Pleasures

On this CD:

1. Turandot, opera Nessun Dorma
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

2. La bohème, opera Che Gelida Manina
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

3. La bohème, opera O Soave Fanciulla
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

4. Idomeneo, rè di Creta, opera, K. 366 Non Ho Copla E Mi Condanni
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

5. Idomeneo, rè di Creta, opera, K. 366 Il Padre Adorato
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

6. I Capuleti e i Montecchi, opera E Sebata a Uesto Accario
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

7. I Puritani, opera La Mia Canzon D'Amor
Composed by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

8. Lucia di Lammermoor, opera Tombe Degli Avi Mie
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

9. Lucia di Lammermoor, opera Tu Che Dio Spaargesti Le L'Ali
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

10. Lucia di Lammermoor, opera Fra Poco Mi Ricovero
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

11. Lucia di Lammermoor, opera Una Furtiva Lacrima
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

12. L'elisir d'amore, opera Quanto E Bella Quanic E Cara
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

13. L'elisir d'amore, opera Oh!Fede Negar potessi
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

14. Rigoletto, opera Questa O Quella
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

15. Rigoletto, opera Ella Mi Fu Rapita
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

16. Rigoletto, opera La Donna E Mobile
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

Pleasures, Music, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Luciano Pavarotti, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Classical Vocals, German/Austrian Classical Period Opera, Italian Romantic Opera, Opera

Our Earthly Pleasures
Average customer rating:

British indie pop brilliance

If you like the Who, the Jam ...

LISTEN

Our Earthly Pleasures
Maximo Park
Manufacturer: Warp Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Britpop | British Alternative | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Favourite Worst Nightmare

Yours Truly Angry Mob [Deluxe Edition CD/DVD Combo]

Sound of Silver

The Good, the Bad & the Queen

Because of the Times

ASIN: B000MV9NC8
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

Girls Who Play Guitars
Our Velocity
Books from Boxes
Russian Literature
Karaoke Plays
Your Urge
The Unshockable
By The Monument
Nosebleed
A Fortnight's Time
Sandblasted and Set Free
Parisian Skies
Pride Before A Fall (US Bonus Track)
Distance Makes (US Bonus Track)

From Amazon.co.uk

The second album from Newcastle's Maximo Park, Our Earthly Pleasures confirms its creators to be one of the UK's more idiosyncratic indie outfits--the sort of bookish, educated rockers for whom intelligence means something more than reading a book while you're having your photo taken. Not only does vocalist Paul Smith boast the sort of wit and wisdom to rhyme the words "hypothetical," "alphabetical," "theoretical," and "dialectical" ("A Fortnight's Time") without coming off as a pretentious try-hard, the songs Maximo pen zip along with a gleaming tunefulness and athletic agility that denies any obvious musical influence. Much here is concerned with collapsing relationships, although Smith takes a more circuitous route than most though the familiar territory of a love song: "Our Velocity" treats male-female communication as a cipher to be cracked, while the chiming "Books from Boxes" takes stock of a love affair of a relationship from its accumulated paper trail. Far from being introspective and self-absorbed, however, Our Earthly Pleasures is an energetic, vibrant affair, thanks in part to the work of Pixies producer Gil Norton, who thickens up Lukas Wooler's synth and hones the band dynamic to quiet/loud perfection. --Louis Pattison

Album Description

2007 sophomore album from this Britpop outfit. Produced by Gil Norton (Pixies/Foo Fighters) making it even more taut and muscular and boasts five huge radio singles (each featuring a video with a different director). 12 tracks including 'Girls Who Play Guitars', 'Books From Boxes' and the first single 'Our Velocity'.. Warp. 2007

Album Details

Second Album from Newcastle's Maximo Park, Produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters).

Customer Reviews:

British indie pop brilliance.......2007-07-06

I'ts hard to put your finger on Maximo Parks sound,it really grows on you the more you listen. The first cd was a little herky/jerky and lacked refined production value but Our Earthly Pleasures has a much smoother sound without detracting from it's origins. I would recommend to anyone who craves original sound along with intelligent and inspiring lyrics.

If you like the Who, the Jam ..........2007-06-16

If you like the Who, the Jam ... or even the Smiths in some respects, you should try this music.

I cannot stop listening to this CD, and I don't do that often. A stack of music comes and goes from my office every month. It's a big part of my job, but I cannot listen to much of it and do my work. Ironic, I know. The cover of this CD caught my attention ~ [side-note: it looks like the same photographer over the course of their previous releases]

This is not simple pop. The songs are crafted and well-written ~ they build and turn unexpectedly. Strong tracks to sample: Your Urge; Books From Boxes and the lead track, Girls Who Play Guitar.

LISTEN.......2007-05-12

There will undoubtedly be people who loved the first album that will listen to this and feel lost in the sheet of sound that fills the middle of this one. I too wondered what happened to the brilliant changes of their first release. However, anyone who loves Maximo knows they deserve more than one good listen. And so that is my advice...LISTEN. Put on some good headphones, sit back, and listen to it unfold. After a few listens you'll hear it.

Average customer rating:

Shades of Grey
Track Listing Peculiar
correct track listing
innovative pioneers
Depressive Pleasures

Unknown Pleasures
Joy Division
Manufacturer: Qwest / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Post-Punk | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Closer
Substance
Still
Power, Corruption & Lies
Entertainment

ASIN: B000002LGL
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Disorder
Day Of the Lords
Candidate
Insight
New Dawn Fades
She's Lost Control
Shadowplay
Wilderness
Interzone
I Remember Nothing

Customer Reviews:

Shades of Grey.......2006-11-13

This is an album that displays emtion in each of its song. Unlike many of todays artist who pose for certain look or stlye, Joy Division were about channeling their emotions through their music. Unknown Pleasures, a landmark album the world was not ready for its time of release and yet still an album that sounds fresh and not dated. From the opening track Disorder to the track I Rememeber Nothing, the album is a sonic venture unlike the world has seen. She's Lost Control alone a track that makes you feel like you are on the edge of losing control. Seeing footage of Ian Curtis perform SLC is simply shocking. As the beat of the Stephen Morris drums fuel the gyrations of what seems to be an Ian Curtis in a state of epilepsy, one can wonder how Ian didnt lose control there and then. Whereas the power of Shadowplay can be summoned up in one lyric "In the Shadowplay acting out your own death.." Unknown Pleasures offers us a view into Joy Divisions world. A dystopia in shades of grey.

Track Listing Peculiar.......2006-11-01

Amazon sort out your track listing for this album you dense sick motherfu$$ers..........and remember to clean your teeth afterwards.

