5 comments about Circus Clown Calliope.

1. Good CD, has most of the best stuff on it.



2. The sound is authentic, the recording has fidelity, and the cadence is perky.
   
   But this album is not the match for some of my older calliope collections on vinyl (I know: I'm a dinosaur, but I'm trying to evaluate the music, not the recording technology).
   
   While trying to collect some newer calliope CDs, I purchased this. But all the tunes seem to be played in a single octave, with a few notes below that.
   
   Alternate recommendations are welcome. Most reviewers seem to like this CD, recorded 1973+, so don't take me too seriously. It's just food for thought.



3. my daughter loved calliope music at the fair so i got this, she likes it and it's nice gentle happy background music for our daily playtime or whatever...some nice recognizable tunes too...



4. I cant wait to listen to this cd while driving around with the windows down this summer. Awesome tunes



5. this tape was exactly what I needed for my Halloween Clown theme.. great calliope music.. set the circus theme perfectly.

5 comments about Backstreet Boys - Video Hits, Chapter One.

1. This movie was GREAT! I've seen this and "Back Street Stories" and this ranked way higher than that movie. I'm tellin' ya if you want to buy a Backstreet Boy movie that has no Bad motions, cuss words or sexual content this is the one to get.But there is one song that parents might want to listen to first. It's called "EveryBody [Backstreets Back]" and it says.."Am i The Only One" "Am I SEXUAL" "Am I everything You better Rock your Body right." I know my parents don't like that But thats preety much it. I hope i didn't spoile it for you. That is just one song so your ok. My parents didn't buy this for me but we rented it & if i did get it I would watch it EVERYDAY OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!



2. I love Backstreet Boys - Chapter One. I enjoy watching them over and over again. If you are a big fan of the Backstreet Boys you will totally enjoy watching all of these videos.



3. I bought this DVD from Amazon. I would say, this DVD is a excelent video collection. All the music lovers should have this DVD. Do not miss this DVD.I'm very happy to purchased it.I gurenteed about the satisfaction as a music lover.



4. This DVD is a great compilation of the hit songs and their music videos the Backstreet Boys have produced over their first three albums: Backstreet Boys, Millennium, and Black & Blue. You can watch a progression of their music and style in this video alone.
   
   The only reason why I give this DVD a 4-star rating instead of five is because of the fact that the region 1 disk here only has the American/ Canadian hits. Hits like We've Got It Goin' On or Get Down (You're the One For Me) aren't present. Another disappointment would be the lack of the new song on The Hits CD - Drowning. The music video for Drowning isn't on this DVD, so if you wanted to buy this DVD for that purpose, you should look elsewhere for it. The DVD is amazing, though, and included my favourite video: The Call. Check it out!



5. With 12 videos from their first three cds. Backstreet Boys, Milennium and Black and Blue.
   
   Backstreet Boys:
   
   Quit Playing Games With My Heart
   As Long As You Love Me
   Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
   All I Have To Give
   I'll Never Break Your Heart
   
   Milennium:
   
   I Want It That Way
   Larger Than Life
   Show Me The Meaning of Being Lonely
   The One
   
   Black and Blue:
   
   Shape of My Heart
   The Call
   More Than That
   
   Total running time for the DVD/videos is 55 minutes. But with this at your disposal you can watch any of their vids at anytime and for a pretty good price as well.

5 comments about Time-Life Music: Treasury of Christmas - Holiday Memories.

1. I am a music lover and to me and my family the Christmas season is a time that the joyful and heartfelt music of the time should be heard from near and far, this collection fits the bill to do just that. In it you will find so many songs that you grew-up with and hearing them will touch a cord in your heart and bring to memory the joy of the season. I highly recommend this collection and hope you will be as enriched with it as my family is. Merry Christmas!



