From Shelter

Editorial Reviews
International Record Review
This is a gentle, social, considerate piece; each component supports and is supported, sheltered and given shelter, by the others."

Dusted
"The dark-hued strings linger over arching melodies that carry the open-space lyricism and beatific atmosphere"

Album Description
Beautiful, undulating and alluring music for viola trio and voice and piano. Featured are vocalist Marghreta Cordero and violist Alicia Ultan. (16-minute CD single) "Pure, restrained and rigorously beautiful."--Alvin Curran

From Shelter

Tracks:

She's A Miracle
I've Never Seen Anything
You Make It Easy
Comin' Apart At the Seams
Just In Case
Give Me One More Chance
Somethin' You Got
If I Didn't Love You
Ain't That A Pity
Crazy For Your Love
Just One Kiss
Shelter From The Night
My Heart's In Good Hands
Showdown
Fly On The Wall
Feel Like Foolin' Around
I Can't Get Close Enough
She's Already Gone
It's You Again
As Long As I Have Your Memory

Customer Reviews:

Rocking pop country from the eighties.......2005-04-27

This twofer pairs Exile's second and fourth country albums - the first and third can be found on another twofer that I've already reviewed. As I explained in that review, their first two country albums were their strongest and most successful, so the record company wisely kept them apart when pairing up the twofers. Not that there's anything wrong with their third and fourth albums, but those first two were magical.

So the main reason for buying this album is their second country album, Kentucky hearts. It contains five country number one hits including one (Just in case) that they wrote but allowed the Foresters sisters to have the hit with. The other four are Give me one more chance, She's a miracle, Crazy for your love and Super love. All five are hard-driving, rocking pop-country music at its best. The other five tracks are in similar vein and it must have been hard deciding what to release as singles. No wonder they let the Forester sisters have Just in case. Some of the others could also have been huge hits.

The second half of the twofer is also enjoyable and includes another country number one (I can't get close enough) but, understandably, this excellent (by normal standards) album is overshadowed by its incredible predecessor.

If you enjoy the music of Alabama and Sawyer Brown, you'll love Exile. At their best (their first two country albums), they were the best of the lot. After that, they were still excellent, but no more so than their rivals.

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Enclosure Two: Harry Partch

Manufacturer: INNOVA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Harry Partch Collection, Volume 1
The Harry Partch Collection, Volume 2
Enclosure Five: Harry Partch

ASIN: B000004AF9
Release Date: 2000-12-06

Tracks:

I am Harry Partch - Harry Partch
By the Rivers of Babylon - Harry Partch
Texts and Music: A Wagnerian Wrestling Match - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 1 - A Dream - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 2 - An Encounter in the Field - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 3 - On Hearing the Flute - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 4 - The Intruder - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 5 - I am a Peach Tree - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 6 - With a Man of Leisure - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 7 - A Midnight Farewell - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 8 - Before the Cask of Wine - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 9 - On the Ship of Spicewood - Harry Partch
Ten Li Po Lyrics: 10 - By the Great Wall - Harry Partch
The Use of English in Serious Music - Harry Partch
Barstow - Eight Hitch-Hiker's Inscriptions. . . - Harry Partch
San Francisco - Newsboy Cries - Harry Partch
Life is too precious to spend it with important people - Harry Partch
U. S. Highball - A Musical Account of Slim's Transcontinental Hobo Trip - Harry Partch
While my Heart Keeps Beating Time - Harry Partch
San Francisco II - Harry Partch

Tracks:

I'm going to start right off by giving you some sounds - Harry Partch
Two Settings from Joyce's Finnegan's Wake: 1 - Isobel - Harry Partch
Two Settings from Joyce's Finnegan's Wake: 2 - Annah the Allmaziful - Harry Partch
Dark Brother - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 1 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 2 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 3 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 4 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 5 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 6 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 7 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 8 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 9 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 10 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 11 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 12 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 13 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 14 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 15 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 16 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 17 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 18 - Harry Partch
A Quarter-Saw Section of Motivations and Intonations - 19 - Harry Partch

Tracks:

June 11, 1935 - Santa Rosa, California - H. PARTCH
June 12 - Federal Shelter, Stockton - H. PARTCH
June 13 - H. PARTCH
June 14 - H. PARTCH
June 16 - Huntington Ranch, San Joaquin - H. PARTCH
June 17 - H. PARTCH
July 4 - H. PARTCH
July 14 - H. PARTCH
July 16 - H. PARTCH
July 19 - H. PARTCH
July 20 - Heading north, between Sacramento and Redding (Later incorporated into The Wind) - H. PARTCH
July 24 - Federal Shelter, Portland - H. PARTCH
July 25 - Blue Ox Lodge, Seattle, Washington - H. PARTCH
July 27 - H. PARTCH
July 29 - H. PARTCH
July 30 - H. PARTCH
August 7 - Between Grants Pass and Klamath Falls, Oregon - H. PARTCH
August 15 - H. PARTCH
October 22 - Nearing Monterey (reworked in 1943 as The Letter) - H. PARTCH
October 24 - Leaving Big Sur - H. PARTCH
October 25 - Near Slate's Hot Springs (Now the Esalen Institute) - H. PARTCH
October 26 - H. PARTCH
October 27 - H. PARTCH
October 28 - H. PARTCH
October 29 - H. PARTCH
October 30 - Big Creek - H. PARTCH
November 12 - Santa Barbara - H. PARTCH
November 14 - H. PARTCH
November 15 - Leaving Santa Barbara - H. PARTCH
November 16 - Ojai - H. PARTCH
November 17 - H. PARTCH
November 23 - Los Angeles - H. PARTCH
November 28 - H. PARTCH
December 4 - H. PARTCH
December, 1935 - H. PARTCH
Feburary 1, 1936 - San Bernardino - H. PARTCH