This album desrves much much better than to be tagged with incorrect information being unique in its genre or rather inventing its own genre unlike yourselves.........I tell ya wat if you lot were a river i'd dam you.

correct track listing.......2006-10-14

Amazon tsk tsk tsk... you got the product description and track listing wrong! Get with it guys!
REAL track listing:

1.Disorder - 3:32
2.Day of the Lords - 4:50
3.Candidate - 3:05
4.Insight - 4:29
5.New Dawn Fades - 4:48
6.She's Lost Control - 3:57
7.Shadowplay - 3:56
8.Wilderness - 2:38
9.Interzone - 2:16
10.I Remember Nothing - 5:52

innovative pioneers.......2006-10-09

highly influental and can never be compared to. so many artists try to cover their songs and all seem to fail miserably to grasp the sound, especially all the electronic artists. give it up!! get off your computer and play some instruments if you want to cover a band like joy division!

am i the only one that notices that amazon has the track list wrong? or did the band change the titles at one point?

Depressive Pleasures .......2006-10-01

"Joy Division's " first album-- Unknown Pleasures (1979))--launches a scathing sucker punch to humanity that will turn your Peter Pan "happy thoughts" aflame. Through daunting singer/songwriter Ian Curtis--an artiste that uses his pessimistic lyrics as a comment on societal mores to promote subversion in the listener and make them question the bleaker aspects of everyday existence-- this unit achieves pathos in a number of ways; including Curtis' suicide shortly after recording the single, Love will Tear us Apart, shortly before the release of their second album, "Closer." This second-dimension to the refrain make this group from Manchester, England much more than the typical mainstream, jivey, and greedy bands that seem like they are only trying to become the next poster boys. Instead, it is an intriguing, as well as a heartbreaking listen to a man's final testament to the world and god that he feels betrayed by.

Their message is made apparent by Curtis' voice, lurching with a flat monotone, peeling the listeners' emotion away like a vagrant soul found in the pages of an Edgar Allen Poe story. Moreover, this relic of mirth is at the heart of the lyrical themes that range from betrayal, death, depression, religion, and crumbling sanity. This downbeat sensibility has the somberness of the broken-hearted youth in a Shakespearean tragedy, and the damnable suffering of a villain's final breath in the climax of a Jacobean revenge story. The "all is not well in wonderland" angst is apparent on Pleasure's opener, the emotionally withdrawn song, Disorder. Containing the daring first lyric, " I am waiting for the guide to come and take me by the hand," the refrain shows a loss of touch with reality, leading to a lust for death. It is this blur between the earthbound and the empyreal that makes "Joy Division" a landmark band that would set up the groundwork for other genres, such as Goth.

Bassist Peter Hook, drummer Stephen Morris, and guitarist Bernard Albrecht perform the sonic atmospherics. This British triple-threat adds to this emotional masterpiece of dark delicacies constructed from a vortex of fractured passions and disbanded ecstasies. Working as a collective whole, the members brandish a high concepted, yet refined minimalism in their sound that fluctuates from dizzyingly kinetic, to a subdued, unsettled tone; and it is in the passionate musical arrangements that a cough of life emerges. "Joy Division's" classical merit is an absolute, they are a fever-pitch of decadence, and a masterful band that transmitted their social concerns and lack of faith in the system into their music. Speaking on the unjust tragedy of Curtis' suicide, the audience must understand that true art is an emotional outlet for someone's own frustrations in the world, and no matter how blurred with reality it may be, art is always a form of self-expression, and communication. Thus by turning our back on the artists' views, because of their personal problems, we in turn dehumanize that person.

Moreover, despite their gloom-drenched aura, "soul" and "diversity" is at the hull of the band. The music itself speaks; frankly, re-animating the emotional somberness only for the album to stop spinning in the player, but not in the listeners' mind. Unknown Pleasures is not just a masterpiece of music, but rather an experience that brought artistry into the post-punk sound, and made it an emotional tool to break your heart, to then enclose the fragments in darkness. R.I.P. Ian Curtis

**** 1/2 (Out of 5)

Note- Only negative-- The overlong last song, "I remember nothing."

Average customer rating:

What Kind of Fools...
The best Album from these two in years
Excellent album
FANTASTIC, CD
Please Stop

Guilty Pleasures
Barbra Streisand
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Contemporary | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Classic Vocalists | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | 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:

Guilty
Sings the Peggy Lee Songbook
Barbra Streisand - The Television Specials
Moonlight Serenade
Thanks For The Memory...The Great American Songbook IV

ASIN: B000AOJ9EY
Release Date: 2005-09-20

Tracks:

Come Tomorrow (Duet with Barry Gibb)
Stranger In A Strange Land
Hideaway
It's Up To You
Night Of My Life
Above The Law (Duet with Barry Gibb)
Without Your Love
All The Children
Golden Dawn
(Our Love) Don't Throw It All Away
Letting Go

Amazon.com

A few tracks into this highly anticipated Barbra Streisand release and the title starts to make sense. Guilty Pleasures is a 'Streisandian' spin on a melange of popular styles, including '50s doo-wop ("Come Tomorrow"), Motown ("It's Up to You"), disco ("Night of My Life"), Broadway ("Without Your Love"), and something vaguely waltz-like ("Stranger in a Strange Land"). If that sounds gimmicky and contrived, it isn't. The musical influences are more under Streisand's spell rather than the other way around. Then there's that voice: fire-and-brimstone bold one minute, cashmere soft the next, and fully undiminished overall. Much has been made of the politics surrounding "All the Children," but the protest-song-for-Muzak reputation preceding it comes without justification. The song makes its point (for peace) mildly and without undue controversy. The voice of Barry Gibb crops up more than just on the two duets he is credited with ("Above the Law" and "Come Tomorrow"), and where it is not being showcased, on "(Our Love) Don't Throw it All Away" for example, it sounds best. Of course the other inspiration behind this album's title is a nod to Guilty, the multiplatinum album Streisand and Gibb recorded in 1980 that captured the hearts of millions and spawned decades of requests for further collaborations. With Guilty Pleasures, Streisand has managed to avoid charges that she's past her peak, as evidenced on the gorgeous love song "Letting Go." --Tammy La Gorce

Recommended Barbra Streisand Discography

Guilty (DualDisc)
Duets
The Essential Barbra Streisand

Album Description

Barbra Streisand returns to the scene with her newest release, Guilty Pleasures, which marks the reuniting of the legendary singer with producer Barry Gibb, whom she originally collaborated with 25 years ago on the multi-platinum record Guilty. The new album features 11 new tracks including the singles Letting Go and Stranger In A Strange Land and rekindles the magic between Streisand and Gibb that captivated so many listeners 25 years ago.

