World Agitato.
22. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No.7)
23. Prokofiev's Tremolo In Romeo And Juliet Should Not Be Heard Just Before Bedtime.
24. Romeo And Juliet: Act IV
25. Vivaldi Use It To Illustrate The Shivering Of Travellers Crossing The Ice.
26. The Four Seasons (Winter, Mvt 1)
27. The Violin Muted
28. Clair De Lune
29. The Gentleness Of Muted Strings Persists Even When A Whole Orchestra Plays.
30. Piano Concerto No.21 In C Major, K.467 (Slow Mvt)
31. The Pizzicato Violin
32. Pizzicato Polka
33. In Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, The Accompaniment Is Pizzicato.
34. Violin Concerto No.2 In G Minor (Slow Mvt)
35. Varieties Of Pizzicato: Colas Breugnon (The People's Feast)/Now A Drier, Leaner, Hungrier Pizzicato. There's Not A Lot Of Comfort Here./Capriol Suite (Tordion)/The Use Of Pizzicato As 'Percussion'/Romeo And Juliet (Act I)/Mahler Used Pizzicato...
36. The Planets (Mars - The Bringer Of War)
37. The Technique Of Double-Stopping Enables The Violin To Play Duets With Itself./Sonata No.3 In C Major For Unaccompanied Violin (Fugue)/Now A Later Example Of The Same Technique
38. Hungarian Dance No.4
39. Double-Stopping Is A Standard Feature Of A Lot Of Folk Music.
40. The Four Seasons (Autumn, Mvt 1)
41. Now The Same Technique, But The Sound Might Have Come From Another World.
42. Bolero
43. Double-Stopping Can Only Approximate The Sound Of A Real Violin Duet.
44. Cadenza To The Violin Concerto By Brahms
45. Now Compare That With A Real Violin Duet.
46. Forty-Four Duos (No. 1: Teasing Song)
47. Another Duo By Bartok, Demonstrating The Violin's Rich Lower Register
48. Forty-Four Duos (No.2: Maypole Dance)
49. And Now What May Be The Most Beautiful Accompanied Violin Duet In History
50. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
51. The Soul Of The Violin Is In Song; But What About This Weird Passage?
52. Violin Concerto No.1 In D Major (Mvt 2)
53. The Use Of Harmonies In The Orchestra Can Be Both Magical And Unsettling.
54. Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 1, Opening)
55. Tchaikovsky's Use Of Harmonics In The Sleeping Beauty Is Both Strange And Darling.
56. The Sleeping Beauty (Act II, No.15: Entr'Acte)
57. Ravel's Harmonics In Mother Goose Effect A Magical Transformation.
58. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
59. Stravinsky's Harmonics In The Firebird Transport Us Almost Into Another World./The Firebird (Introduction)
60. The Natural Upper Notes Of The Violins Have A Unique Emotional 'Grab'.
61. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Of The Afterworldsmen)
62. Still In Their Upper Register, The Violins Unleash The Energy Of A Young Colt.
63. Variations On A Theme Of Frank Bridge (No. 4)
64. Elsewhere, Britten Uses The Same High Register To Create A Very Different Mood.
65. Four Sea Interludes (Dawn) From 'Peter Grimes'
66. To End This Outing With The Violins, A Charming Little Elfin Dance
67. Elfenreigen

Tracks:

1. Introduction To The Viola
2. Viola Concerto (Mvt 1)
3. Khatchaturian Gets A Very Different Sound From It: Fuller, Fruitier, More Exotic.
4. Gayane Suite No.1 (Armen's Solo)
5. Very Nearly The Whole Of The Violin's Upper Register Is Also Available To The Viola.
6. Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'
7. The Viola Can Bring A Special, Rich Twanginess To Pizzicato That The Violins Lack./Don Quixote/Berlioz Drew Sounds From It That Retain Their Metallic Strangeness Even Today.
8. Harold In Italy (Mvt 4)
9. The Muted Viola: Intimate, Gentle, Poignant In Dvork
10. Cypresses (No.9)
11. The Massed Violas Of The Modern Symphony Orchestra In Mahler
12. Symphony No.4 (Mvt 3)
13. The 'Period' Viola In Bach
14. Brandenburg Concerto No.6 (Last Mvt)
15. The Cello: A Voice Of Unique Nobility
16. Suite No.1 For Unaccompanied Cello (Prelude)
17. Brahms And The 'Soul' Of The Cello
18. Piano Concerto No.2 In B Flat Major (Mvt 3)
19. Most Orchestral Composers Tend To Emphasize The Cello's Lower Register.
20. Cantata 'Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben', BWV 147 (Soprana Aria: Bereite Dir, Jesu)
21. In The Time Of Beethoven The Cello Remained As Fundamental As Ever.
22. Symphony No.3 'Eroica' (Finale)
23. But The Cello Is Not Condemned To Spend Its Life In The Basement.
24. Elfentanz, Op.39
25. Not Only In Recital Showpieces Like That Is The Cello Is Used In Its Highest Register.
26. The Protecting Veil (Opening)
27. A Cello With An Identity-Crisis: The Pizzicato Flamencan
28. Flamenco
29. Double-Stopping In The Lower Reaches Of The Cello's Range
30. Solo Suiet For Cello And Piano (Sardana)
31. It's In The Middle Register That The Cello Really Comes Into Its Own.
32. Oriental Dance, Op.2 No.2
33. It Was To The Cellos That Beethoven Gave Two Of His Most Famous Themes./Symphony No.5 (Mvt 2)/Still More Famous Than That Theme Is This One From The Ninth Symphony.
34. Symphony No.9 (Finale)
35. Introduction To The Double-Bass
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Elephant)
37. But The Double-Bass Can Be Intensely Expressive And Graceful.
38. Elegy No.1 In D Major
39. The Range Of The Double-Bass Is The Greatest Of All The String Instruments/Allegro Di Concerto, 'Alla Mendelssohn'/And It's Also Capable Of Very Considerable Virtuosity.
40. Capriccio Di Bravura
41. Double-Bass Solos In Orchestral Scores Are Rare But Often Memorable./Symphony No.1 'Titan' (Mvt 3)/In His Third Symphony Mahler Makes A Very Different Use Of The Instrument./Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1)
42. The Double-Bass Muted In Prokofiev/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Kije's Wedding)/In Another Work Prokofiev Uses The Double-Bass To Enhance The Winds./Romeo And Juliet (Act III)/And He Combines The Bass Clarinet With A Shivering Tremolo From The Double-Basses....
43. Symphony No.5 (Mvt 3)/So Much For The Strings/On Now To The Winds

Tracks:

