International Music

Similar to Tinariwen, but better in my opinion, this is North African music that anyone can appreciate. The spirit of John Lee Hooker is refracted through a cultural prism that is exotic but universal. Not to be confused with the music of urban Mali and Senegal, which is also excellent, this is severe but rewarding electric guitar and vocal work that will hypnotize you.

I'm Listening to all of my Malmsteen cds as I type this and I can't find one that has more bluesy/rock laden tunes on it than this! Opening with "Perpetual", a blistering instrumental testament to his continued viability and "Dragonfly" with it's swaggering rock n roll guitar rhythm and solo, and continuing with other cuts like "C'est La Vie" and "Cry No More" ,he crafted a masterpiece here that none of his later albums came anywhere near topping! "Black Star" (from RISING FORCE) and "Dragonfly" go with me on my phonechip everywhere! None of the tracks from here even made it to the "Collection" and I can't figure out how that travesty happened because this was one of his ALL TIME BEST!

Yngwie is a living legend of the guitar. I really admire him and I love to hear him playing when he is focused and concentrated. This album from 1992 is probably one of the last if not the very last very good album from him. After this one came only confused albums with some good moments here and there, but this one is his last big production effort. One of the last where he was able to put in his best. Sure this album is not Rising force or Marching out and neither Trilogy, in my opinion his best albums overall (together with Live in Leningrad probably). But Fire and Ice is a consistent album throughout with some very well written music and some very good guitar work from Yngwie in it. The only tune that I really can't stand is Teaser, too much AOR for Yngwie and completly out of place here. By the way Teaser doesn't mix at all with the rest of the material comprehended in Fire and Ice. It was probably put here for Elektra's will. Probably they told Yngwie, "man, we need to have a possible single to extract from the album" and so he did write Teaser. It was a video too if I remember well. But it is a poor song for real! The rest of the material instead have Yngwie at his best, not too much in the guitar hero role. He balanced more his parts and solos leaving more space to the compositions. But when he plays he plays very focused. The band is strong, Mark Boals voice very good for the material. The orchestration take this album in the Medieval atmospheres sometimes but it is something that you can expect from Yngwie. I return to this album from time to time, you can consider this one for sure, after the three or four Yngwie's albums I told you before (start with Live in Leningrad or Rising Force).

Malmsteen dropped the ball big time here. Having assembled a quality band for Eclipse he kept basically the same guys that cut that album with him. Everything should of been ready, he was signed to a major, had a worn in band of quality players and could still get himself on the cover of mags like Guitar World etc.

Alas this album starts off with an instrumental. I'm all for not sticking to prevailing formulas but what were they thinking? Luckily it's not a bad track. Things pick up with Dragonfly and Teaser which are more normal rockers. Then we get to the crux of the problem - the mid section of the album.

I dunno, I was such a one eyed yngwie devotee for so long it still hurts to have to say this - but much of this critically reviled album does indeed suck. Dragged out tunes with production that feels too 'soft' somehow and way too much emphasis on the keyboards. Some fans hated the string sections on this album but I never felt that was such a problem. For me, many of these tunes work in isolation such as No Mercy and Fire and Ice but put in seccession the whole just doesn't gel into a good album.

There are some tiny spots of glory for those willing to dig - the slower structures of some of the tracks is something a little new for Yngwie and follows on from slower tunes from Eclipse, the band is quality (Goran Edman has been so great on so many albums) and this album has that rarest of beasts - a Malsteen ballad that works in the form of I'm My Own Enemy, the lyrics of which were written by Goran in relation to his marriage breakdown. And the little instrumental Golden Dawn seques into Final Curtain which is a way cool rocker replete with thunder and rain sound affects.

Only for dedicated fans - of which I am one - but my love of the guys music must take 2nd place to my deisre to write honest and genuine reviews. This disc is a clunker.

