International music reviews

Maria Azevedo is the voice which sets Battery apart from other industrial bands. Her Voice is show cased in Aftermath and Distance in a near sublime way. Aftermath has a slight edge over Distance with more lyrics that really jump out at you. This CD has a definate advantage over NV with it's distorted male vocals and uninpsired handing of Maria's voice. This album appeared on my best 10 CD of the decade.

I've loved battery for years now but when this album rocked my world I realized how incredible her voice really was,I recomend this album to anyone with a love for good vocals with a industrial twist and lots of honest emotion. Maria you will always rock my world.

battery improves by orders of magnitude with each release. i think, with "aftermath," they have finally lived up to their potential. it is outstanding on all counts.

there are melodies here, beautifully sung, with sometimes quirky and often brilliant electronics to back them up.

as for the lyrical content, i suspect this would be the ideal cd for anyone who has just been through a messy breakup.

Banality (Spears-like) is not in Mercedes "La Negra" Sosa's dictionary. After experimenting and succeeding with other music styles, with this CD La Negra goes back to her roots: Argentine folk music. I'm always amazed by her ability to choose songs. In her songbook there are no meaningless tunes. She chooses each one to express herself, and in WHAT classy way!! This is not her best CD but is very close to be it. If you know Spanish only if you were the Tin Man will not feel moved by "La Villerita" (by other Argentine folk giant: Horacio Guarany). It describes a teenager forced to prostitute herself to survive in a slum in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. I heard this song live and La Negra's emotions are for real, believe me. "Al Despertar" is another milestone in La Mecha's career.

La Negra simplemente es magnifica. Escuchando el CD me he dado cuenta lo mucho que vale el folclor verdadero como lo expresa Mercedes Sosa. El Chamame es simplemente hermoso tanto como la Urpilita y Cuando la belleza pase (de Lerner). La nostalgia despierta en mi cada vez que lo escucho, por el terru�o. Saludos Negra, vamos Argentina, todavia!

Increible, yo tambien creo lo mismo. Coincidimos hasta en lo de las canciones, es m�s a�ado las siguientes canciones a la lista de favoritas. Dejame que me vaya, La villerita, Viejo corazon, PUEBLERO DE ALLA ITE (la m�s bella) y la poes�a de Como Urpilita perdida es inigualable. La �nica canci�n que no me gust� por falta e imaginaci�n fue La Belleza, su m�sica es bonita, pero la letra bastante mediocre, ni siquiera salio impresa en el libro................. Diga no a la pirater�a, a la chabacaner�a y c�mprelo ya.

his music is the best, but Al Norte Del Sur has to be the most touching, caring, sensitive song ever..

Franco de vita is the best singer in latin america especially in Venezuela even though he is not as famous as Ricardo Montaner, he should be and more. Now don't get me wrong Ricardo has a Great Grreeat voice and good songs but so does Franco and I think better ones.

Franco is a great singer and composer, and this is an amazingly good albu

Somehow this one never caught my attention until now. I suspect I may not be all alone in being unaware of the existence of this neglected masterpiece. Its contemporary generation, on the cusp of the Beatles revolution, would undoubtedly be unimpressed if not put off by a program of 1920's sentimental favorites; an older generation, on the other hand, would balk at the songs of their youth not performed at a lilting, sing-along tempo.

All twelve tunes are waltzes, but the combination of Jenkins' rich orchestral palette and Sinatra's deliberative, deeply meditative readings all but erases consciousness of 3/4 meter. Sinatra sings not just of the past but of the tragic sense of time passing and the impossibility of reclaiming what is over except through art. The 1920s and 30s produced much popular material of undeniable melodramatic sentiment, and Sinatra mines this vein to the fullest, even in the face of a record-buying public that, especially during the 60s and 70s, preferred denial of the past and living in a knife-edge present.

This program is even more difficult to handle in a single session than "Only the Lonely" and "September of My Years," but that doesn't make it any less indispensable. Jenkins' arrangements might justify charges of over-ripeness for any singer other than Sinatra (he even throws in a soprano voice on "All Alone" and "The Melody Lingers On"). For the Master Storyteller, the settings serve as foils to unflinching, soul-searching, achingly beautiful, introspective journeys. Even "I lost the gladness that turned into sadness" is a phrase that acquires depth and resonance as Sinatra tells it.

Let's hope this conceptual gem, already consigned to Japanese exile, survives the parting out and chop-shop treatment to which Nancy and her fellow executors seem prone.