2. I purchased this item from the television ad the year it was released directly from Time-Life. As a result of getting divorced, I needed to repurchase this great set I had bought from Time-Life years ago. After seeing the price for the bundle and recognizing the album covers, I was elated to finally get a new set for myself. Upon receipt, I immediately discovered that it is not "As Seen on TV" at all. the song selection is a fraction of the original, with a different discograpghy, but still the same album covers.
   The songs are indeed great classics, however, if you have experienced the original "As Seen on TV" set that was released in 2001 you, too, will be as disappointed and left feeling rather robbed.



3. I enjoy Méhdi"Christmas Treasures",Charlie Brown Christmas ,Mannheim Steamroller etc.and this a magnificent production that I also enjoy just as much. Time-Life Treasury of Christmas: Holiday Memories collects 24 classic tracks of the holiday genre spread out over two discs, including "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" by Nat King Cole, "Santa Baby" by Eartha Kitt, "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms, "I Believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake, and "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. Many of these artists will appeal to a broad range of ages, making it perfect for family gatherings.



4. The CD - Treasury, from Time-Life was not the one I wanted. I wanted the first Time Life Christmas collection.



5. This CD has a good selection of traditional Christmas songs from the original artists that I remember from my childhood. You know, when it was still OK to say "Merry Christmas" to someone on the street. I played this CD and the other Time-Life Christmas CD all December long. I want my kids to have these songs as their Christmas memories as I do.

5 comments about Songs for Christmas.

1. Cool and ambitious takes on old and new tunes...plus fun packaging that makes the "hard copy" well worth it (actually, a steal.)



2. great twist on the classics and beautiful orginal compositions, though the collection is 5 CDs deep it is not a chore to listen through all, each song has wonderful holiday sentiments and melody. Sufjan continues to brighten the standards with his signature.



3. All five cd's are fabulous, I played them the entire holiday and gave this as a gift to everyone. A perfect blend of classics and new songs.



4. This box set is full of fun times as soon as you open it. Besides the amazingly complex yet honestly raw christmas songs, there are short stories that we can all relate to about the materialism of christmas and the coming together of dysfunctional families, as well as chords and lyrics to all of the songs so you can sing and even play along. My mother and i sang together for the first time ever when i put these CDs in the player.



5. This is what introduced me to Sufjan (and I have never been the same!). My mother, who is in her mid 50s, loves this set. I secretly look forward to Thanksgiving because I can put the album in my cd player for the next couple of months...and we play it while we're taking our tree down so we can enjoy it one last time before putting Christmas stuff up. It has many traditional Christmas songs, as well as some he has written, and some stellar renditions of old hymns that will be familiar to many. This has to be the best Christmas album ever.

5 comments about Christmas Carols.

1. This is a great cd for kids. I bought one for my children for Christmas and they love it. The songs are fun, upbeat, and timeless.



2. The children loved these songs and they were easy to teach and to use, especially with the split tracks.



3. Purchased this to do the Children's Church Christmas play and it was exactly what we needed. It has the version with the words to practice with the kids and then the version to play during the actual show with music only so the kids can sing. Highly recommend for this purpose!



4. Great for Sunday School kids. We listened to it every sunday. Made my kids a copy to listen to as well. We all enjoyed it.



5. This is a good product and a great sing along cd for children (and adults to for that matter). It could do without a repeat of all the songs though. I have no idea what "spilt track format" is supposed to add. Including the lyrics and coloring activities is a nice touch.

5 comments about Andre Rieu - Christmas Around the World.

1. EVeryone should see at least one of his dvd's they are simple wonderful. I have bought 4 Andre's dvd's and enjoy each one of them. I am using some of them as gifts. They really are the enjoyable.



2. Andre Rieu was suggested by a friend, we like him
   very much but he is not one of our favorites. We
   personally prefer piano music.



3. A delightful disc, with absolutely beautiful Christmas Music and wonderful individual performances, especially the Japanese children.



4. 
   I love Music of Andre. Christmas is the day for the born of Jesus. However, Andre never say about the born of the Jesus. Furthermore, he never celebrate the born of jesus. Maybe, he don't go to the church longtime. He also forget the spirt of chistmas. Everyone know that only 1% of japanese go the church. Most japanese go to the private shrine. Why did Andre enter the stage the japnese chidren? They don't understand the language(german & english), and also the christmas spirit. It was awkward.