The DVD Side of the DualDisc Edition of the album also includes special bonus video footage and more!

Customer Reviews:

What Kind of Fools..........2007-03-25

would revisit, twenty-five years later, the scene of one of their greatest musical moments? Well Barbra and Barry Gibb have seen fit to do just that. And I've waited a year and a half to write a review of this record, because I'm still listening to it!
With a completely different feel than "Guilty," Barbra and Barry have created her best studio album in a long time. They cover a wide variety of musical styles, and create some new classics in doing so. The duets "Come Tomorrow" and "Above the Law" stand beside the two they recorded for "Guilty." "Stranger in a Strange Land," "Hideaway," and "Night of My Life" are perfectly realized pop song, showtune, 70's disco all in the space of "Guilty Pleasures."
My favorite moment, though, is Barbra's beautiful cover of the Bee Gee's own "(Our Love) Don't Throw it All Away." It makes me wish for an entire record of Barbra singing the Bee Gee's! For now though, I'm more than satisfied with "Guilty Pleasures," each and every one of them.

The best Album from these two in years.......2007-01-22

I was so pleased with this CD that I now have two, one for my car and the other for my home. Its great that these two performers have got back together and I hope they will do another CD in the near future. One of the best songs on the CD is "come Tomorrow". All the others songs are great as well. Anyone who is a Barbara Striesand and Barry Gibb fan will truly appreciate this CD

Excellent album.......2007-01-03

An album of new lovely songs, with very good musicians and production, and Barbra Streisand's voice sounds great, as always.Highly recommended.

FANTASTIC, CD.......2006-11-10

I'ts absolutely great listening! The most enjoyable sound Trx I've
ever listened to! I listen to It all the time!

THanks, Steve Bergman

Please Stop.......2006-10-11

This has to be one of the worst productions in the history of music.

There comes a time when a person should really take a long, hard look to see if it is time to hang it up. For Babs, that time has come.

The good thing is that I have the answer to her introspective undertaking - STOP SINGING NOW!!

Scent Of A Woman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Average customer rating:

Atmospheric Music to a Memorable Screenplay
Good original score, though better old melodies
Nicely done, Thomas, nicely done.
Newman is On and Off, as Usual
Contains a GREAT song

Scent Of A Woman: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Thomas Newman , and Jose Padilla
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Green Mile: Score from the Motion Picture
Angels in America
The Shawshank Redemption: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Horse Whisperer: Original Score
Road to Perdition (Score)

ASIN: B000002ON6
Release Date: 1993-01-19

Tracks:

Main Title
A Tour Of Pleasures
Tract House Ginch
45 In 25
Balloons
Cigars Part Two
Por Una Cabeza
Long Gray Line
The Oakroom
Park Ave.
Witnesses
Beyond Danger
La Violetera
Other Plans
Assembly
Fleurs De Rocaille
End Title

Customer Reviews:

Atmospheric Music to a Memorable Screenplay .......2006-03-21

Everything about this excellent score is pure America. The tempo corresponds to the changing moods of the film from the rolling road rhythm to the erotic tango and the college flaky beat during the practical joke which misfires. I am the only member of my family who hasn't visited the USA but I am hoping to one day make the trip and experience the multitude of cultures which inspired Thomas Newman, the composer, to produce such musical imagery in the changing scenes.
Sylvia (UK)

Good original score, though better old melodies.......2002-10-08

As a matter of fact I bought this CD not as much due to Mr. Newman's original scrore, but since I liked very much the treatment of the beatiful Spanish song "La Violetera" in key moments of the film. Mr. Newman's music is very good, but the Spanish and Argentine music he used was much better. The performances of "The Tango Project" are superb. "La Violetera" is probably the nicest Spanish song, talking of a florist; it is widely known in its original version in Spain and Latin America, and moreover, came to international light thanks to Charles Chaplin's "City Lights" where it was the Leitmotif of the blind florist girl (a very adequate use indeed). The tango "Por una Cabeza" is probably the highlight of the score, because it is the piece danced by Al Pacino; unfortunately the other tango "Caminito", played by the orchestra at the restaurant, does not appear here. It is a petty. As a whole, I like the CD very much, especially the two performances of "The Tango Project", but just because they are more touching to my cultural heritage. Nonetheless, I praise both Mr. Newman's personal compositions as well as his perfect use of other's melodies.

Nicely done, Thomas, nicely done........2002-08-15

This cd is worth price of admission for one huge reason, the main theme music. It comes at us twice during our listening journey of Scent Of a Woman. It is likened to a kid finally learning to ride a bike for the first time, flying down his neigborhood road with a look of pride and surprise smudged neatly on his face. It is a delightful melody that will continue to stick in your mind for a long, long while.

Other notable tracks on this score are tracks 45 in 25, Balloons, Beyond Danger, and End Title.

This is a must cd for Newman fans and a very nice addition for any fan of film scores. Enjoy!

Newman is On and Off, as Usual.......2001-10-16

Scent of a Woman is 50% of a truly great film score...and 50% of a truly bad film score. It's obvious to the listener from which category a particular track comes from. Newman either gives the listener a vibrant, exciting, "new age" melody, or something that can only arguably be defined as music.

The fact remains, however, that when this score is on, it is REALLY on. The Main Title is an exciting track and the more emotional themes can really grab you by the heartstrings (though they undoubtedly hearken back to other works by Newman).

All in all though, for anyone familiar with Newman, two other scores better exemplify his talents. If you are looking for the unorthodox, "new age" Newman, go with American Beauty. If it's lush strings and sentiment you're after, go with Meet Joe Black (my personal favorite Newman score to date). Both will leave you with a much better idea of this talented composer.

Contains a GREAT song.......2000-01-19

Por Una Cabeza is a great song. I could listen to it all day. This is the first cd I found with a good version of it.

Average customer rating:

Where Are You Jon B??? R &B Needs You
BEST EVER!!
I luv it!
Great Album / Great Talent...Virtually Slept On!!
Sweeps you off your feet!!