1. The Antiquity And Magic Of The Flute
2. Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune
3. The Versatility And Agility Of The Flute
4. Orchestral Suite No.2 In B Minor (Badinerie)
5. The Flute In Fifteenth-Century Spain
6. Sa'Dawi
7. Other Flutes: The Bass And Alto
8. Chamber Music No.II
9. The Piccolo - Aptly Named
10. La Naissance D'Osiris (Mvt 6)
11. From A Piccolo Of The Eighteenth Century To One Of Its Descendants In The Twentieth
12. Suite No.1 For Small Orchestra (Valse)
13. A Variety Of Techniques
14. Chamber Music No.II
15. Flutter-Tonguing. But Tchaikovsky Got There Eighty Years Before.
16. The Nutcracker (Act II, No.2: Scene)
17. From The Transverse To The Vertical: The Baroque Recorder
18. Recorded Suite In A Minor (Menuet II)
19. An Unfamiliar, Early Vision Of The Instrument
20. Naelden, Naelden
21. The Bachian Oboe
22. Cantata 'Ein Feste Burg Ist Unser Gott', BWV 80 (No.7: Duetto)
23. Introduction To The Cor Anglais Or 'English Born'
24. Symphony No.9 'From The New World' (Mvt 2)
25. The Loneliness Of The Cor Anglais
26. The Swan Of Tuonela
27. The Cor Anglais Joins The French Horn In Haydn.
28. Symphony No.22 'The Philosopher' (Opening)
29. Introduction To The Oboe D'Amore, Beloved Of Bach - But Also Of Ravel
30. Bolero
31. The Clarinet Family: Boxing The Compass, From The Depths Of The Bass Clarinet.../The Egyptian (Violence)/...To The Raucous And Squealy.../Taras Bulba (The Death Of Ostap)/...To The Shrill And Complaining...
32. Petrushka (No.8: Peasant With Bear)/...To The High Sprits Of A Playful Puppy./Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)/And To The Downright Jazzy/Romeo And Juliet (Act II)
33. As The High Clarinets Tend To Be Loud, So The Bass Tends To Be Soft:
34. Gayane Suite No. 1 (Mvt 5)
35. The Bass Clarinet Is Used By Most Composers Mainly As A Colouring Agent.../Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/...But It Does Occasionally Get A Whole Tune To Itself./Iberia (Almeria).
36. The Range Of The Normal Clarinet Parts Goes Quite High...
37. The Snow Maiden (Scene 5: Melodrama)
38. ...And Quite Low.
39. Peter And The Wolf (The Cat)
40. The Clarinet As Concerto Soloist
41. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
42. But That's Not The Instrument Mozart Wrote It For; This Is:
43. Clarinet Concerto In A Major (Rondo)
44. Introduction To The Saxophone
45. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 4)
46. The Soprano Saxophone Has Quite A Different Feel To It.
47. L'Arlesienne Suite No.1 (Minuet)
48. The Little Sopranino Sax Goes Even Higher.
49. Bolero
50. The Most Famous Use Of The Saxophone Is In An Orchestration By Ravel.
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (The Old Castle)
52. The Saxophone Can Be Quite Contagiously Good-Humoured.
53. Sax-O-Phun
54. The Puffa-Puffa Image Of The Bassoon
55. Peter And The Wolf (Grandfather)
56. The Bachian Bassoon, In Accompanimental Mode
57. Cantata 'Weichet Nur, Betrubte Schatten' ('Wedding Cantata'), BWV 202 (Aria No.1)
58. Bizet Leaves The Puffa-Puffa Image Out, Allowing The Bassoon To Sing./Carmen Suite No.1 (Les Dragons D'Alcala)
59. And Ravel, Also In Spanish Mode, Does Likewise.
60. Bolero
61. The Bassoon As A Voice Of High Seriousness, Indeed Desolate Loneliness
62. Symphony No.3 (Opening)
63. The Eerie Bassoon In Its Highest Register
64. The Rite Of Spring (Opening)
65. Stravinsky Now Draws On Its Lowest Register, Lonely And Melancholy.
66. The Firebird Suite (1919, Berceuse)
67. The Bassoon As Concerto Soloist, Avoiding All Exaggeration
68. Bassoon Concerto In G Minor (Finale)
69. The Deep-Voiced Contra-Bassoon, As A Fairy-Tale Beast
70. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Beauty And The Beast)
71. The French Horn Under Its Woodwind Hat
72. Wind Quintet, Op.43 (Last Mvt)
73. Now A More Prominent Role, In A Woodwind Quintet From An Earlier Era
74. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Mvt 2)
75. The Horn In Harmonious Blend With Strings In Another Quintet
76. Horn Quintet, K.407 (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Trumpet As Virtuoso Soloist
2. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Last Mvt)
3. The Special Brillance Of Paired Trumpets
4. Concerto In C For Two Trumpets, RV537 (Mvt 1)
5. The Ceremonial Trumpet
6. Fanfare For The Common Man
7. Trumpets And Drums - An Incomparable Alliance
8. Messiah (The Trumpet Shall Sound)
9. The Versatility Of The Trumpet, From The Most Public To The Most Lonely
10. Piano Concerto In F (Slow Mvt)
11. The Trumpet As The Voice Of The City/An American In Paris/The Trumpet As Recruitment Officer/The Soldier's Tale (The March)/The Trumpet As Swaggerer
12. Carmen Suite No.2 (Habanera)
13. The Trumpet As The Voice Of Strength And Courage
14. Carmet Suite No.2 (Toreador's Song)
15. The Trumpet Muted/Petrushka (No.4: The Blackamoor)/Lieutenant Kije Suite (Opening)/The Trumpet As The Voice Of Weariness
16. Billy The Kid
17. The Trumpet As Character Actor
18. Pictures At An Exhibition (No.6)
19. The Trumpet As The Voice Of God
20. Mass In B Minor ('Et Exspecto')
21. The Birth Of The Trombone
22. Aenmerckt Nu Hier
23. The Birth Of The Brass As A Family
24. Canzon 12 In Double Echo
25. The Trombone In The Eighteenth Century
26. Trombone Concerto In B Flat Major (Finale)
27. The Tone Of The Tenor Trombone/Romance For Trombone And Organ/The Memorable Voice Of The Bass Trombone/Requiem (Mvt 2)/But The Bass Trombone Is More Than An Instrumental Bullfrog.
28. Hosannah
29. The Trombones Become Part Of The Orchestra.
30. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
31. The Wagnerian Trombone:/Overture To 'Tannhauser'
32. The Trombone As Caricaturist
33. Pulcinella (No.19: Vivo)
34. The Trombone As Raspberry/Concerto For Orchestra (Intermezzo)
35. The Horn And The Hunt
36. Horn Concerto No.4 In E Flat, K.495 (Finale)
37. The Challenging Horn Of The Baroque
38. Abaris Ou Les Boreades (Menuet)
39. The Scarcity Of First-Rate Players In Handel's Time
40. Walter Music (Minuet 1)
41. The Horn As Magician/The Firebird Suite (1919, Finale)
42. Horns And The Sound Of Nobility
43. Overture To 'Tannhauser' (Opening)
44. The Special Sound Of The Horn In Its Higher Register
45. Mass In B Minor ('Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus')
46. The Trumpet-Like Sound Of Massed Horns
47. Symphony No.3 (Mvt 1, Opening)
48. The Tuba - Unfairly Maligned?
49. Symphony No.6 (Mvt 3)
50. The Tuba Perfectly Cast By Ravel
51. Pictures At An Exhibition (Bydlo)

