The Finer Things [Box set]

Amazon.com
Steve Winwood's 3 CD The Finer Things kind of runs out of gas somewhere around the two-hour mark, but, hey, that's inevitable: The guy got way too popular for his own good. The best stuff here is the drug-addled early Traffic stuff, though one wishes they'd have found a spot for the live versions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Gimme Some Lovin'" from the poorly-recorded but quite inspired Welcome to the Canteen. --Steven Stolder

The Finer Things,Steve Winwood,Island,Adult Contemporary,Album Rock,Blue-Eyed Soul,Box Sets (Audio Only),British Invasion,British Psychedelia,Pop,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,Psychedelic,Rock,Rock/Pop,Soul

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The Finer Things [Box set]

Average customer rating: Great Buy! Perfect Match Probably the most beautiful musical of all time Beautiful! A good musical

Jane Eyre, the Musical (Original 2000 Broadway Cast) John Caird Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Contemporary Musicals | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Little Women The Musical (2005 Original Broadway Cast) The Scarlet Pimpernel: The New Musical Adventure - Original Broadway Cast Recording The Secret Garden (1991 Original Broadway Cast) The Light in the Piazza (2005 Original Broadway Cast) Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast) ASIN: B000051Y31 Release Date: 2000-11-21

Tracks:

1. The Orphan
2. Children of God
3. Forgiveness
4. The Graveyard
5. Sweet Liberty
6. Secrets of the House
7. Act One: Perfectly Nice
8. Act One: As Good As You
9. Secret Soul
10. Finer Things
11. The Pledge
12. Sirens
13. Things Beyond This Earth
14. Painting Her Portrait
15. In the Light of the Virgin Morning
16. The Gypsy
17. The Proposal
18. Slip of a Girl
19. Sirens (Reprise)
20. Farewell, Good Angel
21. My Maker
22. Rain
23. The Voice Across the Moors
24. Poor Sister
25. Brave Enough for Love

Amazon.com

Here's another to join the parade of page-to-stage musicals inspired by 19th-century fiction. This ambitious adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's haunting classic Jane Eyre for the musical theater seems to be part of a trend represented most famously by Les Misérables. It also reflects the increasing pressure to schedule an original cast recording release as close as possible to a new show's Broadway opening: in this case, in fact, the CD was both recorded and released prior to the show's opening in December 2000 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. But what's most significant for the artistic character of Jane Eyre: The Musical is found in yet another pattern: like a number of his colleagues, composer-lyricist Paul Gordon comes to the project from a pop music industry background (best known for his hit "Friends and Lovers"). And quite a few of the show's numbers benefit from Gordon's catchy craftwork, weaving melodies that are clearly destined to be whistled long past curtain. Yet the effect is sometimes too facile, not diving as deep as we would like into the emotional predicaments of Brontë's characters. You begin to crave a more deftly defined and imagined variety of sound worlds (especially for the darker aspects of Thornfield Hall) than what is hinted at. Gordon doesn't forge any new paths, but his melodic fluency does have its moments of payoff--especially in the moving final duet "Brave Enough for Love," which is also strong enough to stand on its own.

Gordon's predilections as a would-be son of Sondheim are nevertheless clear, and he's telescoped the story into mostly effective lyrics, with some thoughtful juxtapositions of material. Most importantly, he understands that this is more than a Gothic romance, foregrounding the central message of forgiveness that Jane learns as a girl. He attempts to explore the injured sense of self shared by both Jane and Rochester and sets them on a painful, mutual voyage of discovery.

The creative team also includes the veteran duo John Caird (book and direction) and John Napier (scenic design), who have collaborated on such epics as Les Mis and Nicholas Nickleby (not to mention the Las Vegas Siegfried and Roy extravaganza). And the show's creators seem to share a vision geared toward the more operatic end of the spectrum (it was opera composers, after all, who early on claimed 19th-century Gothic fiction for the stage, as in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor), with an actual parody of coloratura in one showstopper ("The Finer Things") given to Blanche Ingram. Fortunately, the two principals have large, richly expressive voices to encompass the large, complicated emotions of these characters. Marla Schaffel singswith unusual beauty and brings dimension to her Jane, while James Barbour (whose resumé includes Beauty and the Beast) is never really threatening as Rochester, but rather a tortured soul who is sweet-voiced even at his most cynical. Mary Stout is a stitch as the blustery Mrs. Fairfax. While the show has already undergone a lengthy evolution from its very first workshops, the viability of its final, fully staged realization has yet to be determined. But this cast recording conveys an authentic sense of the musical's atmosphere and emotional scope. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Great Buy!.......2007-06-08

Not only was this CD super cheap, it also arrived at my house 3 days later!

Perfect Match.......2007-03-16

The music in this album really gave me the feeling of reading the book. I think the songs were well chosen and well written, except of course for the songs sung by Mrs. Fairfax... I could have done without those. Jane and Mr. Rochester's songs carry the story well and they sound lovely. For any musical lover, or romance fan I definitely recommend this album.

Probably the most beautiful musical of all time.......2007-02-16

This is a hidden gem and if you buy it and listen to it, I don't see how you can not love it. I have bought many, many Broadway cast albums but I still am a popster at heart. With all that said, this is a cast album that soars above the crowd.

I bought this several years ago and have listened to it repeatedly since I got it. Why do I love it so much? First of all, the lyrics are full of heart and emotion and tell the story ably. But it is the music and the performances that are truly remarkable here. The melodies are memorable and absolutely exquisite. The orchestration is lush but not sappy. The performances by the two leads are nothing less than stunning.

I never get bored with this wonderful cast album and it is very, very highly recommended.

Beautiful!.......2007-01-28

I listen to this soundtrack all the time and I never get tired of the songs. If Charlotte Bronte story was written as a musical, then this would definitely be it.

A good musical.......2006-07-20

if you like old-fashioned romantic stuff, this one's for you. Some songs are very inspired, the music is,for the most part, quite beautiful, and the story line keeps the essence of the Bronte novel. I heard this right after "Wuthering Heights: the musical", which is quite good, yet this is superior. Give it a try and you might be nicely surprised. I would highly recommend it to the ones who know the novel and to English Literature students: it offers a different and interesting approach to the novel.

Average customer rating:

Singing the Praise of Finer Things China Crisis Manufacturer: Dream Catcher ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Steve McQueen ASIN: B000PHX104 Release Date: 2007-06-25

Tracks:

1. Strength Of Character
2. Singing The Praises Of Finer Things
3. Highest High
4. Stranger By Nature
5. You Did Cut Me
6. Sweet Charity And Adoration
7. It's Everything
8. Arizona Sky
9. Tragedy And Mystery
10. African And White
11. Understudy
12. Gift Of Freedom
13. Black Man Ray
14. Wishful Thinking
15. King In A Catholic Style
16. Working With Fire And Steel
17. Christian
18. Diary Of A Hollow Horse

Album Description

When Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon released their first single back in 1982 as China Crisis, they were already a unique band, combining Synthpop with sophisticated Pop songwriting. For nearly a decade, they released increasingly mature albums and scored hit singles in the UK. Since then, they've maintained a low profile, releasing only one studio album and playing live sporadically. This album features one of those rare live shows, recorded at the Sir Paul McCartney Academy , Liverpool in 2005. Their set features 18 tracks, concentrating on their later albums like Flaunt The Imperfection, What Price Paradise and Diary Of A Hollow Horse. Dream Catcher. 2007.

Album Details

2007 Release of a Live Album Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Band's Inception. The Concert was Recorded at the Paul Mccartney Academy, Lipa, Liverpool Recorded on September 16, 2005. The Tracklist Include Nine UK Top 50 Songs.

Average customer rating: Greats of Today & Yesterday Great overview. The Finer Things Excellent coverage of Steve Winwood's career The Best Box Set Set Ever

The Finer Things Steve Winwood Manufacturer: Island ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Blue-Eyed Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Psychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music British Invasion | Classic Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music General | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Box Sets | Stores | Music R&B & Soul | Box Sets | Stores | Music General | Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Classic Rock | Box Sets | Stores | Music Similar Items: Talking Back to the Night Long Voyage Home The Swingtime Records Story Junction Seven A Musical History ASIN: B000001DZI Release Date: 1995-03-21

Tracks:

1. Dimples
2. I Can't Stand It
3. Every Little Bit Hurts
4. Strong Love
5. Keep On Running
6. Somebody Help Me
7. When I Come Home
8. I Want To Know
9. Crossroads
10. Gimme Some Lovin'
11. I'm A Man
12. Paper Sun
13. Dealer
14. Coloured Rain
15. No Face, No Name, No Number
16. Heaven Is In Your Mind
17. Smiling Phases
18. Dear Mr. Fantasy
19. Pearly Queen
20. Forty Thousand Headmen
21. No Time To Live
22. Shanghai Noodle Factory
23. Medicated Goo
24. Withering Tree

Tracks:

1. Had To Cry Today
2. Can't Find My Way Home (Electric Version)
3. Sea Of Joy
4. Sleeping In The Ground (Live)
5. Under My Thumb (Live)
6. Stranger To Himself
7. John Barleycorn
8. Glad
9. Freedom Rider
10. Empty Pages
11. Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys
12. Rainmaker

Tracks:

1. Shoot Out At The Fantasy Factory
2. (Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired (Live)
3. Happy Vibes
4. Something New
5. Dream Gerrard
6. Walking In The Wind
7. When The Eagle Flies
8. Winner/Loser
9. Crossing The Line (Live)
10. Hold On
11. Time Is Running Out
12. Vacant Chair

Tracks:

1. While You See A Chance
2. Arc Of A Diver
3. Spanish Dancer
4. Night Train
5. Dust
6. Valerie
7. Talking Back To The Night
8. Your Silence Is Your Song
9. Higher Love
10. Freedom Overspill
11. Back In The High Life Again
12. The Finer Things
13. Roll WIth It
14. Don't You Know What The Night Can Do?
15. One And Only Man

Amazon.com

Steve Winwood's 3 CD The Finer Things kind of runs out of gas somewhere around the two-hour mark, but, hey, that's inevitable: The guy got way too popular for his own good. The best stuff here is the drug-addled early Traffic stuff, though one wishes they'd have found a spot for the live versions of "Dear Mr. Fantasy" and "Gimme Some Lovin'" from the poorly-recorded but quite inspired Welcome to the Canteen. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Greats of Today & Yesterday.......2006-03-13

This reminds us how much Steve Winwood did for music & the music industry. Many people are living a comfortable retirement overlooking Haight & Ashbury from the talents of musicians like Steve Winwood. He reminds the old vets of R&R how great he was, even at the young age of The Spencer Davis era, & up to today's new releases. This Box Set repsents those early years & is a great introduction for the ones that weren't born when Dear Mr. Fantasy was the hit song of the season. The sad reminder is how much we lost with the loss of Wood & Capaldi. If you enjoy grass roots music and talent or want to be introduced to it at its best, this CD set is a good start. Its not music hidden or covered up with digital tweeking. This man & his band mambers played "Music" - Not A Computer Software Program that can make any fool sound good. Thank goodness for people like Steve Winwood, Robert Palmer, Eric Clapton & the likes of John Mayall. Not lip sincing acts such as Madonna & Ashlee Simpson. Maybe one day raw talent will once again be required before you can accept a Grammy.

Great overview. .......2005-02-11

Because his own career has had a lot of variations over 3 decades (going into a fourth), it was inevitable that they'd have to put it all in one place.

You hear the portrait of a young soul man in the Spencer Davis Group, the experimentalist in Traffic, the supergroup Blind Faith and Ginger Baker's Air Force and lesser known projects like Go and Aiye-Keta and finally the 80s pop superstar that sounds older but just as good as he did in his earlier recordings. That's not even counting sessions with Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Howlin' Wolf, B.B.King, Lou Reed, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Jimmy Buffett, Phil Collins, and countless others which speaks volumes about his demand and generosity as a keyboardist.

But the bulk of material focuses on 3 different bands.
The Spencer Davis material contains the classic "Gimme Some Lovin" and "I'm A Man". Keep in mind that he was 16! If the "blue eyed soul" applied anywhere, he'd be one of the first to come to mind.

25(!) tracks come from the Traffic era, which he was barely 19(!!). Dave Mason's hits "Feelin Alright" and "Hole In My Shoe" aren't on here (but are on 2 Traffic compilations), and the 2 eras of Traffic (they broke up for a while) are covered nicely.

In between Traffic's breakup, a one off project named Blind Faith was formed with Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Rick Grech. Being that "Presence of the Lord" was EC's is left off here, but "Can't Find My Way Home" and a bulk of the album is here, including a cover of "Under My Thumb". But what comes next is some of Winwood's best music, a reformed Traffic with an entirely new funkier free form sound that you could tie into bands like Phish, String Cheese Incident or Dave Matthews Band..."Glad/Freedom Rider", "Empty Pages", "Low Spark of High Heeled Boys" and some cuts from "When the Eagle Flies".

After Traffic disbanded, Winwood would have to find his own footing as a solo artist. The end of the third CD features tracks from his debut solo album that's purpose was more about transition than anything else.

But the fourth CD starts off with hit single "While You See A Chance" from "Arc of A Diver" (which contains 5 tracks from the album), which has the formula that he'd follow through the 80s. "Talking Back to the Night" has just a couple of cuts, but t"Your Silence is Your Song" taken from an 80s soundtrack is worth a listen.

The next 6 tracks hail from "Back in the High Life" and "Roll With It" and should be the most familiar, the final track "One and Only Man" ending the collection from "Refugees of the Heart", the only track from that CD represented here. The Traffic reunion "Far From Home", his solo "Junction Seven" and "About Time" not represented in this box set.

However, what would be great is if he could put out a retrospective DVD. The Spencer Davis Group has a video planned for next month, there was a Traffic Live in Santa Monica on VHS, his own solo career had around 20 videos, as well as the other appearances on TV over the years.

It would also be great if he put out a 2 CD "best of" that would cover around 30 songs.

The Finer Things.......2003-07-04

This 4 CD set shows how really good Stevie was in the 60's and 70's and how really bad music overtook him and almost everyone else in the 80's. The first 3 CDs show what the young genius could do. He played with three terrific bands and created some of the best jam band, jazz and drug influenced music of the generation. The fourth CD is a sad reflection of electronic drums, synthesized keyboards and awful mixing that was the 80's. Underneath the noise I think there might be some good songs. 3 out of 4 ain't bad!

Excellent coverage of Steve Winwood's career.......2001-09-14

This 4CD, 63 song set provides extremely thorough coverage of Steve Winwood's career from the early 1960s up to his last Island Records album in 1986, including numerous tracks from his work in such memorable bands as the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith, as well as his later solo recordings. Significant chunks are included from virtually all his Island albums, together with a small taster from his first two Virgin Records albums in 1988 and 1990.

Inevitably there are one or two other favourite tracks which one might feel merited inclusion, but this is undoubtedly a very effective career retrospective, with the principal emphasis being on the Traffic years. The collection does not purport to give thorough coverage of Winwood's solo work (although more than a quarter of the music is from his solo albums), and at present no comprehensive compilation from 1977 onwards is available, largely due to his change of record labels.

This is such a detailed account of Winwood's recordings that it is likely to be of interest only to dedicated fans, but for these it will be a real treat. As well as the superb music there is a beautifully illustrated book with a detailed account of Steve's career and full musician credits for each track. Highly recommended.

The Best Box Set Set Ever.......2000-12-23

Like my title says, "Finer Things" is simply the best box set ever put together. While many many many artists nowadays have put together some kind of box set, few artists truly deserve one. Steve Winwood, however, I'm happy to say is one of them. This is mainly due to the fact that he's been in a lot of bands as well as having a successful solo career. Because of this, he's very difficult to compile in a one CD collection and in fact, nobody has ever tried. Sure there's been a great Spencer Davis collection, a number of Traffic compilations of varying degrees of value, and a good collection of solo songs that cover his solo debut through his biggest seller, "Back In The Highlife." However, there is no single collection aside from this one which covers his Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith, solo and, Traffic work in one place. And frankly, this can only be done in four CD's. Universal did release a new Steve Winwood CD that covers the early part of his career (Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith, and Traffic) a few months ago under that "Millenium Collection" banner but to get a true retrospective, you really need the solo material which is great as well. Perhaps Universal is planning a second Millenium Collection for Steve?

This collection has all the songs you know, but even rewards the serious fan with fantastic rarities, especially from the Blind Faith period. Every Winwood fan must hear the live cover of the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" at least once and the electric version of "Can't Find My Way Home" is absolutely essential, perhaps even better than the classic acoustic version--no joke. The only thing I would have liked to have seen--and this is a minor detail--is "Here Comes A Man" from Traffic's 1994 album which came out a year before this box set. But the bottom line is that this collection is not to be missed if you're a big fan of all stages of his work. However, if you want to save a few bucks, you can get the Millenium Collection CD and "Chronicles" to get a decent bare-bones overview of his career in 2 CD's.

Average customer rating:

Finer Things Q'sta The Don Manufacturer: Executive Ent. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Best Wit Da Bang Realite The Final Chapter Put It Down Whichwayzup ASIN: B00000K1CZ Release Date: 1999-07-27

Tracks:

1. My Life Zone (Intro)
2. Have Nots
3. Paper Weights
4. Survival of the Richest
5. Dons and Dimes
6. Fast Lane - King Tee, Q'sta The Don
7. Plot Thickens (Interlude)
8. High Speed Chase
9. Mission Impossible
10. Q and DJ Aladdin Mission (Interlude)
11. Indecent Proposal
12. Scandalous
13. Ten Steps and Draw - Q'sta The Don,
14. World Premiere (Interlude)
15. Greenbay - Q'sta The Don,
16. Land of Milk and Honey
17. Shake and Bake [Remix] - King Tee, Q'sta The Don
18. Finer Thangs
19. If Only You Knew [*] - Q'sta The Don,

Average customer rating:

The Finer Things in Life Manufacturer: 7th Time Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B00093GWV4

Product Description

Track Listing: -- 1. I Need To Sing -- 2. Blue Jumper -- 3. So Much Grace -- 4. The Finer Things In Life -- 5. I Weep For You Now -- 6. I Heard A Voice -- 7. Water From The Rock -- 8. Haley's Song -- 9. When This Passing World Is Done

Average customer rating: For a good time.... This Band ROCKS!!! they are goin strait to the top!!! The Pipe Circus is one of Wisconsin's best kept secrets!

The Finer Things Pipe Circus Manufacturer: Oarfin Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B00005Q5HP Release Date: 2001-09-11

Tracks:

1. Whiplash
2. Acrobat
3. What You Do 2 Me
4. Boogie Man
5. The Flame
6. Fire On The Hill
7. Funky Sexy
8. Los Bandos
9. Everybody wanna come Down
10. Freeze
11. End It With A Kiss
12. The Finer Things
13. Box Car Blues

Customer Reviews:

For a good time...........2004-02-22

Hey!!! This is one of the most fantastic bands I've heard in a loooong time. Literally "music to my ears", new, refreshing, kickin', a get you off your butt good time! It might take a little searching but check out "Soul Graffiti"-- the guys newest addition to their album productions. If you are looking for a new sound-- you'll appreciate this fantastic talent.

This Band ROCKS!!! they are goin strait to the top!!!.......2001-12-14

This album is full of the greatest songs to groove to...the only thing better is to see them live!!! watch out...they can become an addition...Keep an eye out for their next album...You've been warned!

The Pipe Circus is one of Wisconsin's best kept secrets!.......2001-12-13

The Pipe Circus is one of Wisconsin's best kept secrets! The only thing they need is more exposure for people to hear how awesome they are. Musically, there may not be a better Wisconsin band out there right now. The guys obviously work hard at their music, and yet it is some of the most fun music I have heard in a long time. Their music should be on radios and house systems everywhere!

Average customer rating:

The Finer Things Herb Ohta , and Jim Beloff Manufacturer: Flea Market Music ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000JKVSV6

Product Description

Track Listing: 1.)Rainforest Waltz 2.)Blues on a Ukulele 3.)A Spy in Love 4.)Follow Love 5.)The Finer Things 6.)The French Cafe 7.)Soup Du Jour 8.)April Shower 9.)Samba Bay 10.)All of the Above 11.)At the Magic Laundromat 12.)The Hawaiian Turnaround 13.)Driftwood 14.)Lazy Day 15.)Closer to the Light 16.)Hollywood Ending

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3. The Last Puff [Import]
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5. The String Quartet Tribute to Queen
6. The Yes Album [Original recording remastered]
7. Vietnam Generation: 36 Rock & Pop Hits
8. Way We Are [Enhanced]
9. We're Only in It for the Money
10. Weightlifting

Rap Music

rap music

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