Pleasures U Like
Jon B.
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Cool Relax
Bonafide
Stronger Everyday
Are U Still Down: Jon B Greatest Hits
Holiday Wishes: From Me to You

ASIN: B00005APZL
Release Date: 2001-03-20

Tracks:

Interlude
Finer Things
Vibezelect Cafnterlude
Don't Talk
Sof'n Sweet
Overjoyed - (featuring Faith Evans)
Boy Is Not A Man
Lonely Girl
Cocoa Brown
What Up Boogotti? Interlude
All I want is you (featuring Cuban Link)
Been Played Interlude
Layaway (featuring AZ)
Pleasures U Like
Now That I'm With You
My Seed With You Interlude
Tell Me
Calling On You
Inside
Do It All Again

Amazon.com

Although a new generation of blue-eyed soulsters has joined the ranks, Jon B remains somewhat of an anomaly within the bubblegum R&B crowd. He may be Caucasian but he practices chocolate love. Ignoring the jackhammer rhythms and pure-pop refrains favored by teen dreams like the Backstreet Boys, the more serious Jon B chooses to keep his music nice and smooth. His latest release harkens back to the slow-jam era of 1996, a time when Kenny Lattimore and Babyface ruled the airwaves. Here's a comforting fact: If you pop this CD in your player you won't have to think any deep thoughts for the 74 minutes it takes to run the album through.

As expected, guest stars are of the high-profile variety. Nas reprises his "If I Ruled the World" rhyme, and Cuban Link pushes "All I Want Is You" to a beat that's eerily reminiscent of his man Big Pun's "Ain't a Player" remix. But the album's pièce de résistance has got to be "Layaway," which features the long-overdue return of AZ. --Rebecca Levine

Customer Reviews:

Where Are You Jon B??? R &B Needs You.......2007-03-09

This was an excellent album just like the rest and this guy didn't get the credit that he deserved. If you don't have his collection, you should definitely check them all out.

BEST EVER!!.......2006-08-08

I enjoy all of JB's albums, but have to admit that Pleasures you like is the best by far! With the exception of 'dont talk', Im not really feeling the dance cuts, but he makes up for them with the great ballads.. This CD is well written and produced. This artisit is a musical genius! BUY IT NOW!! Definetly "Pleasures I liked!"

I luv it!.......2006-02-07

This in byfar the man's best work. Unfortunately there was a limited release of the second cd to accompany this one. The songs on that cd were great. Jon B. is a musicaly genuis. It is so rare to find true artist, one that can actually play an instrument and sing as well. Jon B. also writes a lot of his own music. He is a true R&B artist. On a scale of 1-10, he gets a 15! Wonderful cd.

Great Album / Great Talent...Virtually Slept On!!.......2005-12-23

This is my favorite of Jon B.'s albums!
The whole vibe and feel of this CD is great and
in addition to "Don't Talk", which got all the
airplay, there were at least 3 other singles,
in my opinion, which could have been pulled
from this album! "Finer Things" is still one
of my favorite smooth jams from this album!
Jon B.'s musical career as well as this CD has
been slept on and left for dead except for a small
army of his devoted fans who go see his club dates.
I hope that Jon B. can find a good strong label
that believes in him so he can get the props
that he deserves!
To those who don't know...pick up this CD..
you won't regret it!

Sweeps you off your feet!!.......2005-11-20

I've always been a huge fan of Jon B. I own all his CD's , one night I came across this one and I thought I give him a review which I know is way pass due, forgive me.
Jon B has great talent; his music is pure heart and soul that shouldn't be unnoticed. The album is filled with great R&B tracks, great beats; great featured artists like Nas, Faith Evans, Cuban Link, and more! The tracks are all different from each other and you can tell he has grown from his first two CD's or so as a musician and a producer.
Even though this CD wasn't highly publicized it didn't take away from the quality of the CD. The 1st single, "Don't Talk", gives us something different from Jon B. We know that he is capable of doing up tempo songs as well but we know him better from slow and midtempo songs like "Someone to Love" w/Babyface, "They Don't Know", "Are U Still Down" w/2 Pac and "I Do (Whatcha Say Boo)". He also has a nice uptempo jam with AZ, called "Layaway" which I am sure that his fans will enjoy, that speaks about a woman that he may like but just can't afford. Nas shows up for the "Finer Things" and Terror Squad's own Cuban Link arrives for "All I Want Is You". Jon B, however, is at his best when he sticks to the slow jams. He has this formula down to a science. The best examples are "Overjoyed" w/Faith Evans, "Boy Is Not A Man", "Lonely Girl" and "Do It All Again". Ladies and gentlemen, these are Grade A slow jams and I am sure that you will enjoy these tracks. He has a distinctive way of doing most of his slow jams on this CD. Jon B has just about outdone "Cool Relax" with this one. Any fan of that CD or R&B in general should like this CD.

Kathleen Battle & Christopher Parkening ~ Pleasures of Their Company

Average customer rating:

Enjoying The Pleasures of K. Battle & C. Parkening
Great blending of the talents of two top-notch artists in their respective fields. Parkening on the guitar and Battle singing.
Superb technique, emotionally flat, but enjoyable even so.
ONE OF MY FAVOURITES
Fans will be delighted!

Kathleen Battle & Christopher Parkening ~ Pleasures of Their Company
John Dowland , Manuel de Falla , Charles Gounod , Heitor Villa-Lobos , Enrique Granados , Fini Henriques , Jaime Ovalle , Joaquim Antonio Barroso Neto , Franz Xaver Richter , Anonymous , William Levi Dawson , Robert MacGimsey , Kathleen Battle , and Christopher Parkening
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Battle, Kathleen | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music

Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 25% Off | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Angels' Glory
Kathleen Battle · Wynton Marsalis ~ Baroque Duet / Anthony Newman · Orch St. Luke's · Nelson
So Many Stars
The Best of Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart

ASIN: B000002RNM
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Music By John Dowland: Come Again! Sweet Love Doth Now Invite
Music By John Dowland: Allemande (Guitar Solo)
Music By John Dowland: What If I Never Speed?
Music By John Dowland: Galliard (Guitar Solo)
Music By John Dowland: Fine Knacks For Ladies
Ave Maria
Bachianas Brasileiras No.5: Aria
Coleccion De Tonadillas: La Maja De Goya
Three Brazilian Songs: Boi-Bumba
Three Brazilian Songs: Azulao
Three Brazilian Songs: Para Ninar
Three Spanish Folk Songs: Cancion
Three Spanish Folk Songs: Nana
Three Spanish Folk Songs: Seguidillia Murciana
Six Spirituals: Ain't Got No Time To Die
Six Spirituals: I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
Six Spirituals: Ain't That Good News!
Six Spirituals: Sweet Little Jesus Boy
Six Spirituals: This Little Light Of Mine
Six Spirituals: Ride On King Jesus

Customer Reviews:

Enjoying The Pleasures of K. Battle & C. Parkening.......2007-05-06

Whether you are very familiar with these two artists or have never heard either one, you will delight in this musical collaboration. Only a guitarist of Christopher Parkening's stature could be the ideal accompaniment to the perfection of Kathleen Battle's voice. The music ranges from selections by John Dowland to American spirituals, Bach/Gounod, Villa-Lobos, Granados and some Spanish folk songs. The result is a coherent, soothing and utterly delightful listening experience. You will revisit this album often, and always be glad that you have it. For fans of Kathleen Battle and Christopher Parkening, I think it is a must.