Tracks:

Yankee Doodle Birds - H. PARTCH
Y.D. Fantasy - On the Words of an Early American Tune - H. PARTCH
O Frabjous Day! - H. PARTCH
You are charged with being guilty. Are you drunk or not drunk? - H. PARTCH
Ring Around the Moon - A Dance Fantasm for Here - H. PARTCH
Bless This Home - H. PARTCH
Harrys Wake - H. PARTCH

Amazon.com

Enclosure 2, all four cds, is curated as a sprawling notebook filled with sounds and speech instead of sketches and words. Of any Partch recording extant, it gives the best picture of the man--as the curmudgeonly, extremely innovative misanthrope that he was, as the composer who was impossibly unlike anyone else before or since. The essence of Partch's music reflects the history of the world--from his particular perspective--the imaginings of ancient Greece to the influence of Chinese musical melodrama, all propelled by homemade instruments based on a 43-tone scale named things like the "Kithara" and the "Boo." These recordings also give the best sense of his philosophy of language in music. Lamenting the whole time how text in music had become detached from the language of everyday life, Partch ran music alongside newsboys' cries and hobos' diaries, following the forms, cadence, and dynamics of speech, rather than the other way around. From his juvenilia (a wonderful song he wrote at 18) to a 45-minute segment of his wake in 1974, the first steps towards exploring Partch's sparkling works fully are made here. --Robin Edgerton

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Thrilling Bill
oh so smooth, but at the same time makes me want to jump
This is a GREAT album...Who is ths guy??!!

Shelter from the Smoke
Bill Fox
Manufacturer: Spin Art
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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For Almost Ever Scooter

ASIN: B00000DCFS
Release Date: 1998-10-06

Tracks:

Over And Away She Goes
Appalachian Death Sigh
Sara Page
Lonesome Pine
Get Your Workingman's Things
Let In The Sun
Way Way Down
Singin' A Melody
I'm Not Over Loving You
Junked Lot Serenade
Jordan Is A Hard Road To Travell
You Can Tell Me All Night LOng
Let's Be Buried Together
Love Ain't No Feeling
Brittany Goes Right Down
A Little More Rain
Since I've Been Gone
Baystorm

Amazon.com

A true gem of a folk-rock album, Shelter from the Smoke originally appeared on the obscure Cherry Pop imprint in 1997. Those who heard the 15-track album found its exceptional assortment of original tunes worthy of high praise, but, of course, very few came across the title. The Spin Art label provides a second opportunity for the uninitiated to sample the skills of former power-popper Fox (he led the '80s Cleveland band the Mice). Fans of classic Byrds, early Dylan, and even '90s lo-fi of the Sebadoh and Chris Knox variety will find Shelter to be a revelation. Kicking off with the infectious "Over and Away She Goes," Fox conjures up melodies that feel fresh yet familiar and fleshes them out with evocative couplets. Fox has an intimate vocal style that's complemented by his own guitar and harmonica plus judicious small-ensemble embellishments. In the end, he's something of an updated American Billy Bragg, albeit one working with a much more limited recording budget. But Shelter shows he came up with enough bucks to record one keen collection. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews:

Thrilling Bill.......2002-02-17

I first heard "Over and Away She Goes" on a comp. CD and read that Bill Fox lived in Cleveland, and just happened to be living in Cleveland and just happened to see he'd be playing live near my house. And, I just had to see the real guy. yeah, and I did want to give him the night of his life! But anyway, I love this CD, it breaks my heart and the lyrics are very good. Now I can only wonder what ever happened to Bill Fox? I saw Bob Dylan with this guy! I went to Peace Corps, came home in 2000 and he was gone! Someone at Matador told me something very bad happened to him. Does anyone know the truth?

oh so smooth, but at the same time makes me want to jump.......1998-11-24

Listening to this guy sing his songs is like bowling a strike, it rolls on straight and fast and then BAM it hits...what a glorious moment. His lyric style is poetical and elusively romantic without being pendantic. If I were a girl I'd seek him out and give him the best night of his life. Thanks, Bill Fox wherever you are. Tom Marchi

This is a GREAT album...Who is ths guy??!!.......1998-11-19

If you are a fan of the Beatles, Dylan, the Byrds, or great acoustic rock, you owe it to yourself and Bill Fox to get this amazing album. OK, he has more nods to past masters than a junkie on Main Street, but each and every one of them works to perfection. So what if he owes His Bobness a residual or two for lifting a bit too much of "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" in "I'm not over Lovin' You"? I don't recall Bob paying anything to Woody... And isn't "borrowing" part of the folk process? However, I digress.... Get this album. SIX STARS!

