Alternative Miscellaneous music reviews

I bought a three dollar cassette version of this album from the bargain bin of some store somewhere. I ended up playing it 'till it broke. One of the best albums I've ever heard.

The amazing thing about this album is that it was done in less than two weeks. Annie has an almost sublime way of sneaking up on you. By the time the kick-in has occured after the bridge of the first song any activity you were involved in has ceased and your only focus is sapping all the solid goodness of the tunes out of the sound waves travelling around you. Have no fear investing in this collection of wonderful pop songs.

I just heard this CD and I think these guys are really talented musicians and artist.

I think buried in all the commercialism and over-stimulation that the Christmas season is a wish for some time for reflection on the year that just flashed by. This album serves as a small refuge from all the hype that is today's Christmas.

I've had this album as a holiday season mainstay since I discovered it shortly after it's release. It is moving, thoughtful compositions full of nuance and so well composed I have yet to tire of it--17 years later. Mostly I play it during the holidays and it has aged along with me.

Each year, it recalls more memories for me. While all the tracks are unique improvisations of well known themes, it is the the last track, the long track, that is my personal favorite. I would take it into the afterlife if I could.

I close my eyes and get lost in David Lanz's Improvisations on a Theme (adapted from Pachelbel's Canon in D major) Guaranteed to sweep you away.....

This CD is just superb, especially the 3rd song, 'What Child is this ?'. Anyone would fall in love with Piano music after listening to these scores. Jones are especially good and deserves a major award on this. Only for tranquil people though, this is not pop music.

Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants might not be a great Oasis album, but the singles released from the 2000 effort deliver.

Go Let It Out! was the first single released from Giants. The song went straight in at Number 1 in the UK Charts, while hardly appearing on the Modern Rock chart in the US. The song is heavily influenced by The Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever with the use of a melotron. The song has a brilliant melody, and a laid back Liam vocal duty, in addition to some of Noel's nonsensical lyrics.

The b-sides are really the highlights of the single. Let's All Make Believe is one of the best ballads Oasis have ever recorded, a dark and elusive track that is quite touching in its lyrics about being friends despite a fallout (a message probably meant for Bonehead and Guigsy, as Giants was the last album they were to be a part of before quitting the band). Cigarettes in Hell is another mellow track sung by Noel.

Go let It Out is one of the best Oasis singles out there!

Recommended

A

It is my opinion that the three songs on this single are the three best songs released during the Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants' era. There isn't a song on the 10-track album that can touch either one of these stellar b-sides. But what else would you expect from a band whose best 'album' was a b-sides compilation? While being the first, "Go Let It Out" is easily the best single, although both "Let's All Make Believe" and "(As Long As They've Got) Cigarettes In Hell" outdo it and certainly have potential to become two of your favorite Oasis tracks of all-time. No kidding.

Both b-sides are on the slow side, with Noel's voice being the focus of the songs. "Let's All Make Believe" uses its title to make some timeless lyrics, such as 'let's all make believe/that we're still friends/and we like each other', which is as pertinent as it is humorous. With "Cigarettes", Noel's voice and the title are again used to carry the song; as Noel claims 'I don't mind not goin' to heaven/as long as they've got cigarettes in hell'. Oddly enough, the best part of the song might be the sound of an igniting lighter and the fading coughs in the end.

As far as "Go Let It Out"... don't buy this single if you've only heard (and want) that one song. Start with the actual album and decide from there if you're still interested; there were a number of Oasis fans who were disappointed with Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants. In all reality, though, I listen to this single more than the album itself. So I don't see any reason why you shouldn't buy this. I got this single as part of an Oasis singles lot on an online auction site (that featured 14 other Oasis singles), and besides, maybe, the "Whatever" single, this was the best one. Go let it in.

This was really a perfect choice as a first single for Standing on the Shoulder of Giants. It's Oasis back in top form, with a catchy verse, solid bassline, and great production. The real gem here though is Let's All Make Believe, a haunting song that should have made the album. But then again, Oasis is just about the best b-side group out there, always packing their singles with quality extras. The Noel-song As Long As They've Got Cigarettes is less catchy but solid nonetheless, making this single a must have for fans. Great single from a great single band.