Great blending of the talents of two top-notch artists in their respective fields. Parkening on the guitar and Battle singing........2006-01-31

We always enjoyed seeing and hearing Battle in concerts, usually on the television and Parkening has been a favorite guitarist. To listen to these two fine artists in concert is a real treat.

Superb technique, emotionally flat, but enjoyable even so........2005-05-25

I can't imagine these songs being performed with any greater technical brilliance than they are by Parkening and Battle on this CD. Both are virtuosos, him in the guitar, her the voice. Their skill is particularly apparent in the Dowland songs, the "Ave Maria", and the Bachianas brasileiras no. 5 (for me, the high point of the recording), which are all in a formal style well suited to the talents of the performers.

I compare the Brazilian songs to the version recorded by Salli Terri with Laurindo Almeida in the late '50's on "Duets with Spanish Guitar", which I have listened to repeatedly since I first heard it in 1959. Battle's phrasing, enunciation, and vocal skill are far superior to Terri's, but Terri brought a level of emotion to her singing that Battle seems to lack. Where Battle's perfection enhances her superb performances of the Dowland and Villa-Lobos pieces, it seems to detract from her performance of the Brazilian folk pieces.

I find this to be true again in the spirituals - vocal perfection and control detracting from the "soul" required to bring out the "spiritual" feeling. Imagine these same pieces sung by Mahalia Jackson or Aretha Franklin and you'll understand my point.

Parkening's performance has the same quality - technical virtuosity, especially noticeable in his lute-like technique in the Dowland solo - but lacking in emotional depth.

The classical selections are highly recommended, the folk pieces a bit disappointing, but overall an enjoyable recording.

ONE OF MY FAVOURITES.......2004-03-19

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BATTLE ALBUMS, HER SWEET VOICE IS ACCOMPAINED BY THE GUITAR VIRTUOSO CHRISTOPHER PARKENING, TOGETHER CREATE A TENDER, DELIGHTFUL & BEAUTIFUL LISTENING EXPERIENCE. BACHIANAS BRASILEIRAS N- 5 HAS IT`S BEST PERFORMANCE IN THIS CD.

Fans will be delighted!.......2003-08-25

Fans, maybe, but I must say I'm not a huge fan of Kathleen Battle or opera or songs in different languages, either. My mom is, though. And through her I have heard Kathleen's best. And her very best (if you ask me) is one of the tracks ON THIS CD titled "Ain't that good news," even though it should be called "Ain'ta dat good news," since that is how its sung. It is a really good song (ask anybody) with a little surprise high-note at the end. If I were you I would (if not buy this CD right here and now) then go to [a book store] and see if their computers will let you hear "Ain't that good news" because that song is great.

Average customer rating:

clear as a bell
Renee Fleming...somewhat out of her depth
Handel sung with gusto and wit
Very disappointing Handel recital
Brava Renee!!!

Handel
Renee Fleming , Harry Bicket , Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment , and George Friedrich Handel
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

All Classical Music Blowout | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Sacred Songs
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson: Handel Arias
Haunted Heart
The Inner Voice : The Making of a Singer
Renee Fleming: By Request

ASIN: B0002SZVV8
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

Oh Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me?
Endless Pleasure
Scoglio D'Immota Fronte
Quando Spieghi I Tuoi Tormenti
Ombra Mai Fu
To Fleeting Pleasures Make Your Court
Lascia Ch'io Pianga
Dunque, I Lacci D'un Volto...Ah! Crudel
Let The Bright Seraphim
V'adoro, Pupille
Da Tempeste Il Legno Infranto
Ritorna, Oh Caro E Dolce Mio Tesoro
Sommo Rettor Del Cielo...D'una Torbida Sorgente
Pensieri, Voi Mi Tormentate
Bel Piacere E Godera Fido Amor!
Calm Thou Soul...Convey Me To Some Peaceful Shore

Amazon.com

Those who may have feared that Renée Fleming might approach Handel with a too-Romantic vocal attitude need not have; whether it's the leadership of the sympathetic, historically informed Harry Bicket, the sound of the spare but warm Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, plain good sense and musicianship, or any combination of these, here she offers sixteen arias in almost-impeccable Baroque fashion. I doubt whether sopranos of Handel's age had voices as plush as Ms Fleming's but she manages to keep her tone as light and as airy as possible in these selections, never leaning or swooping into an accompanying note in an "un-Baroque" manner, and the result is simply ravishing. The voice, of course, is almost unbelievably beautiful and agile, the technique impeccable, complete with a trill unmatchable in any soprano singing today. From the long-breathed lines of "O sleep why dost thou leave me" from Semele to the fireworks in Cleopatra's "Da tempeste…," with stops along the way at the famous "Ombra mai fu" and a complete rarity from the composer's Lotario, this CD is just breathtaking. Brava Fleming--and bravo Harry Bicket! Oh, yes--bravo Handel! --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

clear as a bell.......2007-02-16

Renee Fleming is one of the most talented female vocalists around. She has such a beautiful, crystal clear voice, and she sings every song on this album well. As a singer myself, I definitely look up to her and very much admire the tone, quality, power, and range of her voice. I would definitely reccommend this album to anyone who enjoys classical music or is looking for someone to aspire to.

Renee Fleming...somewhat out of her depth.......2006-10-20

While it's not the most thrilling Renee Fleming album in the catalogue, her interpretations of Handel pieces is quite an accomplished feat, but when compared to her earlier efforts, rings hollow with it's lack of emotion. As other reviewers have noted, Ms Fleming does not sound like she is in complete grasp of the material, and her performance lacks any real depth or dramatic weight.

Perhaps the pieces of Handel aren't completely flattering to her style, or the mood in the recording studio might not have been exactly right...a million things might have happened to dull this album's power. I have listened to this album a couple of times now, and I'll keep it in my collection, but this one is for the die-hard Renee Fleming fans.