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A Rose By Any Other Name...
"Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay!
Free at last!
I Love This Recording
The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered

Wagner: The Rhinegold
English National Opera
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
Wagner: The Valkyrie
The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

ASIN: B00005B550
Release Date: 2001-05-22

Customer Reviews:

A Rose By Any Other Name..........2007-07-02

The figure of speach may not be completely correct in this instance, but, well, I hope you get the point. In any case, for a Dutch speaking person, like I, to hear 'The Ring' in a language other than the original German feels - almost shockingly(?) - natural. Certainly, this modern English translation, to me, is as least immediate, and probably even more immediate, than the original (archaic) German text. And in music drama, immediacy is essential. Maybe it is also the wonderfully natural translation, I don't know, but it works for me, the Ring in English.
But most of the credit has to go to the music, the singers, and the recording as such. I believe that this (originally analogue) remastered recording has one of the best recorded sounds and acoustics of any Ring, studio or 'live'. It is wonderfully clear but warm, kind of velvety (very unlike Solti), with beautifully natural balaces between voices and orchestra. Audience noises can be heard (including a delightful little ripple of laughter) but never really obtrusively so, thankfully. And I love the thunderclap-sound effect when Donner strikes his hammer against the rocks - very tastefully done, and lending extra power to the scene.
All the time one reads in reviews everywhere of the very slow speads at which the music is conducted by Sir Reginald Goodall. Well, that may be so, but I, for one, am certainly endeared to Sir Reginald Goodalls 'caressing' of the music, as a result of which wich the Leitmotifs come out more clearly than ever. The slow - but nonetheless very concentrated, and always involved - playing has, to me, an almost mesmerizing effect. Certainly, compared to many other recordings, the music may sound stretched almost beyond breaking point. But in the end, I think it is really just that: a matter of speed, no more. The concentration never falters and the dramatic arc never saggs. There is live 'music magic' going on here, I feel, even if the English National Opera Orchestra may not be (as precise or as diciplined as) a Wiener Philharmoniker or a Bayreuther Festspielorchester. Certainly, Sir Reginald Goodall must have loved this music and these opera's: one feels a slowly beating but constant loving pulse that energizes the drama and the music.
But we also have the singers. And what a great singers! While the best may be yet to come (with Alberto Remedios as Siegmund and Siegfried, and Rita Hunter as Brunnhilde), we here, in The Rhinegold, already have one of the most commanding of Wotans (Norman Bailey, with wonderful burnished timbre). Also, Emile Belcourt stands out as a wonderfully sleek but full-voiced Loge. Derek Hammond-Stroud's Alberich may not be as black as Gunther von Kannen's (for Barenboim), for example, but there is enough anguish, frustration and anger to lend his character a convincing reality and depth. And the giants too, are a winning pair. Especially Fafner (Clifford Grant) is as imposing and powerful as one may ever wish.
With all the rave reviews, here and elsewhere I can't wait to hear The Valkyrie, (especially) Siegfried and Twilight of the Gods. This certainly is a winning 'Ring', to be kept alongside any other 'great' recorded 'Ring' out there, IMHO. To me, it can hold its own alongside any other favorite recordings.
Please, sample this Ring (try for example the Chandos website for fragments of all of the music) and decide for yourself. Highly recommended.

"Thus I salute the stronghold, safe from dread and dismay!.......2007-06-12

Okay, so we have the Solti, Bohm, Karajan, Levine, Janowski, Goodall, and Sawallisch Rings on the market (I haven't listened to the other Ring recordings yet, sorry to say). And all of these leave me to one conclusion: the many differences lead me to believe that all of these ring sets have their own authenticities and setbacks. And here they are:

TIMING (Estimate):
Solti's Ring: 14 hours, 30 minutes
Bohm's Ring: 13 hours, 30 minutes
Karajan's Ring: 14 hours, 50 minutes
Goodall's Ring: 16 hours, 50 minutes
Janowski's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes
Levine's Ring: 15 hours, 20 minutes
Sawallisch's Ring: 14 hours, 0 minutes

CONDUCTING:
Solti: Solti's conducting is driven with sheer muscle, but sometimes he makes the Ring overemotional. His Walkure & Gotterdammerung Preludes are clear examples: they're annoyingly bombastic. Nonetheless he almost seldom loses control with anything. His clear focus on the drama is astonishing.

Bohm: I must say his live Bayreuth recording brings out some of the best. He puts more faith in the orchestral score, but he also gives it more intensity. His tempi are some of the quickest, but they still don't seem rushed at all (except maybe "Wohin schleich'st du eilig und schlau"). I especially like his "Forging Scene" & "Hagen Summons the Vassals"; both are the most energetic on disc.