5. This Dvd is great, and especially around Christmas,however it can be enjoyed Year round,I have a lot of Andre Rieu Dvds and Vhs's,His style of playing this music is in a class all by itself,I can not say enough good words
   about him and his orchestra,it is excellent,It is great FUN,,interaction within the orchestra is A+++,These people like to play music and do it well,
   Keep the music coming for all the world to enjoy !!,Thanks,Andre and Orchestra,
   given by Albert Bruins,,

5 comments about Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer.

1. What a great CD! This CD is amazing in that Reliant K manages to be both a fresh AND nostalgic mix. Some of their songs make you reminesce fondly, some are thought-provoking theology, and others are just plain fun, or loud, or both. My kids and I love this CD. I hope you enjoy.



2. Fun and more fun on this music CD. Relient K is a super band who appeals to a wide range of ages. My household has ages from 7 to 65 and we ALL love this album.



3. I really enjoyed this CD. It makes me smile and gives me energy. I even played it into January because I didn't want to stop listening to it. The bonus song at the end of the CD really makes me laugh.



4. if you like Relient K, then you will LOVE this Christmas album! if you like great harmonies and music that is reminicient of the Beach Boys, then this band is for you! i listened this album to death this past christmas and shared lots of the songs off of it with friends during the holidays. My only disappointment was that in their awesome acapella version of "Auld Lang Syne", the band members started talking in the middle...otherwise, though, LOVE IT!



5. A GREEEEAAAAAAT CD! These guys are so talented and amazing. A very funny rendition of the 12 days of Christmas as well as some not so average Christmas season songs mixes things up and makes it a great addition to your Christmas music selection! I must have listened to it at least 10 times the first week I had it! :)

5 comments about Mendelssohn: Songs Without Words.

1. In contrast to many other musicians, Mendelssohn had an evident, fruitful and fortunate association with the visual arts. Keeping in mind his education was conceived as part of the Renascence man, so we should not ignore his classical-humanistic education, so that explains why his Symphonies maybe basically, considered such arresting visual landscapes: the Scottish, Italian and Reform would seem confirm it.
   
   The Songs without words conform ostensibly, a great stylistic and conceptual unity. It could not be other way, noticing the fact John Field was essentially the grandfather of the nocturnes for piano and Chopin the most expressive and intimate explorer of the human soul, Mendelssohn had all those variables in mind and decided to create a portrait album. As other artists as Liszt and Goethe the exerted fascination after being in Venice would work out as febrile inspiration. Every little page of this kaleidoscopic reflects different state anima; they are structured and interweaved similarly respect Robert Schumann with his Carnival or Childhood scenes; with profound lyric and evocative accent, destined to recreate the tourist memory. He achieved then to make a voluminous album of feelings but without that marked introspective mood of Frederic Chopin, for instance.
   
   Daniel Barenboim decided to record these ebb tide piano pieces with personal conviction and lyric imagination. The result was simply refulgent and deeply inspiring.



2. Bach's 48 preludes and fugues seem to me to be to some extent a diary of the composer's feelings, and I get much the same impression from Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, which are also 48 in number. To me, they are beautiful and touching minor masterpieces and when I hear them I am not disturbed, or even visited, by the thought that they are not masterpieces to rank with Bach's. However I am not as exacting in evaluating a performance of them as I would be with Bach either, and when I willingly award this set 5 stars I know that I'm setting the bar lower. There are limits to what any interpreter, even the greatest, of the Songs Without Words can find in them, but for all that some interpreters are greater than others, and I happen to know even better accounts of some of these pieces than you will find on these two discs from Barenboim.
   
   It was high time in any case that I had a complete set of these lovely works. My collection up to now had only stretched to 14 of them, but - I have to say it again - those 14 are enough to teach me the difference between fine performances and great ones. Barenboim's accounts should be easily good enough for most of us most of the time, and in addition to the Songs he throws in the Children's Pieces plus a few other short numbers that Mendelssohn, for reasons known principally to himself, chose not to publish. With one solitary exception, Barenboim's touch is affectionate, warm and beautiful, and is well served by the 1974 recording. Speeds adopted sound about right to me in general, and the interpretations offered are full of insight and loving care, and free from eccentricity or egotism. Barenboim can be powerful when he needs to be, but the requirement for power is very limited in what we have here, and the overall impression that the set leaves is rightly one of tact, sympathy and enthusiasm. My single regret concerns my own favourite of all the Songs - the Duetto op 38/6. Something goes quite unaccountably wrong here. I'd call the speed too fast in the first place, and I would have liked the pseudo-voices brought out more strongly against the arpeggio accompaniment, but the real affront to my sensibilities comes when the two voices sing forte in octaves, and Barenboim bangs out the melody in a bad-tempered and cacophonous way that reminds me of one of Kissin's off-days.
   
   One botched effort out of 58 is not a bad ratio nevertheless. I can play the Duetto to my own satisfaction anyway, or I can listen to it on my old Turnabout LP played by Guiomar Novaes. Novaes seems to be all but forgotten these days, but she was a great player, recognised as such by no less than Debussy when she was a teenager. Her idea of the Duetto is slower than mine, indeed for an amateur like me the piece, which lies beautifully and naturally under the hands, seems practically to dictate its own speed. However it's not the tempo that makes the impression. In this piece as in many others starting with the very first of all the Songs, what transfixes me is the haughty and highlighted clarity of Novaes's melodic line and the magnificence of her left-hand tone. It also happens that in the disc that accompanies the biography of Serkin by Stephen Lehmann and Marion Faber there are two of the Songs in Novaes's selection - a solemn and gripping op 62/1 and a coruscating Spinning Song worthy of Horowitz or Cziffra for virtuosity. The point is simply this - there is an aura of greatness that surrounds the playing of Serkin and Novaes in practically anything they do. Admirable as he is, Barenboim is not quite in that league, although I don't consider the balance of advantage to be totally one-sided, and it may be that Barenboim actually makes a more appealing job of the Spring Song.
   
   Nevertheless I have only 14 of the Songs from Novaes, and all of two from Serkin, in somewhat antiquated sound at that. Barenboim gives me all 48 plus some bonus extras, played with love and appreciation of the soul of this beautiful and affecting music. This is a set I am going to be returning to for solace and balm to the spirit, I can tell already. The recorded sound is not wondrous, but it's good 1974 quality. The liner note is from the distinguished pen of Joan Chissell, but I can't say it seems to me to amount to much. Moreover she nails her colours to the mast with the ringing challenge `No 19th-century composer exceeded Mendelssohn in respect for Classical tradition, and such ordered modes of expression as fugue...' I dispute this strenuously. Not only are Mendelssohn's fugues not his best or most professional work, as Tovey makes very clear, they are inferior in respect for classical precedent and thoroughness of workmanship to Schumann's, as the same sage also points out. Besides which Brahms was a musical scholar of minute and profound learning, particularly steeped in the great German musical tradition, to an extent that Mendelssohn never rivalled. What Mendelssohn can claim is to be sui generis, what he does best he does better than anyone, and some of his most intimate musical thoughts are to be found in the Songs Without Words. For the pleasure and comfort they bring me I thank Mendelssohn's shade and the loving and expert guidance of Barenboim.



3. Until I purchased this bargain (two discs for the price of one), recording of Mendelssohn's "Songs without Words" that are played exquisitely by Daniel Barenboim, I, in the past, have listened mainly to Mendelssohn's chamber music, Concertos and/or Symphonies kind of forgetting about these most beautiful compositions, What a real pleasure this recording has been for me. I believe that Mendelssohn composed these" Songs without Words" (also included are Mendelssohn's "Kinderstucke", op 72, "Albumblatt", op. 117 and 2 short pieces) through out his short life. Daniel indeed plays all of the works including the "demanding" ones (there are surprisingly for me some very demanding ones) most beautifully never forgetting that the compositions are above all else "Songs". Daniel Barenboim always lets the melodies be heard above all else and there are some very beautiful melodies to hear.
   
   This recording was made in the early 1970s; however, DGG has done a wonderful job of transferring them to the CD format--the sound is rich, lush and clear.
   
   If you want to hear some beautiful compositions that are played most beautifully, buy this recording.



4. One of the most and romantic compositions ever written, "Songs without Words", interpreted by an excelent pianist. Enjoy it.



5. Beautifully interpreted, Barenbolm plays delicately and skillfully. This music is perhaps the epitome of the romantic classical era of piano music. Mendelssohn composed piece after piece of melodic and engaging piano music that eventually became this complete cycle. Some pieces may grab you more than others but overall, everyone of them expresses emotion. It surprises me that these pieces are not better known to anyone who loves classical piano music.

5 comments about Christmas with the Chipmunks.

1. Please note to get this new great sounding Capitol 2007 release which has ALL 24 songs (both of what was the same as separate Volumes 1 & 2 are mixed) plus one bonus and is very reasonably priced. The 2006 version has a recording flaw. This is a classic Christmas album that should be FULLY enjoyed and the 2007 is the best version out there!



2. I have this album still that I had as a child. Of course I don't have a record player so I decided to see if I could purchase this on a cd instead. When I received it in the mail, I noticed that this album had more songs on it than the original copy I have. The extras songs on them were alright but it wasn't the same as the original. Over all it was worth the money because I can play it whenever I want. I think I'll hunt for a record player to play the original.



3. Both my wife and I grew up with Alvin and the Chipmunks. I even had the original album in red vinyl. In anticipation of the movie (which was also good, by the way), we went a little nostalgic. No regrets. A fifty year trip back to Memory Lane made for a very nice Christmas present.



4. The only thing missing here is the ability to play it at 16RPM so that you can laugh at David Seville singing in "slo-mo".



5. This is a great Christmas CD and the Chipmunks did a great job! It has all the classical christmas songs that I enjoy listening during the holidays, including their classic hit - the Chipmunk Christmas song. However, the last track-the Chipmunk Song, i.e. an additional bonus track, does not really fit into the whole theme of the CD. The tune is kind of off key with the new add-ons and I was kind of disappointed. In comparison to the latest Chipmunk soundtrack of the 2007 movie however, they did a much better version of the Chipmunk song with a couple of remixes and they turned out to be very contemporary, upbeat; it truly shows the Chipmunks really have the groove and they continue to rock into the 21st century! Well, 24 songs out of 25 are good, so it is certainly worth it to get this CD.

5 comments about White Christmas.

1. I was extremely disappointed that this CD was almost a duplicate of her wonderful 1999 "White Christmas" CD with what appears to be only 4-5 of the SIXTEEN tracks actually new material.
   
   In the notes, she says "This album was a joy to make." Apparently the "joy" must've been as result of the clear ease in nearly recycling a CD done 8 years ago.
   
   Yes, the songs are beautiful--wonderful, classic songs of the season. Martina McBride at her best. For sheer musical artistry, it would rank 5 stars.
   
   But it is really sad, when so many artists are trying to create new and original material, that McBride slides in old stuff under new packaging like this.



2. I love Martina McBride.........she has an incredible voice and brings such emotion to the lyrics when she sings. However, I was disappointed when I put this CD in only to discover it is mostly a re-recording of the Christmas songs from her first Christmas CD with a few more additions. I was hoping that she would have re-recorded the songs differently....... oh well, I guess I should have listened first.



3. I love Martina and her wonderful voice. Her latest Christmas album with the new songs added is wonderful, but I hope her next Christmas release includes ALL new songs since there are plenty of terrific holiday songs out there without having to repeat any year after year.



4. I have always loved to listen to Martina McBrides music. This is just another awesome Cd by her.



5. It took awhile to get to me, but was in great condition. It's a lovely cd and I'm glad to have it.