[Decca /Universal 475 547-2]

Handel sung with gusto and wit.......2005-12-07

I am utterly in love with Renee Fleming's voice and I am very glad that she returned to her roots in this luminous Handel Recital. While her fioritura is not as excellent as Sutherland's she surpasses the Australian with her sincerity and sense for drama. Not one word is sung without attention, her silken voice sound absolutely radiant here. I also noticed that she is singing more precisely and elegantly here, giving Handel a dignified elegance, yet passion that it hasn't had since Ferrier (Who was an alto but she still reigns supreme). It is definitely a step in the right direction. Brava Miss Fleming!

Very disappointing Handel recital.......2005-10-30

This recital is mostly very bland and boring, with Fleming's Baroque vocal technique lacking in many ways.
The slow, languid arias like the opening "Oh Sleep" are too drawn out, without any character. The fast acrobatic arias show lack of agility, and poorly executed and overdone ornamentation. Fleming's heavy, laboured coloratura seems ill fitted for these selections. "Scoglio d'immota" in particular is very bad. Her leaps "from stone to stone" in this aria are proceeded by something of a bellow before each note. Fleming's rthythmic waywardness is also very evident in many tracks, and her diction is very indistinct. In English tracks she prounounces vowels in such bizarre ways, her singing of "endless laav" made me laugh and her Italian in "Quando spieghi" is just awful.
Fleming's "Ombra Mai Fu" lacks any character, tenderness, not to mention the missing recitativo. Lorraine Hunt's infinitely superior version should not be even compared to this one. And "Lascia ch'io pianga" is just so over the top, it sounds like a crossover track without the beat. Even Angela Gheorghiu's soppy but honest singing of this piece beats Fleming's interpretation.
"Let the Bright Serephim" has very serious tempo and scooping issues; Kiri Te Kanawa's unremarkable but pleasant enough version is better. "V'adoro pupille" is another drawn out, overtly sentimental aria. And in "Da Tempeste" Fleming sings the runs as it was jazz (?) music, it's strange, and the da capo part is so over the top. This aria is a total mess.
I have to admit I have problems listening to this album as a whole, midway through I just could not tolerate it any more. When I finally listened to the rest of this album, I liked it even less. The last track, Peaceful Shore is again so bland and pointless. I was just glad to be at the end of this recital.
As many people pointed out, even the accoustics of this recording are not good. The Orchestra of Enlightment plays just fine, but it makes little difference. With so many wonderful recent Handel recitals to choose from (Hunt, Bayrakdarian, Conolly, classics like Kirkby, Battle's Baroque Duets...) I think this is the one to skip.

Brava Renee!!!.......2005-09-28

This album is truly amazing. Renee has such a way with music from the Baroque era. She didn't over Romanticize the music. She lightened her voice perfectly for Handel's arias. The Giulio Cesare arias are incredible, and Endless Pleasure from Semele is astounding. Once again Brava!!

Average customer rating:

Indeed, it was a pleasure
exodus pleasures of the flesh
eighties metal
Only 15 reviews?!
Another Awesome Thrash Album

Pleasures of the Flesh
Exodus
Manufacturer: Relativity
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | 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:

The Years of Decay
Under the Influence
Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Taking Over
Eternal Nightmare

ASIN: B00000HZH5
Release Date: 1999-02-16

Tracks:

Deranged
'Till Death Do Us Part
Parasite
Brain Dead
Faster Than You'll Ever Live To Be
Pleasures Of The Flesh
30 Seconds
Seeds Of Hate
Chemi-Kill
Choose Your Weapon

Customer Reviews:

Indeed, it was a pleasure.......2005-12-30

Exodus is the most underrated thrash metal band of all time--at least in my opinion. They started out promising and darker than Metallica and Slayer. However, after Fabulous Disaster they got too goofy and weird. Eventually they drifted away into oblivion. Nonetheless, they're back. And although this review is not about their return, it's still good to now that this album was monumental in the uprising of Exodus. This album is a classic, and it is a requisite for all thrash metal fans. Like their previous effort, Bonded By Blood, every song is full of vigor, energy and pure brutality. Rarely is there a band that puts high energy to every song in their album.

exodus pleasures of the flesh.......2005-10-22

I was very happy w/product and delivery time a must have for my 80s heavy metal collection

eighties metal.......2005-10-03

this is my favorite exodus album. they is one of the bay area's original metal masters. the guitar work is awesome, as one, if not both, are classically trained musicians.

Only 15 reviews?!.......2005-09-06

New vocalist, new year, coming off the EXCELLENT Bonded By Blood, Paul Baloff (Vocals on that album) decided to make a side project called Pirahna, that being said, Steve "Zetro" Souza (Ex-vocals for the band Legacy) which was the band that turned out to be the almighty Testament, joins on this album, and does a great job, he has a very distinct voice, kind of reminds you of Bon Scott (Which he was influenced heavily by old Bonny!), first, let me get this off my chest, this album is VERY underrated, it was overlooked for some reason...I never understood that, anyways, the musicianship on this album is even BETTER than on Bonded By Blood, not taking anything away from Bonded By Blood of course, a great album, but the music is tighter on this album, everything is perfect, because on Bonded By Blood, if you noticed, the solos never followed the riff beneath, I know it's hard to understand, but listen to it, and then listen to this, a total difference, but it made Bonded By Blood and this different, which is what different albums are meant for right?, the production is pretty good for 1987, the riffs on this album are just mind blowing, along with the solos and drumming, like I said, everything is right, the lyrics are cool too, especially on Deranged, and Chemi-Kill, some of it is alot like Bonded, some is not, some songs were written by Baloff, and some not...that would explain the difference.

Deranged 5/5, A very fast, catchy opener, love the spoken intro by Tom Skid

'Till Death Do Us Part 5/5, A mid-paced song with a cool chorus

Parasite 5/5, Starts off with a buzzing sound, kind of clues you in on what you're in for, it's a fast paced song, with cool riffs

Brain Dead 5/5, A nice slow/grooveish song, very catchy, DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN kind of riffs

Faster Than You'll Ever Live To Be 5/6, CLASSIC song, it's fast paced, but with a very cool lead, makes it very catchy and killer, cool lyrics

Pleasures of the Flesh 5/6, This song really can't be explained, you HAVE to hear it, just listen to Holt and Hunolt trade off on the solos! KILLER!

30 Seconds (Which is actually 40) is a nice acoustic break in the album, kind of works as an intro for Seeds of Hate

Seeds of Hate 5/5, another cool song, Zetro kind of sounds like Ozzy in some spots, wicked solos!

