5 comments about Gates of Delirium.

1. Listening to this muscial masterpiece as I type this, I'm astounded to find that I have never placed my review of this Incredible CD on this page and I've owned it for years.
   
   Allow me to correct that mistake right now.
   
   Everyone...this is one FUN FUN FUN CD!
   
   Just listening to this music now, there is so much more freedom and artistic openness to the arrangements from the previous two CDs.
   Both Born of the Night and Realm of Shadows are Awesome CDs in thier own right and ANY Midnight Syndicate fan should have them in thier collection (if they can still obtain a copy seeing that both recordings have been discontinued) but there is an *oppression* present that I can't put my finger on.
   I can't explain it.
   But in THIS recording...Midnight Syndicate Band Mates Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka BUST LOOSE and become the Artists that they are destined to be. This musical tour relies VERY LITTLE on sound effects and those that are there are very well and appropriately placed. Never over done...never under done. Your imagination is ALLOWED to take over and see what it wants to see...and sometimes things that you don't, but your brain takes you there anyway! lol!
   The music is lush, darkly alluring and carries you through the asylum of scared, misunderstood and mistreated patients at the mercy of the facility's sadistic Dr. Haverghast! *Don't worry! you don't hear anything *BAD* but like I said, this CD-so good- your brain just takes you there!
   I have never tired of this recording. It's complete "Mind Candy" and carries you away to another time.
   This is why Midnight Syndicate are the Masters of the Genre that they created... Gothic Halloween CDs for the Imagination and they just keep getting better and better with time.
   
   Now....go buy this CD and let yourself be taken away....
   down the hall, dragged, screaming for your life as the metal door slams shut behind you as your helpless screams die away in the distance.....



2. 
   The dark magic faded fast after this album was released. Everything they did afterwards just seemed to become redundant. No newer album ever merited any improvements or aroused any special new nuances. Their newer material just started to sound like previously rejected filler material that they started to release afterwards as whole albums. So, I guess, nowadays, Midnight Syndicate is just sitting in limbo hoping to conjure up some new fresh ideas. Probably just licking their wounds from last years backlash of discontinuing the availabilty of their best albums, and releasing a shoddy re-recording of key tracks.
   
   When I first started buying the CD's of Midnight Syndicate, I was pretty excited about having this dark moody classical outlet to add to my music library. Before the Midnight Syndicate, I only use to find small episodes of the kind of music that the Midnight Syndicate does.
   
   There are other artists such as Cradle of Filth, Yello, Vangelis, Rick Wakeman, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, and Jean Michel Jarre and various types of horror soundtracks (John Carpenter, Giorgio Moroder, Goblin, etc.) that would give you one or two really cool dark classical instrumentals that just made you wish there were more. When Midnight Syndicate came out with "Born of the Night", that was the album that represented all that I was looking for in a complete sound concept that captured and embraced my more sinister side but in a subtle way. Just like when Hitler had Wagner, and Alex (A Clockwork Orange) had Beethoven, the Midnight Syndicate gave me that atmosphere that empowered my darkest moods and made me feel that there was a kind of music out there that understands me.
   
   This album of "Gates of Delerium" is their fourth project and probably one of the easiest ones to buy. Their first three CD's are discontinued and out of print. It's unfortunate because "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows" were their best two albums. I got them, Thank God, but new fans will never know their most creative years. After "Gates of Delerium" their appeal really began to drop because their music wasn't really growing or going anywhere new and adventurous. They started to record dull uninspiring stale classical passages which all sounded all alike all through their albums. Each album just started to get even more boring from one album to the next. Their last respectable project was "The 13th Hour". So if you get "Gates of Delerium" and "The 13th Hour", that is all you really need from the Midnight Syndicate. Their other albums (including their retrospective CD) are just so bland and uninteresting. But, of course, if you see them "used" somewhere selling for about the price of an empty jewel box, that may be worth it. If you see "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows" used somewhere (but I doubt it, nobody would give them up), definitely jump on them. And check out Nox Arcana too if you want to check out more music similar to "Gates of Delerium" (and especially the sound of "Born of the Night" and "Realm of Shadows"). They haven't released anything since their "Out of the Darkness" CD. I guess they are still suffering from the repercussions of that major mistake. I sure hope they'll bounce back with something new soon.