Holy Smoke where did these guys come from...
This is another level above the Amazed...
This is an incredible cd...the music is inspiring the
words tremendous...how come these guys are
unheard of as of yet???? The title cut On Bended Knee
whew...takes you into the presence of God...I could feel
the angels wings, then You guard my way...What a sax part
then Way TO YOUR HEART...hit me right where I am at.hELP ME oh God..
I BELIEVE IN YOU.. awesome song..I need More of You..another awesome song..then Dance With Me...I dont even dance but wanted to dance like a child..

The piano parts are well done!! Incredibily awesome ....wow double wow...!!!!

"Dance With Me" is an incredible song of delight in the Lord! My new favorite! "On Bended Knee" is such beautiful song, and well timed for the intense call on churches to return to prayer! "Go and Give" wow, a powerful message! "You Guard My Way"....I cannot describe what this song does to me everytime, deep, deep worship (...great sax solo too!) "Way To Your Heart" is so personal, so true before God, thank you for that. Oh, "Send Your Rain" and "Psalm 150" are fun too! This whole CD is way more than good songs, it is a deep and triggering worship experience. Well done you guys! Keep writing!! I hope to see you in concert soon...come to Cincinnati!

Very unique. The bass and beats are very dub in nature, the out-in-front samples are industrial, while the background guitar and occasional keyboard sound like slow-core indie rock (think Low or stripped-down Slowdive).

It's a shame they only put out two albums.

See also: Namanax, Scorn, Lull.

i love this stuff; anyone who likes to mellow out to good tunes should check this out

I ordered this CD on the advice of a friend and I REALLY LIKE IT. I first heard of Michael Lee Hill when I entered a guitar competition a couple years ago, the Tonos Guitar Challenge. The challenge was to re-record Steve Vai's "Jibooom" and I lost - Michael won. I'm not sure if this version is the version he won with but IT ROCKS! The whole disc is one of my favorite new guitar records. It's a lot less polished than others, mostly in a good way....... If you like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Gary Hoey, and similar types of players, I recommend this CD!

This is slow, soothing guitar music, lightly accented with flute & keyboard. Although there are only 2 songs, it's a full hour of music, the 1st song blending smoothly into the next. It's perfect for massage or any form of relaxation.

..but I just feel indifferent about this CD. I bought it thinking it would be an orchestrated-type stuff, which it is but I was hoping for something I could relax to. Whenever I hear the music in this CD, I think of weddings. Don't get me wrong, it's a good CD, but just not what I was expecting (which was a more relaxing kind of orchestration).

I realy happend to enjoy this CD. I just bought it recently and every time i listen to it i feel like its the real thing because its so similar. I Love just relaxing to this cd. I think it is worth hearing.

i bought this cd when i went looking for the last elusive cd that was missing from my rhcp collection(freaky styley, you should buy that one too)...i ended up walking out with this one as well and i rocked it all the way home with my windows open. this isn't an orchestral arrangement, it is a true to the original quartet: every solo, (almost) every fill, and every vocal que is present. The basslines jump from Persiani's prodigious upright (bass) and u can almost picture flea bouncing around. this work brought a whole new breadth and life to th emusic that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end; and for that, i applaud the string quartet.

From the get go, one can tell this isn't necessarily true Arabic music as the title is "Harem". It's a worthy effort, but fails to truly capture what makes Arabic music so wonderful.

Although, the instrumentation does follow the traditional sound of what's used in Middle Eastern music, it's final product is one big stereotypical,over sensationalized interpretation of Far East music. Her perception of the Middle Eastern culture itself, is very early 1900's. She paints this picture of camels, belly dancers, and harems, which is very cute and imaginative but simply can't be classified as Arabic music.

My biggest complaint would probably have to be the tune "Arabian Nights", it's beginning reminds me of that of a Broadway play and as it drags on, she goes so far as to sing in Hindi. My understanding is that this piece is supposed to be Middle Eastern,not Indian. Everytime people cross over into Arabic music, they feel the need to mix in the sound of Indian music. Two different cultures, which further plays into the fact that Brightman truly doesn't has an understanding of what Middle eastern music is all about. It's as if she watched Oscar Wilde's play about the seven veiled dancer, and made a soundtrack to go along with it.

Don't get me wrong,I have to say, although a bit cheesy, the song "Harem" is probably the best perceived attempt at world music. The string arrangements and drums are probably what makes it. I'm not feeling the techo, but I suppose it does add something to the rather silly lyrics.

She takes a break from "world" music in Misere Mei and Stranger in Paradise, which are probably the most reputable as the others are generic and sloppily put together. Also, her rendition of "What a wonderful world" is well...interesting. The 30 second sample is quite self expanatory.

All in all, the music is pretty,expressive, and at times sappy. I would recommend this to other people, but I would classify it as "Classical and Techno meets European interpretation of far east culture", not world music. Overall it's a fun CD, but doesn't deserve the overrated praise it's getting.

"Harem" is probably one of Sarah Brightman's most unique albums to date. Rarely an artist can captivate the sounds of the far east and be able to mix them in well with a western feel. west meets east if you will. Its nearly impossible to pick out one favorite out of the 14 tracks on the album. You can't choose "Harem" over "The War Is Over" or "Arabian Nights". All the songs on the album are the best and do the album justice and fit perfectly in their own way, as the theme is quite clear: Middle-Eastern music with a hint of pop and some club sounds. And while the album could have ended at "Until the End of Time" (yet another beautiful song on the album), Brightman ends the album with "You Take My Breath Away" (originally from her album Fly). Personally, this track should have been only present on "Harem" and not on the album "Fly". An excellent way nonetheless of ending the album.

The DVD shows the making of the album, and the video Harem is also on the DVD along with an alternate version to the video. Its the first time i've ever seen a video from Sarah Brightman and i must say, i'm not disappointed at all.

I'm anxiously awaiting a new album. I'm a new fan of Brightman's and i love what i'm hearing from this album. Highly recommended.

Sarah Brightman is well known for her thematic classical crossover albums such as Dive, Fly, Eden, and La Luna, each of which explored a new realm for Ms. Brightman's delicate, shimmering soprano. From exploring the oceans on Dive to outer space on Fly and La Luna, Harem takes us to the veiled, sensual world of the harem (Arabic for "forbidden") through a blend of pop (Stranger in Paradise, What You Never Know from Lloyd Webber's Bombay Dreams, What a Wonderful World) and sweeping classically-inspired tunes such as Until the End of Time and It's A Beautiful Day (an update on Un Bel Di from Puccini's Madame Butterfly).

What's different about Harem is that Brightman has shifted away from the more even balance of classical and cover tunes found on Eden and La Luna, and has moved closer to a territory occupied exclusively by uptempo pop bordering on dance, last seen on Sarah's European import album Fly. The orchestrations by Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke) support Sarah's voice with lush layers of sound: electronic drums, Arabic-influenced instrumentals, haunting choirs on Misere Mei. The guest stars are out in force as well: the late Ofra Haza, Iraqi singer Kadim Al Sahir, and Nigel Kennedy all contribute.

The ballads are exceptionally crafted, from the powerhouse "Free" and "What You Never Know" (available as French bonus tracks "Gueri de toi" and "Tout Ce Que Je Sais" on the Canadian edition), to the timeless "Until the End of Time," the fragile "Beautiful," and the Bollywood-inspired "The Journey Home" from Lloyd Webber and A.R. Rahman's Bombay Dreams.

Harem leans heavily towards dance, and this is evident on nearly every track. Sarah fans expecting the frequent quiet classical interludes of earlier albums such as Eden will have a rude awakening; the album barely pauses to catch its breath. Uptempo tracks such as the evocative "Arabian Nights/Scimitar Moon/Voyage/Promise/Hamesha/Alone", a nine-minute soundscape of belly-dance bliss fuelled by derbukka drums, ululating vocals, sliding strings, harpsichord, and a pulsing dance beat snaking through the various segments, and the second half of "Harem" seem made for the dance floor (several remix singles were issued for Harem).

The final pleasant note is the reappearance of "You Take My Breath Away," a track that first appeared in Europe on 1995's Fly. A haunting, Indian-inspired blend of vocals, tabla, and haunting choir, the song was not commercially available in North America. It's wonderful to hear an earlier Sarah, and the song feels at home on "Harem."