Tracks:

1. Introduction. And We Begin With A Bang.
2. Fanfare For The Common Man/The Bass Drum On The Battlefields/Wellington's Victory, Op.91 (Opening)
3. At The Opposite Extreme Is The Triangle.
4. Piano Concerto No.1 In E Flat (Scherzo)
5. Categories Of Percussion: Tuned And Untuned. The Side Drum
6. Overture To 'La Gazza Ladra' - The Thieving Magpie (Opening)
7. The Side Drum In An Effective But Unexpected Role/Clarinet Concerto (Mvt 1)
8. The Tambourine. One Of The Oldest Instruments In The World
9. Den Hoboecken Dans
10. Even Older Is The Originally Oriental Gong.
11. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
12. No Single Instrument Can Match The Gong In Evoking The Breaking Of Waves./Passacaglia, Op.33b From 'Peter Grimes'/But Gongs Don't Have To Be Struck To Be Effective.
13. Gymnopedie No.2
14. The Cymbals Are Generally Discovered Early In Life./The Sanguine Fan/And They Do More Than Clash Together Loudly. They Can Be Clashed Together Softly./Studio Example: But They Needn't Be Clashed Together At All/Studio Example: They Can Be Lightly...
15. Other Untuned Percussion Instruments Include The Whip.: Piano Concerto In G Major (Opening)/And Here Are No Fewer Than Twenty, Cracked By Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Act I, Scene 5)
16. More Versatile Than The Whip Are The Wood Blocks.../Studio Example/...Which Crop Up All Over The Place In Twentieth-Century American Music.
17. Rodeo (Hoe-Down)
18. Related To The Wood Blocks, By Sound, Are The Castanets./Jota Aragonesa/But The Castanets Were Also Used By Monteverdi Back In The Seventeenth Century.
19. Scherzi Musicali (Damigella Tutta Belle)
20. A Still Earlier Example From Fifteenth-Century Spain
21. Yo M'Enamori D'Un Aire
22. The Birth Of The Bongo
23. Symphonic Dances From 'West Side Story'
24. From The Streets Of New York To The Blacksmith's Shop/Il Trovatore ('Anvil Chorus')
25. Desert-Island Decibels: Grand Canyon Suite (On The Trail)/Arcana
26. From One Vegetable To Another: The Humble Squash, Or Marrow/Huapango
27. Onwards To The Tuned Percussion. First, The Timpani
28. Also Sprach Zarathustra (Introduction)
29. But The Drum Roll Can Be More Effectively Frightening Than The Big Bang.: Symphony No.2 'Resurrection' (Mvt 3)
30. Not One Drum Roll, But Many/Grand Canyon Suite (Sunrise)/Symphonie Fantastique (Last Mvt)
31. Taking Advantage Of Tunability
32. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Mvt 2)
33. The Russian Composer Rodion Shchedrin Takes A Downward Turn./Carmen Suite (Changing Of The Guard)/Tuned, Yes; But For The Truly Melodic We Must Look Elsewhere.
34. Introducing The Glockenspiel/Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
35. Saint-Saens And The Xylophone
36. The Carnival Of The Animals (Fossils)
37. Ravel And The Xylophone
38. Ma Mere L'Oye - Mother Goose (Laideronette)
39. Introducing The Marimba/Carmen Suite (First Intermezzo)
40. Introducing The Vibraphone
41. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Narange Dolce)
42. The Vibraphone Goes Russian.../Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)/...And Is Joined By The Marimba./Carmen Suite (Carmen's Entrance And Habanera)
43. Introducing The Hungarian Cimbalom
44. Folk Dances
45. The Cimbalom And The Symphony Orchestra
46. Hary Janos Suite (Mvt 3)
47. Introducing The Tubular Bells
48. Hary Janos Suite (Viennese Musical Clock)
49. A More 'Up-Front' Approach From Rodion Shchedrin
50. Carmen Suite (Introduction)
51. But The Bells Can Also Make The Sinister Even More Sinister./Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
52. Introducing The Celeste
53. The Nutcracker (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
54. Magic, In The Use Of Collective Percussion
55. Miroirs (La Vallee Des Cloches)
56. Plucked Instruments: The 'Undercover Percussion'/Carmen Suite (Scene)
57. A Prime Case In Point Is The Harp, Irresistible To The Romantics./The Nutcracker (Act II, No.1: Scene)/The Non-Solo Harp As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Hungarian Rhapsody No.1
58. The Traditionally Subservient Role Of The Harpsichord In The Baroque Orchestra
59. Brandenburg Concerto No.2 (Slow Mvt)
60. The Piano: King Of The Tuned Percussion/Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Mvt 3)/And A Quarter Of A Century After That:
61. Petrushka (Russian Dance)
62. The Anti-Romantic Piano As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra
63. Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste (Last Mvt)

Tracks:

1. Keyboard Instruments In The Orchestra - The Most Powerful Of Them All:
2. Symphony No.3 'Organ' (Finale)
3. But Things In Handel's Day Were Very Different.
4. Organ Concerto In B Flat, Op.4 No.3 (Last Mvt)
5. The Organ Is Difficult To Classify.
6. An Unexpected, Organ-related Guest
7. Concerto Pour Zampogna (Last Mvt)
8. Peasant-Fancying... And A Touch Of The Roaming Cowboy
9. Les Miserables (Drink With Me)
10. Outside Artefacts And The Power Of Association
11. Mahler's Sleighbells
12. Symphony No.4 (Opening)
13. A Roll-Call Of Some Unusual Guests/The Typewriter/Parade
14. Chains, And More/Integrales/An American In Paris/Sandpaper Ballet
15. Purpose-Built Oddities: Wind Machines/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Opening)
16. Don Quixote (Variation VIII)
17. National Calling Cards: The Guitar For Spain/Concierto De Aranjuez (Finale)
18. And The Guitar's Poor American Relative, The Banjo/Washington Breakdown
19. And Poorer Still, The Mouth Organ/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (Packing Up)
20. The Balalaika For Russia/Romeo And Juliet (Act II: No.14)
21. The Maracas For Mexico/The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (El Desayuno)
22. The Bongos And Congas And A Whole Wealth Of Other Drums For Africa And Central America/Studio Example
23. The Sitar Of India/Evening Raga: Bhapoli
24. The Accordion For France (Especially Paris)/Paris Canaille
25. The Zither For Vienna/The Third Man (Theme)
26. The Cimbalom For Hungary/Folk Dances
27. The Guitar As An Integral Part Of The Orchestra/Rondena
28. There Are Whole Orchestras Of Balalaikas./Sveit Mesiats
29. The Effect Of The Wordless Human Voice, Used Purely As An Instrument/Symphony No.7 'Sinfonia Antartica' (Mvt 1)
30. Nocturnes
31. Instruments And the Imitation Of Nature. The Clarinet As Cuckoo
32. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Cuckoo)
33. The Flute As An All-purpose Aviary
34. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aviary)
35. The Oboe As Duck
36. Peter And The Wolf (The Duck)
37. The Recording Of Reality. Does It Work As Well?
38. The Pines Of Rome (The Pines Of The Janiculum)
39. The Recording Of Reality Electronically Reborn In New Guises
40. Cantus Articus - Concerto For Birds And Orchesra (Mvt 2)
41. Beethoven Turns Avian: Cuckoo, Nightingale, And Quail
42. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral' (Andante Molto Mosso)
43. Some Improbable Casting: The Violin As Braying Donkey
44. The Carnival Of The Animals (Persons With Long Ears)
45. A Truly Orchestral Hee-haw To Be Reckoned With
46. Overture To 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
47. A Thunderstorm In A Million
48. Symphony No.6 'Pastoral (Allegro-Allegretto)
49. the Instrumental Depiction Of A Silent World
50. The Carnival Of The Animals (The Aquarium)
51. Saint-Saens' Menagerie Takes A Curtain Call.
52. The Carnival Of The Animals (Finale)

Tracks:

1. The Grouping Of Instrumental Families. An Additive Approach. First, Two Violins
2. Forty-Four Duos (No.4)
3. A Great Contrast, Of Both Pitch And Character: Violin And Viola
4. Duo For Violin And Viola In B Flat Major, K.424 (Finale, Vars 1 & 2)/Studio Example
5. Arrival Of The Standard String Trio: Violin, Viola, And Cello
6. String Trio In B Flat (Menuetto)
7. The String Quartet: Two Violins, Viola, And Cello
8. String Quartet In F, Op.18 No.1 (Mvt 3)
9. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Viola
10. String Quartet No.5 In D, K.593 (Adagio)
11. The String Quintet - When The Extra Instrument Is A Second Cello
12. String Quintet In C (Mvt 3)
13. The String Sextet: Two Violins, Two Violas, And Two Cellos
14. String Sextet In B Flat (Mvt 2)
15. The String Octet: The Standard String Quaret Times Two
16. Octet In E Flat, Op.20 (Mvt 1)
17. Double The String Octet: A Fully Fledged String Orchestra
18. String Symphony No.2 (Finale)
19. The Massed Strings Of A Symphony Orchestra
20. Fantasia On A Theme Of Thomas Tallis
21. Contrasts Of Pitch And Instrumental 'Colour' In The Woodwind Section
22. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Op.100 No.5 (Theme)
23. In The First Variation It's The Horn That Gets The Lion's Share.
24. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 1
25. In Variation Two The Torch Is Handed To The Bassoon.
26. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 2
27. In Variation Three The Oboe Leads.
28. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 3
29. Variation Four: Conversation Before Returning To A Solo-dominated Texture
30. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 4
31. And Variation Five is Dominated By The Clarinet.
32. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 5
33. The Next To Be Featured Is The Virtuoso Flute.
34. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 6
35. Individual Farewells And A Closing Chorus
36. Wind Quintet In A Minor, Variation 7
37. A Mixed Group: Clarinet, Bassoon, Horn, String Quartet, And Double-Bass
38. Octet In F (Mvt 3)
39. The Early Classical Symphony Orchestra Of Haydn And Mozart
40. Symphony No.29 In A, K.201 (Finale)
41. Strings, Wind, But No Brass. What Haydn And Mozart Never Knew
42. Canzon 28
43. Beethoven's Fifth: Two Horns, Two Trumpets, And Three Trombones Join The Team.
44. Symphony No.5 (Finale)
45. From Beethoven To The Massive Orchestras Of Berlioz, Wagner, And Mahler
46. Beethoven Changed The Face Of The Symphony And The Orchestra Forever
47. Symphoy No.6 'Tragic' (Mvt 1)
48. The Cult Of Orchestral Elephantiasis Reaches Its Peak.
49. Symphony No.1 'Gothic' (VI: Te Ergo Quaesumus)
50. When Large Doesn't Necessarily Mean Loud: Debussy
51. Images (Gigues)
52. A Crisis Of Confidence; The Orchestra's Survival Hangs In The Balance, But It Still Develops. The Ondes Martenot:
53. Turangalila Symphony (Chant D'amour 1)
54. The Advent Of The 'Early Music' Movement Brings A New Vitality And Freshness.
55. Balle De Xerxes (Gavotte En Rondeau)
56. Computer And Synthesiser: Friends Or Foes?
57. Concerto In D Minor For Two Violins (Largo)
58. A Speculative Look Ahead/Mass In B Minor ('Dona Nobis Pacem')

Customer Reviews:

Instruments of the Orchestra - Great Reference Material!.......2007-04-04

This set lends itself to greatly enhancing one's knowledge of the orchestra, instruments in it, and their usage. I am a huge music buff, and I still picked up a great deal I previously did not know. I highly recommend this for all who wish to understand the origin of music, as well as the processes that are employed to create music!

Beginner or Expert.......2007-03-12

This CD is excellent for the beginner or expert! To be able to haear the instrumets separately and then together really provides a good education. and/or refresher. The book thaty comes with the CD is alomost worth the price by itself!

Very Informative and Enjoyable.......2006-11-20

Whether you're a music novice or pro, "The instruments of the Orchestra" is a very worthwhile purchase. The 7 CDs, with a total of 8 hours, are expertly narrated by Jeremy Siepmann. He's a great speaker, very much like the late Leonard Bernstein was. Mr. Siepmann takes you on an unforgetable musical journey covering the origins and use of the various orchestral instruments throughout musical history. The balance between his narration and a wealth of musical examples, which range from snippets to entire movements, is superb. The comprehensive enclosed booklet is excellent and faithfully follows the 7 CDs in content. Even with my 40+ years of music training I still learned new things from this wonderful collection. Considering the excellence of the content, and a cost that translates to about $5 per disc, this collection is a great value. Grab it, you won't regret that you did. Five solid stars!