Karajan: Karajan's chamber approach is very interesting. Instead of going for the drama or the energy, the conductor goes for the beauty. Almost everything in his Ring sounds very ethereal because of his excessive use of lyricism. His orchestral preludes (except Walkure Act 1) sound more beautiful than others, and much of the soft parts (such as Siegfried Act Three Scene Three) are controlled nicely. His "Funeral March" and "Immolation" are recommendable. Siegfried Act Three Scene Two could have improved with more tension.

Goodall: Oh, boy. While I do praise Goodall with his amazing attention to detail, his ridiculously sluggish tempi will tick some Wagnerites off: everything is slower than adagio moderato. But I did enjoy listening to the slow beauty of his "Wotan's Farewell/Magic Fire Music". This was recorded live and sung in English.

Janowski: This is a very classical Ring. Instead of bombast, spacious, or lyrical passion, maestro Janowski gives us the straightforward approach. He goes straight for Wagner's original intentions (precise tempi, dynamics, flow of leitmotivs, etc.), which makes this another exquisite Ring. "Hagen Summons the Vassals" is probably the fastest I've ever heard (along with Sawallisch's). Rheingold Scene Four can be best described as "sensational".

Levine: While he does stay true to the score like Bohm, this conductor makes for a somewhat dull Ring. His handling of the orchestra is nice, but the moderately slow tempi he chooses is flawed. It should be more animated. His beautiful "Funeral March" and "Erda's Warning" are two of the few flawless features.

Sawallisch: I guess you can say that Sawallisch is half-Karajan, half-Janowski. While he does stay true to the orchestral score like Janowski, he also puts in a little Karajan-like lyricism. At some points he loses track with orchestra and singers (as does every live recording) but Bohm has more control. This was also recorded live.

ORCHESTRA:
Solti's Vienna Philharmonic: The woodwinds are the most beautiful in Solti's Ring (the "Forest Murmurs" is clear evidence of that). French horns and Wagner tubas make this a recommended listening. The strings in "Heda Heda Hedo" could've added a bit more work, but they are strikingly spectacular everywhere else. The orchestra gives it their all in Siegfried Act Two & Three, but they are at their weakest in Walkure Act One & Three (Bohm's Bayreuth does it better). Overall, it's the loudest and certainly most bombastic out of all the Ring orchestras combined.

Bohm's Bayreuth Festival: The ultimate Wagnerian orchestra gives it their all. The brass both high and low are the most powerful, while the woodwinds are the most delicate. The strings are muffled only a few times, otherwise the eighteen anvils are perfectly loud and clear. Erda's scenes aren't as effective as Janowski's, but the entire Walkure is more successful than Janowski's when it comes to tone & technique. Overall, this orchestra is the most dramatic.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic: The entire orchestra sounds polished, not to say that it is bad. Indeed the drama is still there, but much of the suspense is lacking (the scenes with Fasolt and Fafner come to mind). The brass sometimes overpowers the strings, which can be a serious problem. Gotterdammerung "Three Norns" Scene sounds very mysterious, very eerie.

Goodall's English National Opera: This orchestra sounds nice, even if the sluggishness can bring them down at times. The Flight of the Valkyries doesn't sound too good in a slow tempo, but the entire orchestra does sound lucid here. Siegfried Act One Prelude is the creepiest. All of the leitmotivs are heard loud and clear, just like in Janowski's version.

Janowski's Staatskapelle Dresden: This orchestra has the same force & flair as does Bohm's Bayreuth Festival, only Dresden sounds much clearer due to the fantastic digital sound. Even minor details are found in this Ring. I can hear harps in Flight of the Valkyries! The strings imitate the Siegfried forest very well, while the woodwinds representing the songbird are wonderful (but not as wonderful as Solti's songbird). Dresden's "Magic Fire Music" (along with Berlin's) is the most extravagant.

Levine's Metropolitan Opera: The brass and woodwinds are the true stars. The strings sound too tired to continue on in Siegfried & Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

Sawallisch's Bavarian State: Wrong notes in this live recording won't matter, as the entire orchestra gets everything going in all four nights at the opera. The strings never surrender to imperfection, and the winds are marvelously aligned. I just wish that some of the singers would keep up with the orchestra.

SINGERS:
-Wotan
Solti: Hans Hotter is the superior Wotan. He sounds powerful throughout the Ring (except Rheingold, in which a less stellar George London performs).

Bohm and Janowski: Theo Adam in Bohm's live recording is another treat. While he is not as equally impressive as Hotter, he can certainly conjure up everlasting emotions. Adam sounds weaker in Janowski's studio recording, but he still doesn't disappoint.

Karajan: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau plays Wotan in "Rheingold," while Thomas Stewart replaces Fischer-Dieskau in "Walkure" and "Siegfried". I don't think Fischer-Dieskau was a good choice; he sounds too humane and too light. Stewart makes an astounding improvement in both "Walkure" and "Siegfried".

Goodall: Norman Bailey has that divine spark that Hotter used to cherish. He's heavy and unblemished, and he handles the English text with flair and sheen.