"Harem" is a solid, enjoyable tribute to the exotic soundscapes of the East, although decidedly different from what earlier Sarah fans may be used to. The uptempo tunes and lush Eastern orchestrations hold up well to repeated listenings, and unlike some of Ms. Brightman's earlier classical crossover albums, the sequencing and song choice is excellent throughout.

Les Claypool is not a great singer, not really even a good singer, but he has an offbeat and charismatic sound that you won't get anywhere else. When he writes songs for his own voice, the limitations rarely matter. But he cannot come close to capturing Peter Gabriel's sinister leer on "Intruder" or the quirkiness of XTC on "Making Plans for Nigel," nor does Primus reinterpret the tunes enough to compensate. "Sinister Exaggerator" gets better, because it doesn't ask as much vocally and because the ending allows Primus to settle into one of their trademark grooves. The real success of the EP, though, comes after a brief "Tippi Toes" interlude: Pink Floyd's "Have A Cigar." Claypool doesn't mimic Roy Harper here; his version of Floyd's record executive is demented rather than just shallow. And unlike the other covers, this one significantly reinterprets the music into the sort of hard-edged hippie funk that made Primus so important. In sum, unless you can buy the last track through an on-line service, this recording is really only for people who feel they have to own everything Primus did.

In between the masterpiece that is Sailing the Seas of Cheese and the bizarre twisted artwork of Pork Soda, Primus released Miscellaneous Debris; a 5 song covers EP to tide fans over until the next album. What do I say on it? It's interesting. Not the normal primus per say but still definitely Primus. I suggest that you listen to the originals beforehand because then you really see how much Primus "Prima-tized" them. Most noticeably are the first 2 songs which are significantly heavier than the originals.

1. Intruder (originally by Peter Gabriel) 10/10: definitely the best song on the album, a huge improvement on the original.
2. Making Plans for Nigel (originally by XTC) 8/10 another improvement over the original as XTC's version is VERY annoying.
3. Sinister Exaggerator (originally by the Residents) 7/10: a calm relaxing and yet disturbing song that is extremely weird. Of course it's weird, it's the Residents. Two other Residents covers can be found as the bonus track on Frizzle Fry.
4. Tippi Toes (originally by the Meters) 5/10: alright this is definitely the filler song. It's an instrumental but its kind of a waste to put it here on a five song album especially since its only 1:26.
5. Have a Cigar (originally by Pink Floyd) 9/10: yeah this is the second best song here. Primus doing Pink Floyd is cool. The reason it's not a 10/10 is because I have a habit of zoning out during this track.

So that's miscellaneous Debris. The only thing I don't really agree with is the price. Twelve bucks is a little high for a 5 song EP. 6 or 8 sounds more reasonable. So get this for a cheaper price and you have a good deal. Though I don't own all the Primus albums out there (I will eventually), they have never disappointed me. Enjoy.

I've been a huge Primus fan for years now. I own, and have played to death all of their original albums. I never had any interest in this EP or 'Rhinoplasty' because I knew that they were cover albums, and did not contain any original Primus material. After I went and saw Primus' last (kick @$$) show of the 'Tour De Fromage' at the Roseland Ballroom back in '03, there was a period where I was listening to almost nothing but Primus until I went to see them again in Toranto Canada for the 'Hallucino-genetics' tour back in '04 and then I saw them yet again at the 'Vegoose' festival in '05. So i've been a little Primused out for a while.

I decided recently that I may as well complete my Primus album collection and picked this up along with Rhinoplasty. This EP contains only 5 cover tunes, and I was suprised how much I actually enjoyed it. The only tune I was familiar with was 'Have a Cigar' by Pink Floyd, I also have a couple of Residents albums, but have never heard 'Sinister Exaggerator'. I loved all of the songs, and enjoyed their take on the one tune I knew. It was definetly a breath of fresh air, and it showcases some of the bands/artists that have influenced this great band. I think of it as a sort of autobiography of Primus. And that's just the reason i'm really glad I waited so long on this one, because it serves well as kind of an afterthought.

Yeah, it's just 5 cover tunes. But it gets 5 STARS anyways, cuz it's Primus b*tch.