Frank's view.......2006-08-19

This boxed set of CD's with booklet achieved all I had hoped that it would. There are good samples of individual instruments and well done commentary on each. The only drawback was that some of the samples were too brief and could have been longer, hoiwever I guess this fits in with time constraints of the medium. It has given me a lot of clues as to future purchases of CD's for listening to individual instruments. Altogeth a satisfactory purchase and a welcome addition to my collection.

Excellent Intro for Those Not Familiar with the Orchestra.......2003-11-08

I've listened to classical music for years and am interested in composition. I bought this CD set to learn how an orchestra and its instruments work. I thought the CDs would be a nice but boring lecture. They aren't! Not only are they FUN but they are informative as well. I learned a huge amount from each CD and couldn't wait to listen to the next one.

The narrator and writer is a great speaker and holds your attention well. He is definitely knowledgeable. He provides musical examples for each point he makes, so you get to "hear" what he just talked about. I'd say the CDs are about 65% music and 35% narration. You'll learn about the range of instruments, some history, different ways to play them, how they sound, and how they are used in the orchestra. This CD set was a great learning experience and is sold at such a low price!

I recommend this CD for those who want to learn about classical music and those who know about it but are interested in learning more about the inner workings of an orchestra. You'll learn much useful information. For instance, the Rite of Spring (with that eerie start) is written for bassoon! I never knew a bassoon could sound like that but now I do.

The one complaint I have is the last CD. This deals with the orchestra. I wanted more of a tour of how the orchestra has been used through history up to the present. Instead, it was a tour of how different groups of instruments sound. I thought it could have been better. The other 6 CDs are excellent.

Average customer rating: Still Impressed Best effort Inspirational and uplifting The Other Side Proud to be his fan!

The Other Side Billy Ray Cyrus Manufacturer: Word Entertainment ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wanna Be Your Joe The Definitive Collection Trail of Tears Some Gave All It Won't Be the Last ASIN: B0000D9PLF Release Date: 2003-10-28

Tracks:

1. Face Of God
2. Wouldn't You Do This For Me?
3. Always Sixteen
4. I Need You Now
5. Love Has No Walls
6. Tip Of My Heart
7. Did I Forget To Pray
8. Holding On To A Dream
9. I Love You This Much
10. The Other Side
11. Amazing Grace

Product Description

Brand New sealed condition, includes original CD, case and paperwork. First Class Shipping. Ask me for my CD List. :D

Customer Reviews:

Still Impressed.......2007-05-30

I have always been a huge Billy Ray fan. The first concert my daughter ever seen was Billy Ray @ Riverbend in Cincinnati. She was 10! His talent and genuine love of people and this gift that he has is not something that he takes for granted, but I believe that most of us listeners do take it for granted. When I became a Christian, I stopped listening to "secular" music. That was a decision that I made on my own to strengthen my walk with God. One day I was listening to the radio on-line at the office. This beautiful song came on. When it was over & the DJ said it was Billy Ray, I was stunned! So after a week of hearing it on the radio, I came on-line to see if it was available on any of his CDs. I was so excited to see that he had made a CD of 'faith based' music. Although Billy Ray didn't write all the songs on this CD like he normally does, the songs are written by some very well known Christian artists - Matthew West & Del Gray to name two.

This is a great CD. The messages thru the songs are good. If you know the Lord, you'll hear His messages throughout this CD, but the sound is soooooo Billy Ray. I just love it. Thank you so much Billy Ray!!!

Tracie in Fairfield OH

Best effort.......2005-01-18

I truly believe this is Billy Ray's finest effort to date.
The songs are beautiful and really showcase his great voice.

Inspirational and uplifting.......2004-04-14

This is an amazing CD. If you only know of Billy Ray as that "Achey Breaky Heart" guy, you need to check out this CD. Billy Ray released one of the years best CDs that includes a great mix of country, pop/rock and gospel. No filler here - every single song on this CD is worth a listen. The songs themselves are inspirational and uplifting. A great CD from a tremendously underrated performer.

The Other Side.......2004-02-28

This is Billy Ray Cyrus best CD Ever. I want him to make more like this. I love the words to the songs They mean a lot. Great!!!

Proud to be his fan!.......2004-02-22

He touches my heart with his remarkable voice. And it feels like he truly meant every word that he sang. The moment he started the first note of "Face of God", I was hooked and couldn't stop the CD player. It's that good.

A talented singer like him is really rare nowadays, regardless of music genre.

Average customer rating: Buy this album now! Why are you still reading! AMAZING! A work of art! Power Metal Perfection it took me years to appreciate this band... Power Metal At Its Finest

Imaginations From the Other Side Blind Guardian Manufacturer: Century Media ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Progressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Tales from the Twilight World Nightfall in Middle-Earth A Night at the Opera Somewhere Far Beyond Follow the Blind ASIN: B00000IP3S Release Date: 1999-05-11

Tracks:

1. Imaginations From The Other Side
2. I'm Alive
3. A Past And Future Secret
4. The Script For My Requiem
5. Mordred's Song
6. Born In A Mourning Hall
7. Bright Eyes
8. Another Holy War
9. And The Story Ends

Customer Reviews:

Buy this album now! Why are you still reading!.......2007-01-11

The vocals are powerful and the production is rich on this TRULY amazing album! Any fan of grandiose, powerful, melodic power metal owes it to themselves to purchase this work of art. It's impressive that they were even able to follow up the classic "Somewhere Far Beyond" without a hitch! Buy this album, and let yourself float in the melodies, swim in the solos, bask in the grand vocals, and just enjoy yourself. You deserve this album.

AMAZING! A work of art!.......2006-12-05

This si the 5th album to come for power metalers Blind Guardian. This is my favorite album that they have released so far. It is SOO epic, and the singing is frankly beutiful at times....the entire album is VERY good, but certain songs stand out even MORE if thats possible..Another Holy War is my favorite BG song, and one of my favorite songs period it is simply amazing. Born in a mourning hall, and Mordred's Song are also superb. If you are a fan of metal you need to own this album. If you are a fan of power metal, you should already own it! add it your cart and checkout RIGHT NOW!!!

Power Metal Perfection.......2006-08-29

Just when we thought Blind Guardian couldn't possibly get any better, they hit us with 1995's Imaginations From the Other Side, which is arguably the best power metal album ever released. I know that's a bold statement, but I did say "arguably". I know there are more important power metal albums out there, and that Nightfall in Middle Earth is widely considered the best Blind Guardian album, but Imaginations is just so...powerful. No other power metal album has hit me quite like it, and I doubt any ever will.