I'm a big malmsteen fan, but I think it's obvious that this album was a big bump in the road for his career. At a time when kids were rebelling against the genre of metal, this album comes out with a hair band sound that is more prominent than the last 2 albums (and that's saying something). It is very "produced and polished" sounding, meaning that there are keyboard instruments from wall to wall, often overshadowing the guitar. Yes there are the guitar solos, but it seems like someone was trying to restrict malmsteen's technique into only his "spotlight moment" while the rest of the song just sounds like bad hair metal. This album was a sad day for heavy metal and neoclassical guitar, unlike all the malmsteen albums before and most of the ones after, which are five star neo classical extraviganzas. Get those other ones instead

This is the album that introduced me to Yngwie, so it ranks very high on my list. I've went back and forth and listened to his other releases, but non of them impressed me as much as Eclipse and Fire & Ice. I think these two are the highlight of his career, apart from Rising Force.

The common thread is Goran Edman, a vocalist with tremendous range, melody, and just simply enjoyable to listen to. Yngwie's albums, not known for their lyrical quality, made a step in a positive direction with Edman. Some reviewers mentioned Europe and John Norum. That's a keen observation given that Edman's first work with John Norum (ex-Europe guitarist) was on Total Control, 1987.

The nice thing about this album is that it covers a wide spectrum of genres. It might seem to some as unfocused metal, but to me it was refreshing to listen to different tempos and inflections, while still maintaining the powerhouse guitar in the driver seat and not overshadowing the song with endless solos. The vocals are an added improvement and the lyrical quality made a significant step forward.

I definitely recommend this, along with Eclipse, as an example of Malmsteen at the height of his career.

The first release for Gregorian: Masters of Chant and still the best of the series I've listened to. They hit the right notes with old favourites and classics.

I was buying several Gregorian Chant selections when I inadventently purchased this one without realizing the full extent of the contents.
A wonderful surprise. I'm back looking to buy the last 2 CD's they produced. If you like Gregorian and a wide selection of other music you might well enjoy these. I have made this my number one driving CD. The music is unique in it's chamelion-like blends. Best I've found in quite some time. Enjoy!!

Good gregorian chant singing songs by Simon and Garfunkel, Eric Clapton, Metallica !!, others. They have more than one disc.

I thought they pulled off this stylistic "mashup" very well. I don't know how seriously you can take the words - it isn't a worship aid. But it is interesting and well done.

I played Nothing Else Matters to my prayer group and some of the younger participants almost fell off their chairs laughing, while others (older people) thought it was nice.

If you are at all keen on Gregorian chant music this is a wonderful version of that type of singing with modern, rather than medieval songs. It is haunting music. Very relaxing. I have played this over & over & never get tired of it. I can thoroughly recommend this CD

This not the chant that one is used to , but is a wholly new way of presenting beautiful music. It is pleasant to listen to and does jar on the senses.

This is one of the most beautiful shows I have seen in a long time. John McDermott is at his very best and has the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. Anyone who listens to him I am sure will agree with me. He is a legend.

John McDermott is someone you'd be proud to know, and this DVD shows why. The music, the interviews, the clips all reveal a real person who loves his family, his friends, his countries (!) and unabashedly revels in the music that celebrates the finer things of life. In the concert portion, John presents a number of his standards (The Old Man, Christmas in the Trenches, Danny Boy) with honest emotion. His selections (Here You Are, When I Grow Too Old to Dream, Ottawa stepdancing medley) featuring other performers such as Alison Girvan, Chandra Gibson and Pulse, and John's goddaughter Hannah Kenney are all first-rate presentations of talent. It is very refreshing to see children performing as children (not as vapid copies of socalled "stars") in delightfully straightforward style in Crazy Mary.
The special feature I most enjoyed, however, was the clip of John singing "Legacy" at the award dinner for the Congressional Medal of Honor winners. If it was in my power, I'd send that clip to every tv station in America with strict instructions to play it right alongside the national anthem. The message that "we won't forget those who served" cannot be overemphasized. If you can buy only DVD this year, this is the one you should get.

Lads and lassies, what we need to correct are the erroneous details from the well-intentioned reviewer below. In general, he's right: McDermott was born a Scot in Glasgow. In fact his mother's family -- which came originally not from Dublin but from Ballymeena, near Belfast, in Northern Ireland -- had been in Scotland for several generations before John was born. But his father emigrated to Scotland from Bunnygee in Donegal, in Ulster but a part of the Republic. So by heritage on both sides McDermott is definitely Irish.

Besides, Irish and Scots are the same tribe anyway, speaking basically the same language and sharing centuries of history. The Romans' name for the Irish was "Scoti," after all, and that Irish treasure, the Book of Kells, was probably begun on the Scottish isle of Iona. So why quibble?

And yes, the voice is bonny.

Lads and Lassies....the truth be told, John McDermott hangs his "Irish" on his mother being a native of Dublin. However, her husband was Scottish, and John was born in Glasgow and the family lived there until moving to Canada...as far as I know, this Scot never lived in Ireland... he does have a bonnie voice, doesn't he?

You'll love this dvd as there is something for everyone. There are songs to reminds of of the ole times, songs that bring joy and sadness to your heart.The young and old, with John, will give you an evening you'll never forget. I have the cassette,cd,video and dvd of this, so I highly recommend it.

I have to agree with what everyone else has pretty much stated here... If you like flamenco-style music, do yourself a favor and pick this up. You really can't go wrong with any of their albums, and that is not at all a cliche'. And they ARE great live, too. Don't cheat yourself, seriously!

This group is magnificent in any language! What a talented group! They are great to watch live and their CDs are fantastic to listen to.

If you're into guitar music of any kind (I love Eric and Jimmy Page and many others) or you're into "Latin" music, you will love this album. In my dreams I can play guitar like these guys. Oh well, maybe in another life. Super, super stuff. Their live performances are better, catch them if you can.

I am not going to call this my favorite album because I dont really have a favorite. All of Incendio's albums are AMAZING, but this is the next best thing to hearing them live.
Jim and JP play with such Passion that the listener is taken on a journey around the world and filled with the same Fire that makes Incendio what it is. Joe Shotwell brings the Heart of Incendio directly to the listener's ears with his amazing drumming. The soul of Incendio is portrayed by the amazing talent of the bassist Liza Carbe', and Nicole Falzone adds a little bit of Spice to the mix with percussion. Together the talents of these Artists create a sound that ensnares the heart and soul. Even without "Studio Magic" this CD has a magic all it's own.
All I can say is go see Incendio live it's an outing you will never forget.

I love this album! Incendo came to our famrmer's market in SLO and ended up convincing me to run to the atm in order to buy this cd. They were amazing to watch live. Most of the people in the crowd ended up puchasing a cd. These guys have skills, great music, and are friendly people. Highly recommended.

Most of us have heard The Association's most famous tunes maybe literally a thousand times, usually blasting out of a mono AM car or home radio in the old days. It's a real treat to hear these hits (and some that should have been) on this fine sounding remaster. These guys are one of the finest vocal bands to ever enter a studio (the playing is great too, actually). It features "Cherish," probably the best / most-played unrequited love song ever not sung by a saloon singer!
Enjoy this great CD from this somewhat underrated band.

Strangely enough, despite being one of the quintessential "few hit wonder with good deeper catalog" acts of the 1960s, The Association have had precious few, single-disc "Greatest Hits" comps in their favor. The Warner Brothers "The Association's Greatest Hits" disc missed several singles for album tracks from "Birthday," while most other compilations used re-recordings of the original tracks; the Japanese got a great, 20 track disc, but at the usual import prices.

With "The Essentials," Rhino finally fills this niche once and for all. As far as I can see, all of the major tracks are here: Never My Love, Along Comes Mary, Cherish, and Windy are the four big radio tracks, while Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies (a GREAT song, bizarrely missing from the earlier, WB disc), Goodbye Columbus, and No Fair at All round out the slew of minor hits. "Enter the Young" is the far-superior take from the first album, and "Six Man Band" is an excellent Greatest-Hits-only bonus. Some tracks are missing in action from the Warner Brothers disc, but few should miss the "why-was-it-there?" We Love Us.

Quibbles? I'm still perplexed by the inclusion of the twee "Time for Living" ("The Time It Is Today" is a better song, and is one of the few original-GH tracks that deserved to be ported over), and I wish Rhino had seen fit to include some of the tracks from their oft-overlooked--but excellent--self-titled 1969 album. These are minor issues, though.

Verdict: If you're looking for an inexpensive, single-disc original-recordings "Greatest Hits" collection from The Association that's more comprehensive (if more concise) than the ancient, poor-sounding Warner Brothers disc...finally, someone saw fit to provide! Grab it without remorse.

Would recommend to any Miguel Aceves Mejia fan. The song
"La Malaguena" is the best version I've heard.

I ordered this CD because I wanted one song from it. Much to my surprise, I found that there were several other songs that I like to listen to as well. I give it four stars because some of the songs were not to my liking.

Miguel Aveves Mejia is on the cusp of the three major Mexican singers of Rancheras and popular music from it's golden age. He is right there with Javier Solis, Jose Alfredo Jiminez, and Pedro Infante. These guys came out of an era where not only were they singers but they also appeared in cinema. Aceves has a unique voice and style that has no rivlas, he's in a legue of his own. He sings beautiful Huapangos, a carribean Mexican style native to the Veracruz region. Aceves hits some notes that are so high it is unbelieveable and not to be missed. What is even more incredible is that he can hold these for an inhuman length of time. The musicians on this CD are often the renowned Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan, but the star is Aveves and his beautiful voice. He also starred in cinema as another Mexican "singing cowboy" who crooned his way through his movies. "Los Laureales" and "La Malaguena" are two exemplary songs that display his wonderful range. This is nusic from a bygone era that will probably never be duplicated.

Like the rest of you, I bought this CD expecting European yodeling. The German/Austrian tracks sound pretty routine to me, but the really exciting part is the uncredited introduction to the New Zealand tradition of country-western yodeling. It took me 5 years to learn from a forum that the singer is Max McCauley.

If you like the McCauley tracks, look also for Cole Wilson and The Tumbleweeds. They're important in the history of NZ c/w music, they sound beautiful, and Wilson's songs are deeply moving and unusual.

For real Steyermark yodeling, I recommend Gisela Meissenbichler.

This CD was not as described. I asked for a CD with yodeling by Ruedi Rymann, and his name was displayed on the page with this CD, as was his most famous song, Dr Schacher Seppli, so I assumed they would be on the CD. Not so, and the first half of the Cd was in english with western yodeling and background slide guitar. So I enjoyed what I bought, but it was not what I expected. I would suggest that Rymann's name not be associated with this CD.

This CD should be split. The first half is folk yodeling from the South. Second half has more traditional European yodeling. Disappointed that I could pay $8 for the whole CD (incorrectly labeled) or $7 for authentic European yodeling.

When I ordered this, I read the reviews, which complained about the fact that the album isn't Alpine yodels. Since I like any yodels, I didn't care. However, when I first started playing the album, I couldn't stop chuckling. It was all cowboy! If it was titled, " Yodels from Around the World," there would be no complaints. It's obvious that the recording company took two albums and stuck them together. In the first half, there are many Western and "folk" yodels followed by classic Alpine in the latter half. Additionally, there are a few English and Australian items. So, if you enjoy yodel music, it's a great value... two for the price of one. Just grin and enjoy!

I was greatly disappointed in this cd! Almost half of the recording is of a cowboy jodeling over his campfire in english. The music was alright but not until the middle track did the real alpine music begin. I purchased it before the music could be sampled online, and this is one of the times that I didn't luck out.

This is not quite what I expected and appears to be a collection of new cuts of old music. It's OK, I guess.

Although I no longer live on the island........its music is forever in my heart and soul. Old ballads full of feelings and tender romance. What an era!!!!!