This is perhaps one of Frank's and Gordie's most underrated albums. It is better than any of their work at CAPITOL records as Sinatra's voice on this album is fuller and richer than on the CAPITOL albums.

The arrangements are superb and sould extremely lush; Frank probably had Gordie get a large orchestra as he very seldom spared any expense on REPRISE albums. I also like the perfect amount of reverb on Frank and the orchestra; overall the sound is very good.

Some of the waltzes do not have extremely deep lyrics and may sound a bit corny or old fashioned but Sinatra and Gordie literally squeeze every bit of emotion out of them and turn them into masterpieces. The ultimate cut on this album is REMEMBER. Just look at what Sinatra and Jenkins do with this song containing relatively simple lyrics - they turn into a dramtic and sad story. Only Frank could do that.

Why did the album only hit 25 on the BILLBOARD charts? Well, probably it was overshadowed by SINATRA AND STRINGS which is a bit more modern sounding but does not have the extreme sadness of this one. If Sinatra would have only waited to release this one..........

SHAME on Nancy Sinatra for deleting this one from the US REPRISE catalog.

This CD is nothing short of a masterpiece. Sinatra is in top Vocal Form as once again he guides us through the sorrows of lost loves,hopes & dreams. He doesn't just sing the music, he sings the words! Words by master songcrafter Irving Berlin are embellished by Sinatra's full emotional range and delivered expertly to the listener with lush Arrangements by Gordon Jenkins. My favorite cut is "Oh How I Miss You Tonight".The bonus Track "Come Waltz With Me" was originally intended to be the title of this 3/4 time collection. Don't Miss This One!

Mindy gives new meaning to the Latino pop Diva.... she rocks the house. I can't wait for her new CD to come out.. Does any one know when it is due for relaease?

Mindy has a strong voice. She is like another Selena. Yet noone can replace Selena, Mindy has shown her strong ability to hit those wodnerful notes in her songs. I think you should at least buy this CD for I did when it first came out. I was very pleased with what I bought. I think you will enjoy it as well.

I THINK MINDY SINGS REALLY PRETTY AND I LOVE HER C

this cd helps me every time i am down and blue but when i listen to this cd i always cheer up even if in the back of my head i still fell bad i cant rember.

Everything Selena did was gold. It's just a shame she had to be tacen away just when she was supposed to be introduced to the rest of the world! New fans did not get to see what a bomb she was on stage, and what a sweet ni~na mujer she was. A life-long and forever Sel fan.

Please visit my Sel Online Tribute,
Amor Prohibido - A Memorial Tribute to Selena
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/luv4sel/main.html

This is Selena's perfect album, every song is a gem! There is variety and every song is stuck in your head. I cant choose a favourite but I do love 'ya no' particuarly. This is the essential Selena album. Make sure not to pass up 'Entre a mi mundo' also!

Great disk. Dave put together an intriguing eclectic mix of styles/genres. There is a ton of creativity and originality in the mix. The range includes a jazzy sitar/ indian flavor piece, lots of Middle eastern/Egyptian influence, more straight ahead didgeridoo oriented songs, and to top it off some ethereal overtone/ harmonic singing that just carries you away. Very diverse, and it all hangs together quite nicely. Dave's versatility as a didgeridoo player shines, and really helps to provide a common thread through this diverse set of music. Definitely worth a listen!

I LOVE this disc! It is a real pleasure to hear the didj so beautifully used with ever changing timbres of accompaniment. This is not just a 'didj' disc that fits other instruments around one didj player, it is a collection of simply FANTASTIC music that results from grouping together various musicians of only the highest caliber. Animal Dreams shows that Dave Crowder is not really a didj player, but a master musician who happens to also be a master at the didj.

It's not really fair to single out any particular cuts because the whole disc is fantastic, yet some tracks are so stellar that they have immediately made my list of all time favorite 'didj' pieces. The opening track is a very rare treat - music where the didj is an equal part of an ensemble of great musicians playing fantastic music. Track 4 is such an enticing gem. The groove, the timbres, the melody sung on "Mastika", all draw me in and carry me away. I love the soft buzzing 'z' sound that Cameron makes when singing this. It sounds so cool. Track 7 ("Seven"), in 7, is one of the coolest sevens I have ever heard. The 3+2+2 groove here is played and felt so naturally that it feels like some metaphysical energy or life force itself is simply flowing out its own smooth song. Beyond entrancing. I can't do anything but melt into this track when I hear it. Real magic! The title track is simply the best didj meditational music you can get. Kudos and congratulations Dave. Animal Dreams is superb!