3. the midnight syndicate's "gates of delerium" is an amazing album; this is perfect for all haunters and anyone who enjoys the dark gothic classical music that is the midnight syndicate. the haunted house i work at will be playing this album for our 2007 season, we have contacted the midnight syndicate and recieved posters for the haunted house; these guys fully support the haunt community. I have friends who are classical piano players who love this album for it's amazing musical quality.
   
   please, do yourself a favor, buy this album. if you have never heard the midnight syndicate, i recomend you look at their myspace page and listen to their music.



4. While Midnight Syndicate has probably done better albums ("Born of the Night" and "Symphonies from the Crypt" come to mind), they haven't done one that's any creepier! By now it's hardly a secret that while there were asylums in Queen Victoria's day (usually for the wealthy) where the inmates were treated with at least some compassion, often Victorian asylums and sanitariums were simply "snakepits", warehouses where people dumped mentally ill friends and relatives (and sometimes inconvenient spouses and children who were sane but unable to defend themselves) so they'd be out of sight and out of mind. In such places, the inmates were often treated brutally, given unsanitary food and water and virtually no medical care, and at times chained up and left there to die to free up the space for someone else.
   
   It is this world that Midnight Syndicate has re-created, adding to their excellent Gothic music the screams, howls and meaningless babbling of the terminally mad. The result is good background music for either reading ghost stories or for the more Gothic varieties of role-playing (e.g., World of Darkness or Call of Cthulhu), as long as you don't think too much about the fact that places like Haverghast Asylum not only really existed, but were, until the early Twentieth Century, almost the norm for care of the incurably insane in some states and countries.



5. A nice mix of creepy sound effects and darkly themed tunes. Great mood music for a horror themed party or playing RPGs.

5 comments about David Bowie Narrates Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf".

1. The material is just wonderful. Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" is a gem. David Bowie does a nice job because he doesn't act like Bowie. Very understated. My five-year old loves it and likes to fall asleep to it. The other scores are great, too. Kid-friendly scores by Britten and Bernstein. Definitely a great intro to classical music for kids. Adults will like it, too.



2. This CD has been a FAVORITE in my family since it first came out... Every year, at Christmas time, someone inevitably asks me for another one because they've worn theirs out... This CD raises the imagination to new heights and stimulates the heart and soul with the amazing music, David Bowie's INCREDIBLE voice, and the vivid scenes one is able to create mentally from the story being told. I've heard several versions of Peter and The Wolf. This being the best rendition I've heard, by far. I gave one to some friends of mine, a few years ago, who have an autistic daughter... I believe she's on her fourth or fifth CD now. "Mom" says it is the only thing that calms her at times. The additional music is WONDERFUL as well. I have nothing but PRAISES for this CD!!!



3. My kids love to listen to this story. Since we bought it for them for Christmas I can't count how many times we have listened to it. They like everything on it, not just Peter and the Wolf!
   
   The only problem I have with it is that when the narration is on it is really quiet. So we have to go back and forth with the volume. You have it loud enough to hear David, then the music comes back and it is too loud. Other than that, like I said my kids love it!



4. I got this for my daughter who remembered it from when she was a child. She wore out the tape as a child. It is still great



5. Peter and the Wolf is a great way to get the kids to listen to classical music. It's fun and very entertaining.

5 comments about Ray Conniff - We Wish You A Merry Christmas (6 Medley songs).

1. Another tape that brought back so many happy memories. Great melodies and a tape loaded with the classics. You won't be disappointed!



2. Great CD, it brought back many childhood Christmas memories, but I liked his other CD "Christmas with Coniff" which had more memorable songs. I got both CDs for my parents as well as for myself. They loved them, too. Unlike my father's albums and cassette tapes he made in the 70's, both were crystal clear CD quality audio.



3. The harmonies of the Ray Conniff singers can not be matched. Every song is a great reminder of a great time.



4. A classic collection of MANY Christmas favorites. A great mix of both Religious and seasonal songs. Great background music at parties and family get togethers.



5. My dad had these kinds of records when I was a very small child. I also heard this type of music at my grandma's as a young child also and by the mid 1980s they were still playing this type of music around xmas time and this kind of music makes it really feel like xmas for me. This does not sound 'old" to me in anyway. Hearing kenny g or mariah carey or adam sandler or some hip hop artist during xmas makes me want to vomit. Why can't radio stations play this good quality music during the xmas season?
   
   I guess Ray Coniff isn't politically correct enough to get played during the xmas season anymore because they still play other older xmas songs but they won't play Ray Coniff.
   
   Ray Coniff really knew how to make some really melodic music which was great adult contemporary music. Just as they have retro disco and retro alternative and retro country music stations they need to have retro adult contemporary station on cable tv's music channels.
   
   On this cd ,the voices of the singers seem too prominent and the background instruments and sounds seem like they were faded to make the voices sound louder. I hate when they mess with old recordings and do this type of thing. Usually on music cds they unfairly make the bass more prominent as if it were a soul or motown cd where bass is so important but in this case it is the voices.

5 comments about Christmas with Conniff.

1. As I'd hoped, a CD version of the LP I had many years ago. Arrived as promised and a great price



2. Has anyone else noticed that the CD track order begins with side two on=f the LP version?
   Don't mess with tradition!



3. Great CD, it brought back many childhood Christmas memories. I got this CD along with another Ray Coniff Singers CD for my parents as well as for myself. They loved it, too. Unlike my father's album and cassette tape he made in the 70's, it was crystal clear CD quality audio.



4. This is one of the best mix of Christmas songs for all ages. Sung by the Ray Conniff singers, it brings back memories of earlier happy times of Christmas. The cut "Christmas Bride" is superb.



5. I just lvoe the sound and the old fashioned feel of the way the holiday music was done and done exceptionally well by a great orchestra and singers.

5 comments about Christmas Stays the Same.

1. No doubt about it: this is at the top of my "favorite Christmas album" list! It's not just because Ms. Eder has a phenomenal voice powered by a phenomenal presence. It's not just because the selection of songs is delightful, featuring a highly satisfying mix of old and new pieces. It's both of those points combined and then some! This is a must-have for your Christmas music collection.



2. A friend introduced me to Lind'a music a few years back and I have been hooked ever since. This Christmas CD is a must have.. If you enjoy the CD, I would strongly suggest getting the Bravo Concert DVD, it is fantastic! By far, Linda Eder is the most underrated talent around today.



3. What can I say about this stunningly beautiful woman with an equally stunningly beautiful voice, that hasn't already been said here? Her high notes in "Silent Night" were the purest I've ever heard!Her tears when she sang "IF I Had My Way" touched me.This disk will go with a select few others such as Les Miserables in concert and the Andrew Lloyd Webber celebration, as one of the best musical DVD's I have ever listened to! Linda Eder is the closest thing to a goddess I think we will see for a long time.



4. Linda Eder is a versatile songstress with an amazing vocal range. This CD is a great mix of traditional and contemporary Christmas songs. LOVE IT!



5. I bought this disk because I heard, "Do You Hear What I Hear" on the radio. The arrangement of this song and the strength of her voice bring goose-bumps every time.
   
   Of course, having the Broadway Gospel Choir in the arrangement is good, but it takes nothing away from the singular power and grace of her voice.
   
   There's also a rousing version of "Drummer Boy". Not normally one of my favorites, but it gets regular rotation when this disk is in my car. Several key changes and layering of the choir add an emotional impact.
   
   The only reason I gave four stars not five is because some of the selections are so traditional that I've never heard of them. That's not saying they're bad, but with a voice like Linda's there are so many well knows songs that could have been given a new life.
   
   Three cheers for "Do You Hear What I Hear" and the rest of the music. Thanks Linda.

No comments about Holiday Spirits.

No comments about Ultimate Halloween Party.

No comments about My Kind of Holiday.

5 comments about How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2000 Film).

1. Loved the cd look forward to listening to it every holiday season!!! Fast shipping and great communication Thanks a bunch!!!!



2. A fantastic compilation of songs and memorable moments from the movie that will make you laugh!



3. I was looking for a single song in particular but the entire CD is wonderful.



4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2000 Film)
   
   Exactly as described. Received much quicker than I expected. Would gladly buy from these folks again.



5. Fast and excellent condition. I made a mistake thinking it was a VHS but like the music and not seller fault. Satisfied with product and recomment seller to others.

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

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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!



4. 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. I find this is a great video! I love all they're songs on this video and that's unusual for me to love ALL the music videos on one disc! They really did a great job of compiling they're videos to get the best of the best. Also, I prefer not to have concert scenes, they can do that in a seperate disc. If you love the Backstreet boys, you've got to get this DVD! I love it and I'm 46 years old! So its just not for a certain age group! Great DVD!