Levine: James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau pretty much throughout the Levine's Ring.

Sawallisch: I may be biased, but Robert Hale just didn't do it for me. He sounded dull and tedious, and his Wotan's Farewell wasn't enough to sadden me.

-Brunnhilde
Solti and Bohm: Birgit Nilsson is the best Brunnhilde on the market. Her Valkyrie cry is delightful, and her final scene in Gotterdammerung is brilliant beyond belief.

Karajan: Regine Crespin is without a doubt one of the finest Brunnhildes after Nilsson. She's fantastic in Walkure Act Three. I just wish she stayed on as the Valkyrie later on in the Ring (Helga Dernesch is no good in Gotterdammerung, sorry to say).

Goodall: Rita Hunter is at her strongest in Walkure and Siegfried. She is at her weakest in Gotterdammerung. What may have caused her downfall in the fourth installment? "The world may never know."

Janowski: Jeannine Altmeyer is basically the most controversial Brunnhilde on CD. Some people say that she's too light and weak, while others say she sounds young and very enchanting. I'm with those who think Altmeyer was a good choice, but you yourself (the shopper) are going to have to decide whether she's good or not.

Levine and Sawallisch: Hildegard Behrens is just like Nilsson and Crespin: while she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch).

-Siegmund & Sieglinde
Let's see. For the Siegmunds, we have James King for Solti and Bohm. Jon Vickers for Karajan, Alberto Remedios for Goodall, Siegfried Jerusalem for Janowski, Gary Lakes for Levine, and Robert Schunk for Sawallisch. For the Sieglindes, we have Regine Crespin for Solti, Leonie Rysanek for Bohm, Gundula Janowitz for Karajan, Margaret Curphy for Goodall, Jessye Norman for both Janowski and Levine, and Julia Varady for Sawallisch. Hmm . . . Jerusalem is good . . . and so is Vickers . . . Janowitz is charming, and so is . . . Oh, what the heck? All the singers for Siegmund and Sieglinde are fantastic. Two exceptions, though: Robert Schunk doesn't sound heroic enough, and Jessye Norman for Levine's Ring doesn't sound young and innocent enough.

-Siegfried
Solti and Bohm: Wolfgang Windgassen may very well be the best Siegfried for the ages. His `Forging Scene" in both renditions are defiantly inspiring. His last scene in Gotterdammerung is celestial and overwhelming.

Karajan: Jess Thomas (Siegfried) and Helge Brilioth (Gotterdammerung) may not be as ideal as Windgassen, but they do know how to be a magnificent heldentenor. Thomas pulls it off with Act One and Three.

Goodall: Wow! What a singer that Alberto Remedios! He never drags in either of the last two installments, and he uses the correct emotions in every scene that he is in.

Janowski and Sawallisch: Rene Kollo's Siegfried is a poetically expressive one. In Janowski's version he sounds playful when he's in Mime's home, and he sounds willed when he's in the Gibich Hall. He is not good enough in Sawallisch's version, however. His tiresome "Forging Scene" is obvious evidence of that.

Levine: Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. I don't know Levine should've chose Kollo when he recorded his Ring.

-Alberich
Solti and Bohm: Gustav Niedlinger has a heaviness that overwhelms a few other baritones. When he sings his only sequence in Gotterdammerung Act Two Scene One, his emotion is so pure that his son Hagen would've drowned himself in tears (Too melodramatic? Sorry about that.). The only problem is that his character sounds too one-dimensional. Alberich isn't just some cardboard-cutout bad guy. He has a very good reason why he wants to take revenge on the world. Overall, Niedlinger is amazing throughout Wagner's Ring (He deserves many awards for "Bin ich nun frei?").

Karajan: I guess you can say that Zoltan Kelemen tries his best throughout. He is not good in Rheingold, but he gets better in Siegfried and Gotterdammerung.

Goodall: Derek Hammond-Stroud is three-dimensional, but not that much. Still, he can sound very demanding in Rheingold Scene One and Siegfried Act Two Scene One.

Janowski: Siegmund Nimsgern may be the most humane Alberich yet, but it's all good. He sings with more passion than Kelemen and more robustness than Hammond-Stroud. Niedlinger's ferociousness puts him below, however. "Schaf'st du, Hagen, mein sohn?" is noteworthy.

Levine and Sawallisch: Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried (both versions) could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

-Mime
Solti and Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is the creepiest Mime ever known to humankind. This dwarf outsings other Mimes on the market. When he sings "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" his anger and fear is the most effective to almost all Ring listeners.

Bohm: Erwin Wohlfahrt wins second place. He gives a first-rate performance in Siegfried Act One, but loses some of his edge in Act Two. He is an exceptional Mime nonetheless. Look for him in Karajan's Rheingold, also.

Goodall: Gregory Dempsey isn't emotional enough. He doesn't sound fearful or depressed at all, which makes him the dullest Mime for the Ring.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is for Siegfried, while Christian Vogel is for Rheingold. Vogel is less than perfect, while Schreier is way beyond outstanding. Schreier is less ghoulish and more benevolent, more three-dimensional than Stolze and Wohlfahrt. The only flaw I can find is his handling of "Die stucken! Das Schwert!" He could've added a bit more fear in that sequence.

Levine: Heinz Zednik is yet another excellent mime. He is equal to Schreier when it comes to humaneness and lyricism. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Sawallisch: Helmut Pampuch is just like Schreier and Zednik: he's very VERY good. Nuff said.

-Loge
Solti: Set Svanholm may be the weakest Loge. He is not very ominous throughout all of his scenes, and his lack of a sinister atmosphere is greatly affects the entire Rheingold. But he'll soon be forgotten later on in the Ring.

Bohm: Why the heck would the conductor have Wolfgang Windgassen play both Siegfried AND Loge? The demi-god needs to sound different from a son of a Walsung. Still, it's satisfactory, and his "Ihrem ende eilen sie zu" gives great foreshadowing.

Karajan: Gerhard Stolze is easily the most entertaining Loge to listen to. His scenes in Scene Three are delightful.

Goodall: Emile Belcourt isn't as good as Stolze, but he certainly can make some of the best of an English-speaking Loge.

Janowski: Peter Schreier is the most eccentric out of all of them, and that's a fact. Much of his singing involves imagination, peril, vengeance, and deviousness. Belcourt depends only on imagination and deviousness, Stolze only vengeance and deviousness, and Windgassen only peril. His odd conversations with Alberich and the gods/goddesses are classic.

Levine: Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

Sawallisch: Robert Tear is on par with Stolze and Schreier. Sometimes he takes things too low, but all is forgiven with his management of character development.

-Everyone Else
Uh-huh, what can I say? Everyone else does a good job in all Ring recordings (maybe not in Swarowsky's version). Matti Salminen is the perfect Hagen (Janowski, Levine, and Sawallisch), while Kirsten Flagstad is the most brilliant Fricka (Solti). The Norns and Rheinmaidens do a splendid job in Solti, Janowski, and Levine. The Vassals (male choir) are at their unsurpassed in Bohm and Goodall. The only flawed Erda is Anne Collins (Goodall), maybe too light and too heavy at times. All in all, no one here is graded C or lower.

CONCLUSION: I have yet to listen to Barenboim's Bayreuth presentation and the essential mono recordings (Furtwangler, Krauss), but I'm pretty sure that have their advantages and disadvantages. So there you have it. We have the histrionic Solti, the energetic Bohm, the otherworldly Karajan, the spacious Goodall, the calculated Janowski, the relaxed Levine, and the serious Sawallisch Rings. They have their own authenticities and setbacks, and they certainly have their own significances for Ring listeners everywhere.

Sir Georg Solti: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sir Georg Solti

Karl Bohm: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

Herbert von Karajan: Der Ring des Nibelungen / Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic

Goodall: Wagner: The Ring Cycle (Box Set)
-The Valkyrie (Part 2): Wagner: The Valkyrie
-Siegfried (Part 3): Siegfried (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)
-Twilight of the Gods (Part 4): The Twilight of the Gods (Goodall Ring Cycle/Chandos Opera in English)

Marek Janowski: Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen

James Levine: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

-Wolfgang Sawllisch: Wagner - Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) / Sawallisch, Bayerischer Staatsoper

Free at last!.......2004-09-18

I've enjoyed listening to the Ring cycles by Solti, Bohm, and Furtwangler, but my pleasure has always been dampened by the necessity to follow the dramas with a German/English libretto. This performance freed me from that burden and allowed me to listen to the Ring with my ears alone for the first time. And what a delightful experience it was! I found I could understand about half the words the first time through. but that was enough for me to understand what the characters were saying and concentrate on Wagner's great music. Some of the characters (Loge and Alberich, for example) are almost perfectly comprehensible, while others (Fricka in particular) might as well be singing in German. The sound itself is superb, with perfect balances between orchestra and voices. Goodall's conducting is famously slow (about half an hour longer than usual), but he is never slack and he reveals a wealth of detail in the orchestration. The singers are a mixed lot, with Loge, Alberich, and Mime particularly effective. Bailey is hardly the grandest of Wotans, but he is solid and convincing. In any event, for us non-German listeners, this recording is a real treat. I would not recommend it as a first Ring (Bohm is a good choice, though some of his tempi are rather hectic), but as a supplement to a recoding in the original language, it is hard to beat. Give it a try! As for me, I'm ready to go on to "Die Walkure" (pardon me, "The Valkyrie").

I Love This Recording.......2002-04-05

I was a little suspicious when approaching this English-language version of Das Rhinegold. I was considering assembling this as my third RING set (behind Solti and Levine) and had listened to THE VALKYRIE (Die Walkure) with a little initial disappointment. Although the live sound quality was very interesting, the tempo was much slower than I was used to and thus a little disconcerting, and the English words were harder to understand than I had hoped. Nevertheless, I persevered and listended to THE RHINEGOLD (probably my favorite of the four RING operas, although I know this puts me in a minority) and was amazed. Best of all, after listening to this album I revisited the Goodall VALKYRIE and discovered a new appreciation! Now the Goodall set ranks as one of the best I've heard. It just needed to get under my skin a bit.

What's so good about it? Three things stand out for me: First, the slow tempi that were a litle rough at first actually allow, upon repeated listenings, a new discovery and understanding of Wagner's unfathomable genius. Every nuance is slowed down just enough to be fully accessible. Second, the modern English translation really does make this a different experience...my initial mistake was thinking that English lyrics could allow me to listen to this as background music, and that's not the case. However, if one devotes the same attention to this as a German recording, the time wil be richly rewarded. Finally, the smaller orchestra creates an almost chamber music-esque setting, which compliments the music in an undefinable way. Despite being in English, this is almost more Germanic than original-language recordings.

I still probably wouldn't get this as the first foray into Wagner's RING (I still think Solti or Levine are the choices for that). But for someone who already has some familiarity with the work, this will provide a lifetime's enjoyment. Cudos to Chandos for resurrecting these recordings!

The Goodall Ring - 1975 - Restored and Remastered.......2001-06-08

I have been curious about this for years. When I saw the packaging, I wondered whether this was the same Ring that has been kicking around for a couple of decades from the Sadler's Wells performances of the mid-70s. News flash: It's the same. However, the box says that it's been re-mastered with something called 24-bit digital mastering. Since I never heard the old records, I have no idea if this is better. Judged on its own, the sound is terrific. This live recording really places the listener in the theater with clarity and authentic spaciousness. So often, a live recording will capture the audience up close, then the orchestra, then the singers, cataloguing every throat being cleared and every bow being tapped. Somewhere in the distance, the singers voices follow their heavy tread over the stage. Not here. There is an intimacy to the sound here that approximates sitting in about the tenth row back in a large hall. It doesn't sound like the opera's being played in your room; it sounds as though your room has been transformed into a medium sized theater. I found it uncanny.

As to the experience of the drama in English, that too is remarkable, at least for someone like me whose home-tongue is English. The drama takes on an immediacy that I have never experienced before. This factor alone is why you should explore this Ring. I can't overemphasize the impact on me that this recording had on me because it was in English and because it was well-acted. Surely this is what Wagner meant, at least dramaturgically (obviously allowing that you can't actually see the action).

Overall, the singing is competent, and in some places, it's excellent. None of the cast really stands out musically. Norman Bailey's wobbly Wotan could have certainly benefitted from a deeper, richer tone. Still, and perhaps more importantly, he creates a god who is clearly unsure of where the moral highground is, even when he's standing on "an open space on a mountain summit." Everyone, for that matter, is dramatically convincing, especially Emile Belcourt (Loge) and Derek Hammond-Stroud (Alberich) and Robert Lloyd (Fasolt), all of whom, by the way, have excellent diction. And speaking of diction, I almost could have done without the libretto when the men were singing. Not so with the women, whose diction was uniformly wanting.

Goodall's pace is notoriously glacial. Still, it's interesting to hear it parsed in this way, and I never had the feeling that I was going to fall off the world. Which is to say that the tempos were deliberate, not affected. This was definitely a labor of love for RG and the English National Opera. The orchestra is a little thin sounding, and perhaps, not entirely up to the score. Occasionally a horn mis-blew and a cello creaked. This is unavoidable in live performances, I suppose. Still, there is a surprising sense of smallness to the ensemble, even though there's never a moment when the balance between singers and players is lost. As a result, the overall effect is a balance of clarity and urgency that is clearly the upside of Goodall's idiosyncratic "vision" of the score. Not a huge or "erotic" sound, but always committed, intelligent, and sometimes impassioned.

Tracks:

Turandot: Calaf's Aria
Luisa Miller: Rodolfo's Aria
The Lombards At The First Crusade: Oronte's Cavatina
The Force Of Destiny: Alvaro's Recitative And Romance
The Force Of Destiny: Alvaro's Recitative And Romance
A Masked Ball: Gustavus's And Amelia's Duet
A Masked Ball: Gustavus's And Amelia's Duet
A Masked Ball: Gustavus's And Amelia's Duet
Lucia di Lammermoor: Aria Finale
Lucia di Lammermoor: Aria Finale
Lucia di Lammermoor: Aria Finale
Lucia di Lammermoor: Aria Finale
The Force Of Destiny: Don Carlo's And Alvaro's Duet
The Force Of Destiny: Don Carlo's And Alvaro's Duet
The Maid Of Arles: Federico's Lament
Manon: Des Grieux's Dream Song
The African Maid: Vasco's Recitative And Aria
Manon Lescaut: Des Grieux's Aria
Turandot: Calaf's Aria
Fedora: Count Loris Ipanov's Aria
The Pearl Fishers: Nadir's and Zurga's Duet

Amazon.com

Dennis O'Neill is a wonderfully sensitive, intelligent singer--a tenor who varies his tone and delivery for each character. He also sings the music as written, with every dynamic shading in place. Yes, he manages high B-flats pianissimo without resorting to falsetto, and he also rises somewhat heroically to heavier moments. But there's a rub. The loud, high notes are a bit nasty--a slight wobble comes into the voice and a sense of strain is more than noticeable. His exquisite, piano beginning of "O paradiso" ("Oh land of dreams") from L'Africaine is only a sad memory when you hear the vaguely bawled high notes throughout. His "Reve" from Manon is lovely in its sustained peacefulness, and while he's very exciting in the big Act II duet from Ballo (with soprano Susan Bullock as a fine Amelia), there are always those unfortunate "big" notes to reckon with. Perhaps that's why the gorgeous Pearl Fishers duet, with baritone Anthony Michaels-Moore, ends the program so successfully. The soft notes are more prominent than the troublesome forte ones. Perhaps this is being too picky--O'Neill is a worthy singer, he makes these arias and scenes palatable in translation (even Alvaro's music from Forza is believable), and artistry like this is a pleasure to come across. --Robert Levine

Russian Calvary: Triptych of Spiritual Songs, Pt. 3

Average customer rating:

Russian Calvary: Triptych of Spiritual Songs, Pt. 3

Manufacturer: Russian Compact Disc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Russia | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000028274
Release Date: 1995-01-01

Tracks:

Our Father
I Sacrifice the Voice of the Prodigal Son to You, God
Get Rid of Existing Shortcomings of Fatherly Estate
On the Jordan
As in the Ancient Times
Be Prior to the Divines in Great Daring
Thou Has Vouchsafed the Good Thief the Paradise
Thy Coffin, Thou the Saviour
Oh, Mother of God, Thy Sweet Voice
He Throve Like Phoenix
Oh, Exceeding Glorious Wonder
Be Glad, Life-Giving Cross
He Intricately Prophesied a Lot
Upholder of the Orthodox Faith
Today the Pastor of Kronshtadt
He Has Taken the Divine Grace from Heaven
Thy Last Supper
Come the Lawful Canopy
Under Thy Shelter, Sovereign
House of Ephrathah
May Every Man Begin
Be Glad, Russian Land
Having Fallen Asleep With Flesh
You, Christ, Was the Luminary, Set Before the Sun in the Coffin
Telling Before the Morning, Earlier Than Maria
Angel Cried
From Rising of the Sun Till Its Setting the Name of Lord Is to Be ...
Arise, God

Average customer rating:

Shelter

Manufacturer: Nightlight
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CADR2Q
Release Date: 2002-06-18

Average customer rating:

Shelter from the Night
Exile
Manufacturer: Sony Music Entertain
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
ASIN: B00000DS5O
Release Date: 1988-08-30

Average customer rating:

This is in my top 20 all time favorite cd's!

A Phoenix From the Ashes
Simple Shelter
Manufacturer: Cold Fusion Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Rock | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0006IZ54C
Release Date: 2004-11-05

Tracks:

Introduction
System Error
A Happy Ending (With Menace)
Add My Tears
Through the Fires (With Peter Distefano)
Gift
A Floor to Dance On
Power (performed by Peter Distefano)
In Place of You
Godspeed
The Enemy Upon Us
Common Thread
5 A.M.

Album Description

From the ashes of burnt-to-the-ground anguish spawns newly found sincerity of Simple Shelter's debut album A Phoenix From the Ashes. A musical pictorial that embarks light, darkness, and the unknowing worlds within the mind of Joshua Bradford. With every track on the CD, listeners journey with the artist through avenues of hardships and emotional distress while touching down upon optimistic endings. "Embrace the idea of watching your house burn down along with all of your possessions in a moment of complete loss while turning around and walking into the desert. It's he light that derives from complete loss of which I create this album." Each song on the album embraces a unique musical genre along Joshua's dynamic vocal range and singing diversity; some tracks are all electronics while others are only guitar. All songs written and performed by Joshua Bradford plus a few featured artists.

Customer Reviews:

This is in my top 20 all time favorite cd's!.......2004-11-17

So you see I gave this cd a 5 star rating and also say that I place Simple Shelter in my top 20 of all time favorite cds. I bet you expect that I'm now going to rave and rave about how great this cd is, but I won't (too much). This cd will appeal to many people and the best way to describe it (for me anyway) is to take modern Industrial Rock, Enya (for the surreal effect), Goth, and blend it up with moments of Anguish, Despair, Beauty and hope, then make it sound like no one else's cd and here you have Simple Shelter.

Many people give out 5 star reviews here on Amazon, but..... Yes, there has to be a "but" here... Simple Shelter is TRULY deserving of a 5 star review and is a band that will be cherished long after the Alternative Rock scene has changed completely to something else, and the Britney Spears of this world are retired with 4 kids and several new husbands. This is one of those few bands that holds up to the greatness of groups like Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, and Rush, (although Simple Shelter doesn't sound like these bands). Simple Shelter deserves to be hailed as a classic among those other great bands though. It's very moving unique artistic music. It takes a little time to grow on you (which for me is usually a mark of greatness) and quite simply one of THE best bands. Period.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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