Chemi-Kill 5/6, A VERY cool and catchy song, starts out kind of mellow, but kicks in, cool lyrics too

Choose Your Weapon 5/5, A very nice closer, a song about war obviously, nice riffs being thrown around in it

Well, a classic album is at hand as you can see, a very underrated one at that, it got overlooked by many, and deserved more than what it got, now is your chance to hear this underrated thrashclassic, it's got riffs, melody, fury and great vocals, if you're a Metal fan, even if you're not, check this out, the musicianship is out of this world, you can tell they worked alot on this album, if you're new to Exodus, I would suggest something newer before this though, like Fabulous Disaster, but if you're new to 'em, you might try this for your first, I can't speak for everyone, so you might like it, come on people, let's see more than 15 reviews for this classic!

Another Awesome Thrash Album.......2005-08-28

What can I say,Exodus rules,great album,buy it if you like thrash. The intro they have before Deranged is awesome.Deranged is a freakin' awesome some,Gary Holt's solo's are awesome through out the album.Here are some lyrics to Deranged,
Voices inside my head are making me go mad
Now I'm afraid to sleep from nightmares
That I've had.
'Till Death Do Us Part is wicked in the begining, the song rules.
Steve Souza's voice is awesome of coures and for all you people out there who don't know his voice,it's like a rhaspy high voice.
WHO DOESN'T LIKE EXODUS!

Purcell: Odes for St. Cecilia's Day - Music for Queen Mary / Taverner Consort

Average customer rating:

Unrivalled recording......uncommon brilliance.
a voice teacher and early music fan
Excellent
No Bargain
Awesome! A high tenor paradise

Purcell: Odes for St. Cecilia's Day - Music for Queen Mary / Taverner Consort
Henry Purcell , Emma Kirkby , Charles Daniels , David Thomas , John Mark Ainsley , Michael Chance , Choir & Players Taverner Consort , Roger Covey-Crump , Michael George , Simon Grant , Paul Elliott , and Kevin Smith
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Kirkby, Emma | Divas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

$7.99 and Under | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

Classical | Styles | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

All Blowout Music | Blowout Music | Stores | Music

$7.99 and Under | Prices | Blowout Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Essential Purcell
Purcell: The Fairy Queen
Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll
Shakespeare Songs
Gabrieli · Monteverdi · Vivaldi - Venetian Church Music / Taverner Consort, Choir & Players · Andrew Parrott

ASIN: B00000J2Q8
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Tracks:

Music For Queen Mary: Symphony
Music For Queen Mary: Welcome To All The Pleasures
Music For Queen Mary: Here The Deities Approve - While Joys Celestial
Music For Queen Mary: Then Lift Up Your Voices
Music For Queen Mary: Beauty, Thou Scene of Love
Music For Queen Mary: In A Consort Of Voices
Music For Queen Mary: Man That Is Born Of A Woman
Music For Queen Mary: In The Midst Of Life
Music For Queen Mary: Thou Knowest, Lord
Music For Queen Mary: Symphony (Adagio - Allegro) - Adagio
Music For Queen Mary: Come Ye Sons Of Art
Music For Queen Mary: Sound The Trumpet
Music For Queen Mary: Come Ye Sons Of Art
Music For Queen Mary: Strike The Viol
Music For Queen Mary: The Day That Such A Blessing Gave
Music For Queen Mary: Bid The Virtues
Music For Queen Mary: These Are The Sacred Charms
Music For Queen Mary: See, Nature, Rejoicing
Music For Queen Mary: March
Music For Queen Mary: Thou Knowest, Lord
Music For Queen Mary: Canzona

Tracks:

Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: Symphony (Introduction) - Canzona & Adagio - Allegro - Grave - Allegro
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: Hail! Bright Cecilia
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: Hark! Hark! Each Tree
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: 'Tis Nature's Voice
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: Soul Of The World
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: Thou Tun'st This World Below
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: With That Sublime Celestial Lay
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: Voluntary - In D Minor - Wonderous Machine!
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: The Airy Violin
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: In Vain The An'rous Flute
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: The Fife And All The Harmony Of War
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: Let These Amongst Themselves Contest
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: Hail! Bright Cecilia
Odes For St. Cecilia's Day: With Rapture Of Delight - Hail! Bright Cecilia

Amazon.com essential recording

Andrew Parrott and his Taverner Consort, Choir, and Players have made some of the finest Purcell recordings to have appeared since the period-instrument revival began; unfortunately, most of those discs had been out of print for years. Happily, Virgin has reissued some of Parrott's best work on this reasonably priced two-for-one release. The performances aren't just exemplary, they're something of a landmark: in them Parrott pioneered the now-standard practice of using high tenors rather than falsettists on some of Purcell's low-lying "countertenor" parts. (One example is "Sound the trumpet," a duet for "high" and "low" countertenors from Purcell's ode Come, ye sons of art, sung by falsettist Timothy Wilson and high tenor John Mark Ainsley.) Excellent performances of the Funeral Sentences and Funeral Music for Queen Mary are here as well, but the centerpiece of this set is Hail, bright Cecilia!, the longest and most colorful of Purcell's odes in praise of the patron saint of music. There is some serious competition here--Paul McCreesh and Philippe Herreweghe have made superb recordings of this work--but Parrott edges them out. For example, alone among the ode's conductors on record, Parrott interpolates an organ solo amidst all of the text's praise of the organ (an instrument St. Cecilia was thought to have invented); he also provides appealing variety by using 12 different soloists (as Purcell did at the premiere). Those soloists are an impressive lot--they include Emma Kirkby, David Thomas, Paul Elliott and Charles Daniels (gently enchanting in the tenor duet "In vain the am'rous Flute"), and the Hilliard Ensemble's Rogers Covey-Crump, who gives an extraordinary rendition of the famous and fearsomely difficult air "'Tis Nature's Voice." --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

Unrivalled recording......uncommon brilliance........2006-11-24

The mind boggles when listening to Purcell. Certainly his was a genius that could vie with any great contrapuntist. It is sad that he had to go so early in his life. But then I guess we wouldn't have seen the rise and rise of Handel.

Having said that, this recording is a marvellous one, one of uncommon brilliance I might add. It does not represent a summary of his work and style, even if restricted to just his vocal music, such was the originality and fertility of his invention. But it is revealing of the enormity of his command of music. Why this composer isn't as well-known as Mozart or Bach, or yes even Handel, I will never know.

I assure all that the quality of these recordings is unrivalled. Careful attention is paid to detail, and a first-rate line up of soloists ensures a world-class performance. I give this recording 5 stars out of five, for a stunning example of excellence and high standards.