Coming on the heels of the excellent Somewhere Far Beyond, Imaginations From the Other Side shows Blind Guardian perfecting their power metal style. All of the elements are in place - the fantasy-themed lyrics, epic song arrangements, blistering guitar riffs, and of course Hansi's unique and intensely powerful vocal delivery. Songs like I'm Alive, the Script for My Requiem, Born in a Mourning Hall, Bright Eyes, and the epic title track hit you like a heart attack, while ballad A Past and Future Secret leaves you amazed at the band's talent and versatility. There is not a weak moment on the entire album. Every song, and indeed the entire album, is power metal perfection.

Imaginations From the Other Side is nothing short of a must-have power metal album. Once you hear it, it will no doubt become the standard by which you judge all other power metal albums.

NOTE: This is the first Blind Guardian album since their debut not to feature a Kai Hansen guest appearance, but Pretty Maids vocalist Ronnie Atkins was on board providing background vocals.

NOTE 2: There are a couple of versions of Imaginations From the Other Side available. The NEMS version is my favorite, as it adds interesting demo versions of I'm Alive, A Past and Future Secret, The Script for My Requiem, and Imaginations From the Other Side as bonus tracks.

it took me years to appreciate this band..........2006-07-19

I'm not sure why. it's not like they are particularly esoteric or anything. I think it has something to do with the overall mindset I had in approaching Blind Guardian previously. my theory is that their rather unique style was not something I was able to appreciate without a paradigm shift. Realistically, one would have to call them power metal--their emphasis on vocals, melody, and speed is not uncommon to the genre. Yet, in being a metal band, it doesn't follow that they are a big riff, big guitar band - their music is unusually focused on vocal arrangement and melodic devices. The music, sure, is really chunky, pretty heavy, and very fast, but the guitars dominantly play a lead role. Guitar lines themselves are often charged with renaissance-flavored modalities that lends atmosphere and credibility to their fantasy-influenced sound more than they make wannabe metal-geeks (like me) want to suddenly learn how to play guitar. Recently, things changed - I can't get enough Blind Guardian, and I think this is their best album overall. Rather than trudge through obligatory review prose, I will catalogue the things that make Blind Guardian and this album awesome.

> First and foremost, Hansi Kursch is the best voice in metal, bar none. He is completely different from any other singer out there - rather than a high-pitched power metal tenor or brutish growling, Hansi's voice is raspy and sounds strained almost all the time. Few singers have either his range or power - his hair-raising screams are unmatched and his softer minstrel-like singing is honestly beautiful. _Imaginations from the Other Side_ is probably the last album where Hansi's raspiness is full on - his vocals started to sound a little more polished and `mature' after this album. Overall, this is Hansi's best performance. His scratchy, desperate tone delivers the most poignant metal lines ever: "What can I do on this road to nowhere at the edge of time (heart of dragon lies)" he implores with perfect viciousness on "And the Story Ends..."; "he's the one who took the sword out of the stone," he sings on "A Past and Future Secret" with a stirring, lilting bardic quality; "Agony's the script for my requiem" he snarls as the chorus of "The Script for My Requiem" kicks into high gear. Hansi is the Patrick Stewart of metal - he has a unique power to make any line sound amazing.

> Also vocal-related, the CHORUSES!!! Blind Guardian is the best in the business when it comes to the huge, multi-tracked vocal choruses. Every album Blind Guardian releases cranks the choruses up a few levels, but _Imaginations_ is the first album where those vocals were really, like, HUGE n' stuff. HAHAHA

> Blind Guardian would be nothing more than what they are without a few special qualities. One of the reasons they command so much drama in their music is that their sense of arrangement and structure is meticulous so as to really drive home the intensity and emotion in different tracks as the passage unfold. Sometimes it is as simple as throwing in a new bridge before the chorus. For example, the way every chorus gets more and more intense each time it appears in the song or the subtle addition of tubular bells to the blazing metalness - like on "Script for My Requiem" where bells chime alongside racing metal speed just before the final chorus kicks in (hang on to your chair). The complexity of the vocal arrangements, particularly on "Past and Future Secret", creates a lush effect alongside reeds and flutes and orchestral percussion with a modally-based acoustic guitar figure. In the solo section of "And the Story Ends", a brief shakti-like acoustic widdle appears with great effect (even if only for a matter of seconds - it's the little touches that often makes songs great).

> for any good album experience the first and last tracks are essential - the best albums often have both a killer opening and a killer finale. Here, the title track and "And the Story Ends..." are two of the best metal songs...EVER!!!

> _Imaginations from the Other Side_ straddles the line between Blind Guardian's earlier, thrashy fantasy-power metal and their later albums of bombastic fantasy melodrama with hundreds of vocal tracks on each song. The mix is awesome and makes for their tightest album all together. There is good variety on the album - breathless power metal at top speed, like "I'm Alive", "Script", "Born in a Mourning Hall", and "Another Holy War"; a gorgeous, GORGEOUS ballad "Past and Future Secret", two epic progressive metal tracks opening and closing the album, and atmospheric mid-tempo rockers "Mordred's Song" and "Bright Eyes".

I have gone from actually disliking this band to owning almost all their albums, and I think I could write a book about how good they are. Highest recommendation for anyone who likes metal!

Power Metal At Its Finest.......2006-06-11

Blind Guardian is, without a doubt, one of the greatest power metal bands in existence at the moment, and the album being reviewed here is definitely one of their best, if not THE best. Every song on here is rich, dynamic, and compelling, mixing the high-voltage intensity of thrash/speed metal with the epic musicality of power metal. It also marked the final time lead singer Hansi Kursch would perform while playing bass, allowing him to expand on his vocal talents and therefore leading up to their masterpiece "A Night At The Opera" that would come seven years down the road. All the musicians in the band are at the best on this one, playing with incredible speed and precision uncommon in a band such as this one. Even live, this band never fails to deliver, though Hansi's voice may not be nearly as epic as heard on here (more than likely because you can't multi-layer your voice in concert), but the crowd more than makes up for the lack of a backing choir. But that's another review all in itself, so let's just stick to this album.

First of all is lead singer Hansi Kursch, who has a melodic, penetrating growl (a la Metallica, not death metal) that puts James Hetfield to shame, and while he may not have an amazing range, he has enough force behind his voice to compel you into believing that the stories of which he sings are of his own experience and not just works of fiction. His bass doesn't have much clarity due to the muddled production, he plays at high speeds without skipping a beat or messing up his vocals. Lead guitarist Andre Olbrich has a innate sense of musicality and plays wailing guitar solos that give every song a unique personality, providing a mood for the anecdotes. Rhythm guitarist Marcus Siepen is good at keeping the band in the right key, playing complex Euro-style rhythm sections instead of the chugga-chugga riffing of most American metal bands. Last but not least is drummer Thomen Stauch, who has great skill in keeping beat and doing some excellent drum work while pumping out intense double-bass at quite high BPM, intensifying the speed of the band as well as giving it a solid ground on which to play on. It's a shame that he left, but his replacement Frederik Emkhe, while he isn't nearly as good as Thomen, does surprisingly well to step into the former drummer's shoes in his absence.

Bottom line: if you're looking for some intense, precise, HEAVY metal, then Blind Guardian is definitely the band for you; or, if you're a BG fan but still haven't purchased this album, then your collection will not be complete without out (obviously). This album is a staple in the library of any metalhead, as it is difficult to find a power metal with the personality that Blind Guardian shows. Other good bands in this vein are Hammerfall, Stratovarius, Helloween, and Iced Earth.

Track Selections: "Imaginations From The Other Side", "The Script For My Requiem", and "Born In A Mourning Hall"

10/10

Average customer rating: A beautiful voice - wasted only 3 good song Beautiful and Perfect Emotional Voice Style departure

The Other Side Of Time Mary Fahl Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music All Works by Donizetti | Donizetti, Gaetano | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Rock | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: October Project Falling Farther In different eyes Eventide Gods & Generals ASIN: B00008S2VE Release Date: 2003-05-27

Tracks:

1. The Great Unknown
2. Going Home
3. Want To
4. Ben Aindi Habibi
5. Redemption
6. Paolo
7. Una Furtiva Lagrima
8. The Other Side Of Time
9. Raging Child
10. Annie, Roll Down Your Window
11. The Station
12. Kindness Can Be Cruel
13. Dream Of You
14. The Dawning Of The Day

Customer Reviews:

A beautiful voice - wasted.......2007-07-10

I was introduced to Mary Fahl via October Project. I had never heard anything like them before or since and Fahl's voice is nearly beyond compare with anyone else, though as an earlier reviewer said, Annie Lennox and Carly Simon come close. I just don't think they have Fahl's range.
So, you can imagine after October Project's demise, I was looking forward to hearing more of Fahl. After-all, a voice like that just can't be silenced.
Too bad it wasn't - at least for the garbage on this album. Redemption is probably the only song that shows what she can do with her voice. The rest is just a waste of her talents. God, I certainly hope she does not go down the same road that Karen Carpenter did and make everything she sings sound like a funneral dirge. She's trying very hard with the muck written for this album to do just that. The writing credits alone should have been enough to give it away right there. HOW many people does it take to write ONE song? Apparently as many as want to have a say in it for this disaster. Listen, if you start getting more than two people tossing in their two cents worth on any one song, you had better consider not writing it, much less trying to sing it. It is going to sound like a collage of miss-matched ideas and influences. Gee - just like most of the music (if you can call it that) on this album! I certainly hope that Mary Fahl will be able to find another record label willing to take her on when her current one dumps her for this waste of money and resources - with the priviso of course that all she does is sing the songs a talented songwriter creates for her.

only 3 good song.......2007-01-11

still, october proyect is the best and her voice is the best, but this cd is not the greates but think about if you like her and then buy it.

Beautiful and Perfect.......2007-01-09

The more I listen to this cd the more I am entranced with it. I have enjoyed Mary Fahl's voice since October Project. I am eagerly awaiting some more new material. She has a very powerful and touching voice. I gain something new each time I listen to her voice, music and lyrics. Thank you Mary!

Emotional Voice.......2006-06-09

Since when the founder October Project came to an end, Mary's voice was already one one of the highlights of the band. And this is proved here. A very good debut album!

Style departure.......2005-08-14

Like previous reviewers, I too was sceptical about this CD."The
Great Unknown" seems to be an October Project track right off, billowing, inspiring and lush, you would never know the difference. It is my favorite. The rest of the songs really take a departure in style from what I am used to hearing from Mary. Though enjoyable, she seems to be searching for an audience. I hope she continues to put out sounds which can inspire and provoke thought in their writing without getting too sentimental. Pretty girl, great voice, don't let them change your style.

Average customer rating: Best Stevie Album Ever! A Firm Favourite... Stevie Nicks - The Other Side of the Mirror (1989) I rounded up! 3.5 is more like it... A Good Album....but Short of a Great One

The Other Side of the Mirror Stevie Nicks Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Rock a Little The Wild Heart Street Angel Bella Donna Trouble In Shangri-La ASIN: B000002JN1 Release Date: 1989-05-18

Tracks:

1. Rooms On Fire
2. Long Way To Go
3. Two Kinds Of Love
4. Ooh My Love
5. Ghosts
6. Whole Lotta Trouble
7. Fire Burning
8. Cry Wolf
9. Alice
10. Juliet
11. Doing The Best I Can
12. I Still Miss Someone

Customer Reviews:

Best Stevie Album Ever!.......2007-06-20

This is by far my favorite Stevie Nicks album. The songs Rooms on Fire, Cry Wolf and Juliet are phenomenal and can be listened to repeatedly.

A Firm Favourite..........2006-11-21

This album has received its fair share of negative feedback, from critics and certain fans alike, however, I have always had a personal soft-spot for this album.

"The Other Side of the Mirror" is very keyboard and synth based, due to the presence of Rupert Hine, the man responsible for Tina Turner's "Private Dancer", which alienated alot of fans. The production is very European, which probably explains why it was so succesful outside of the US, and received such a slacking within.

Stand-out tracks include the single "Rooms on Fire" and the luscious "Ooh My Love", "Long Way to Go" and the emotional "Ghosts", which is a track I have always felt Stevie wrote just for me. However, the best track on this album would have to be "Doing the Best that I Can (Escape from Berlin)", which is quite possibly the best song Stevie ever wrote lyrically. It is filled with pain and anguish, and is a real reflection of the personal turmoil most fans know Stevie went through in the late 80s to mid-90s period.

This would definately be the most underrated album of Stevie's career, and definately deserves to be given a chance.

Stevie Nicks - The Other Side of the Mirror (1989) .......2006-06-27

In the first half of the 1980's Stevie Nicks established herself as a rock and roll double threat. A powerful contributor to Fleetwood Mac's monstrous success, she also built an equally credible solo career on her own. However, after her third solo album (Rock a Little), she seemed to be in some kind of free fall due to drama in Fleetwood Mac and her own widely publicized drug problems. Whatever the issue, her output slowed and the quality of what was produced dropped radically. Her contributions to Fleetwood Mac's sleek 1987 album Tango in the Night, for example, were flat out embarrassments to both herself and her bandmates.

The Other Side of the Mirror feels like Nicks is struggling to regain her momentum. Unfortunately, Rupert Hines was not the best producer for her to work with at such a time. Many of the songs on Mirror are well-written, and she produced a solid hit with "Rooms on Fire." However, many of the tracks are self-indulgent, lyrically off the deep end, and over-produced musically. This creates an overall listless sound, which blunt her usual strengths as a writer and performer.

Examples are plentiful. "Two Kinds of Love" is a great duet with Bruce Hornsby, but it lacks the direct emotional connection of "Leather and Lace." "Whole Lotta Trouble" is a horn-blazing rocker that never manages to evoke the drama of "Edge of Seventeen." "Juliet" rocks and "Alice" menaces, but both are ultimately too unfocused to hold together for anyone other than a die-hard Stevie Nicks fan. Her lyrics on "Long Way to Go" are so oddly written that she sounds like she's imitating Jedi Master Yoda. The nadir is "Fire Burning," a mess of a song that takes three minutes to go nowhere.

Nicks may have been working through her demons at the time. Her next release, the aptly titled Timespace, would be a "best of" effort to create as a stopgap as she tried to regain her footing.

I rounded up! 3.5 is more like it..........2006-06-21

I love Stevie Nicks, I love her works. But the intensity of that love varies from song to song, album to album.

With "The Other Side of the Mirror" my love lessens a bit. On the whole, the album is just "O.K." and nothing more. Does it come close to previous works like "Bella Donna" or "The Wild Heart"? No, it doesn't. But it is a decent solo effort and honestly much better than most music put out in the last 12 years or so.

Stevie just isn't "Fresh" with this album. The music may be a tad different but overall it's the same mysterious woman, her love-affairs with various men, the darkness, the velvet. All of it's so familiar, but in this case, too much so.

This album isn't going to win over non-fans or ever be considered a masterpiece. But it's never going to be considered a "bad" effort by those in the know.

I reccomend this as a good addition to any Stevie Nicks fan's collection. Songs to watch for are; "Rooms On Fire", "Long Way To Go", "Two Kinds of Love", and "Fire Burning".

A Good Album....but Short of a Great One.......2006-03-03

Following Fleetwood Mac's successful comeback in 1987 with "Tango in the Night", the band had re-couped much of the momentum they had lost. As for Fleetwood Mac band member, Stevie Nicks - she had a lot of momentum in the 1980s. She had released three solo albums in the 1980s, the 1981 country music infused "Bella Donna", the successful 1983 follow-up "The Wild Heart", and the Rock infused "Rock a Little". Each of those albums had produced a Top Ten hit in the U.S. ("Stop Draggin My Heart Around", "Leather and Lace", "Stand Back", and "I Can't Wait"). In addition, Nicks garnered critical acclaim for being able to launch a solo career in her own right. Therefore expectations were set high when Nicks would release her fourth album, "The Other Side of the Mirror". While this album is pretty good, compared to the previous albums it isn't quite as strong as the work she had done throughout the 1980s.

Nicks' "The Other Side of the Mirror" takes on a distinctive synth-pop feel. For this album, Nicks would bring in producer Rupert Hine who had garnered a reputation for being successful with synth-pop artists (most notably, Tina Turner for her "Private Dancer" album). Nicks', "The Other Side of the Mirror" would still be a commercial success - and this comes on the heels of a decline of synth-pop which was occuring in the late 1980s. The late 1980s had seen the pop music landscape move more toward a natural guitar-laden sound. Hine deserves a lot of credit for making Nicks' synth-pop effort a commercial success.

Nicks has historically surrounded herself with good musicians for her solo albums. This album is no exception. Most notably on this album is Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Campbell provides guitar work on four tracks and co-writes three of those songs with Nicks ("Ghosts", "Whole Lotta Trouble", and "Fire Burning"). When Campbell isn't doing guitar, Jamie West-Oram of The Fixx is. Nicks makes some very good use of background vocalists to help her. These background vocalists, Lori Perry-Nicks and Sharon Celani are on all 12 tracks (except for "Ooh My Love" which just has Perry-Nicks on background vocals). A trademark of Nicks is that she often features a male vocalist. For this role, an unlikely vocalist - Bruce Hornsby is brought in for 2 tracks.. Finally Kenny G makes a guest appearance.

Here is a quick synopsis of the 12 tracks on this collection:

"Rooms on Fire": This was the lone Top 10 hit from this album. The song has a strong synth-pop feel and it will be the keyboards will take over this track. This song manages to showcase Nicks' vocals talents at her best. Nicks-Perry and Celani do a terrific job with supplementing Nicks with great background vocals.

"Long Way to Go": This song combines some harder Rock elements with Synth Pop. There is a nice guitar solo by West-Oram. halfway through the song. This is another good song where Nicks-Perry and Celani do a real nice job supplementing some great Stevie Nicks vocals.

"Two Kinds of Love": I'm shocked that this song did not become a hit. Bruce Hornsby shares lead vocals with Nicks on this song. Surprisingly, Hornsby was brought in for his vocals and not his trademark piano work. Hornsby's unique and smooth vocals blend perfectly with Nicks' raspy vocals. While I'm not a Kenny G fan, his saxophone solo works perfectly in this song and can easily be picked up.

"Ooh My Love": Nicks does another nice job on the vocals. It is going to be Rupert Hine's keyboard that can easily be picked out.

"Ghosts": This is one of the Mike Campbell tracks that he co-wrote with Nicks. The song sounds out with a haunting sound and then transitions into something that has a bit of a Tom Petty feel.

"Whole Lotta Trouble": Another Campbell co-written track. This song has a blues element to it. It also has a Tom Petty feel to it. While this song had its moments, I felt the chorus was weak.

"Fire Burning": This is the third Campbell co-written track. This has more of a Synth Pop feel than the other Campbell tracks. Not a bad track. Nicks does a nice job on vocals, and gets help from Nicks-Perry and Celani.

"Cry Wolf": On Laura Branigan's "Touch" album, she sang this as a power ballad. Nicks is not a power ballad singer, but gives a nice spin to this song. She doesn't try to do a power vocal here and instead uses her own unique raspy vocals to give this song her own touch. This is one of two songs not written by Nicks.

"Alice": Many have said that this was the cornerstone song to the album. This song makes an analogy to the whole "Alice in Wonderland" theme. Kenny G has a saxophone solo. Many people really like this song, but it just didn't make it for me. It's ok, but I wouldn't say it's great.

"Juliet": Hornsby is back and this time contributes piano work as well as some background vocals. Hornsby's piano gives this song a catchy beat. In another storytelling analogy, she draws an analogy to "Juliet" from "Romeo and Juliet".

"Doing the Best That I Can": A good song captures my imagination and this song just doesn't do that.

"I Still Miss Someone (Blue Eyes)": This is the other song that Nicks did not write. This song is a throw back to the Country-infused days of "Bella Donna" days as Nicks does a good job with this Johnny Cash cover. Nicks-Perry and Celani do a nice job with background vocals.

The liner notes include all of the lyrics as well as musician and production credits. There are some terrific acknowledgements to the contributors by Nicks. Overall, this album should keep Nicks' core fans happy. I'd rate this album a good one, but I do feel it falls short of being a great one.

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