I'm listening to Animal Dreams as I write this. Animal Dreams is a CD that I have been playing a lot, and it keeps sounding good to me. Dave Crowder, the creator of this CD, not only plays a great didjeridu, but he also performs remarkable vocal harmonics, nice percussion, and makes incredibly realistic animal sounds out of his own body. Dave's animal sounds grace the silences between cuts and are sometimes tastefully a part of the piece itself. Dave's masterful didj playing is featured in almost every cut. Joining Dave are some top-flight musicians playing ancient and modern world instruments.
Each number in Animal Dreams creates its own world, and I enjoy living in each of them. This is a CD that flows with energy, a sense of humor, good musicianship, good taste, and moments of breathtaking beauty. Animal Dreams is the product of years of dedication and effort--and lots of heart--and that's the way it sounds.

I originally purchased the LP 22 years ago and have been searching for the CD for years, even attempting to special order through music chains. Unfortunately, the original title, "Portrait of an Island" was renamed "Anorazas / Homenaje A Rafael Hernandez y Pedro Flores." Fortunately, I FINALLY found it, and as an added bonus, songs have been added to the original selections. This is one of the finest voices, Mexican or otherwise, you will ever hear. "Lamento Borincano, Silencio, Amor Perdido, Perfume de Gardenias, Despedida, Obsecion" - all superb. Javier Solis never did better than these songs here. And, without question, Solis was Mexico's greatest singer. CAVEAT: one odd aspect of the album, included here, are the "recitados," which are spoken prologues to "Lamento Borincano" and "Despedida." Apparently, the original piece was a bit of a concept album, interpreting the island of Puerto Rico (Borinquen), following a theme of poverty, love, war, death (the universal themes). That said, most listeners will find the rich-voiced prologues superfluous, or worse, irritating. Despite that, the flawless and incredible range of Solis is heavenly and deeply satisfying. I'm buying 2 copies.

Indudablemente este CD contiene excelentes temas de dos grandes compositores en la voz del inolvidable artista Sonorense. Cabe destacar la particular introducci�n en los temas Despedida y Lamento borincano.

La persona que escribi� lo anterior dice que el Gran Javier Sol�s canta bien pero que es un artista olvidado, lo cual es �TOTALMENTE FALSO!, porque existimos bastantes admiradores que le rendimos tributo al escucharlo en sus discos!

A great album by a great band. I had the pleasure of hearing FTTB at Tommy Makem's in NYC in the early '90s and am glad the CD exists to testify to their strong instrumentals, songwriting, and singing. And their cover of "Catch the Wind" is great.

This was perhaps one of the best Irish/Rock/Ballad bands of its time. Too bad the boys all broke up and went their seperate ways. I heard David is back in Ireland, while one of the boys is raising a family in Florida. They played many of the Bronx/Yonkers bars like Sam McGwire's, Rory's and the Landsdowne. Their other album is a live album record at Sam McGwire's and is worth a spot in any collection.

I was so very lucky to have been able to have been at many of their concerts. It was the first time I saw people become so very Irish. I will never forget '95.My brother & I were changed by the experience. We with the band well.

I am extremely blessed to be a close friend of Erics (ME ONE). He is very talented and profoundly passionate about his music, not to mention posessive of its purity and rightly so.
It astounds me how effortlessly he can write and produce a song that can touch the heart of even the toughest of us. The first time I heard this album I had to remember to breathe as I got so caught up in the emotions of the words.
I've heard his new album 'Less is More', it's wicked!!!!! Get it!! You don't have a CD collection without it.

I never intended to buy this album, I just listened to it in the shop waiting for a friend. What can I say? After just 3 minutes I bought it and it remains one of the best albums in my collection. Before listening in the shop, I'd never heard of Me One and since have not heard anything more. This is full of such laid back music that can be listened to loud by itself or just in the background to provide a calming mood. Like other reviews I think this album was grossly under-promoted in the UK. Great because it means radio stations are not overplaying it, bad because so many people don't know it exists. Definately an album that everyone should have in their collection, I REALLY recommend this!

This album is quite good. I was abroad and saw the video for "Old Fashioned" on Euro MTV and acquired the album once I returned to the US. Once I listened to the album in its entirety, I have to say I am saddened and astonished that Me One has not been played here as much. The album has a cool, jazzy flow to it, and Me One's style of "speaking rap" lends itself well to this musical setup. I especially like the tracks "In My Room" and "Frenemy". Given the additional vocals by members of "The Roots" and "Guru", I wish Universal/Island had made more of an effort to promote this album domestically since it is excellent. Truly something for the soulful hip hop listener.