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-07-29

This is a 2 CD package which involves 2 different recording dates and recording groups. Disc l: Odes "Welcome to all the Pleasures"-"Funeral Sentences"-"Come Ye sons of Art"-"Funeral Music for Queen Mary". The singers on this disc are:Emily Evera(soprano),Timothy Wilson (countertenor),John Mark Ainsley(tenor),Charles Daniels (tenor) and David Thomas (bass). It was recorded in 1988, Disc 2: ode "Hail Bright Cecelia" with singers Emma Kirkby (soprano),Michael Chance , Kevin Smith (countertenors),Paul Elliot, Neil Jenkins, Andrew King (tenors)and Michael George, Richard Wistreich (basses).This disc was recorded in 1985.Contrary to Westphal's opinion, I do not like tenors to be given solos that should be sung by countertenors; the quality of the tenor voice is not light enough for these tunes. Also Disc 1 has it over disc 2 in quality because the singers are better balanced as to skill than on Disc 2; this is most unfortunate because the better soprano (Kirkby) and the better countertenor (Chance)are on Disc 2. I absolutely do not like the sound of Kevin Smith's voice; it is "edgy" and lacks warmth. In fact, it detracts from whatever he sings on the Disc. There are a lot better recordings of these odes by other conductors; try them if you have no recordings of these at all.

Excellent.......2005-12-01

This is an excellent set of performances of these Purcell gems. The soloists, choir, and instrumentalists are all first rate. The infrequently performed funeral and birthday music for Queen Mary is a real treat. Recommended strongly.

No Bargain.......2004-01-23

I agree with the Editorial Review and the comments posted with this release. These are superb recordings of Purcell's great works. But there is a big problem with this package. This is a Virgin Veritas x2 pack. The original recordings have been bundled up in a space saving jewel case and sold at half the price of the originals. Unfortunately, this comes at cost to the potential buyer. Gone is the original artwork, gone are the original notes by Richard Luckett and Eric Van Tassel, and most seriously, gone are the lyrics of these great works. Unless you already own versions of these works that have the lyrics, this is not the place to start. I strongly urge you to acquire these wonderful works in their original editions from Virgin: Hail! Bright Cecilia on disc #45160 and Come ye sons of art on disc #45159 (for some reason, Amazon has these listed under the label EMI). This release is no bargain.

Awesome! A high tenor paradise.......1999-07-22

What a wonderful recording! The lineup of soloists is simply stunning. There are many of them: practically a different person for each air. This achieves admirable variety, and each voice is a pleasure to hear. I'm a big fan of hautes-contre, so I was really happy to discover that they get to sing most of the "alto" airs on this set. The highlight of this recording is my all time favorite Purcell air 'Tis Nature's Voice, stunningly sung here by Rogers Covey-Crump. I think I've heard just about every 'Tis Nature's Voice ever recorded (except for Rene Jacobs, who I wouldn't really want to hear), and Covey-Crump undeniably gets the most out of it. But my favorite remains Mark Padmore on the Herreweghe recording of Hail! Bright Cecilia. Herreweghe uses fewer soloists (Padmore sings all tenor and half of all countertenor parts), and slower tempi that, in my view, help the singers' intonation. But all in all, the choice ends up being a matter of taste. There is no rational basis to prefer one of these two recordings over the other: both are wonderful.

Average customer rating:

MAKING OUT MUSIC
Romantic and smooth Soul doesn't get any better than this.
This CD should come complete with birth control
good god
My favorite

Pleasures of the Night
Will Downing & Gerald Albright
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Greatest Love Songs
Moods
Sensual Journey
Invitation Only
Emotions

ASIN: B00000AFFP
Release Date: 1998-09-29

Tracks:

Pleasures Of The Night
The Nearness Of You
Stop, Look, Listen To Your Heart
Michelle
Like A Lover
The Look Of Love
Here's That Rainy Day
Back To The Roots
We'll Be Together Again
Girl Blue

Amazon.com

This first pairing of R&B song stylist Downing with soulful sax man Albright is nothing short of inspired, providing two of the '80s' most popular performers with a chance to showcase their jazz chops. Pleasures of the Night also gives Downing--best known for his stellar work on albums like A Dream Fulfilled and Love's the Place to Be--some respite from the drive for chart hits evident on his last few albums for Mercury. His velvetlike baritone is perfectly suited to the diverse range of material, which includes the Beatles' "Michelle," Stevie Wonder's "Girl Blue," and standards like "The Nearness of You" and "Here's That Rainy Day." Albright gets plenty of room to shine with deft but subtle musical nuances on the Bacharach-David classic "The Look of Love" and the Stylistics' "Stop, Look, Listen" and is at his peak on the out-and-out jazz-oriented instrumental "Back to the Roots." Produced by longtime Downing collaborator Ronnie Foster, the album's guest stars include top players like Patrice Rushen and Bobby Lyle on keyboards, Paul Jackson on guitar, Abe Laboriel on bass, and Harvey Mason on drums. A significant creative departure for Downing, Pleasures of the Night promises a whole new career chapter for the Brooklyn-born vocalist: traditional R&B's temporary loss may represent a permanent gain for the world of contemporary jazz, which desperately needs some new male-vocal blood. --David Nathan

Customer Reviews:

MAKING OUT MUSIC.......2007-01-11

THIS CD HITS THE SPOT WHEN YOU ARE WITH THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE WILL DOWNING HITS ALL THE WRITE NOTES TO PUT HIM OR HER IN THAT MOOD. THIS IS A MUST HAVE IF YOU ARE A SMOOTH JAZZ LOVER.

Romantic and smooth Soul doesn't get any better than this........2006-10-10

On this fantastic CD, Will Downing and Gerald Albright took romantic Soul to new heights. The combination of Will's velvet-smooth vocals and Albright's smooth and elegant sax playing makes for some heavenly romantic music that's guaranteed to put you in the mood for love and romance. "The Nearness of You", "Like A Lover" and the title track are true masterpieces.

This CD should come complete with birth control.......2006-09-05

This is one sexy and romatic CD. LOVE it and never get tired of the sophisticated sounds that come from it.
Will DOwning and Gerald Albright need to make some more music together.
Excellent choice for any occasion. A++++

good god.......2006-04-08

Iv'e had this album for a while, and i never get tired of it. Beware, if you dont want any babies, dont play this cd for that "special night" with the wife or husband. even the damn intro will get you in the mood. i have never enjoyed a cd quite as much as this one.

The stylistic's cover "stop, look, and listen," is quite impressive, while "here's that rainy day" will put you into a trance from the first 5 seconds

the only problem that i have with it is that it is too short........

My favorite.......2005-10-12

I bought this CD years ago when it first came out and I recently bought another copy for the car. I love this CD- I never tire of listening to it.

Music Review: