5 comments about Paris and London: 1937-1948, Vol. 2.

1. Django is my man, and I've always found these to be some of his most fetching recordings. The sound is a bit bland for my tastes, though. JSP puts out an inconsistent product at times.



2. In my opinion, "Paris & London 1937-48" is slightly better than "Classic Early Recordings in Chronogical Order". Considering the source material, JSP did an excellent job remastering this collection.



3. For someone like me who loves every note Django Reinhardt ever played this 4-CD collection and another 5-CD set also available on Amazon, "Django Reinhardt: The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," are the Holy Grail. Between the two sets I can load up the CD player with 9 discs and listen to this most unbelievable of all guitar players show off for hours at a time.

   There is more swing, more fun, and more incredible guitar playing on these discs than you'll ever hear anywhere else.

   Even though they contain no lengthy linear notes, 'free booklets,' posters, etc., these are, without a doubt, the greatest multi-disc box sets I have ever heard.




4. I got "Paris and London" and JSP's other great box set, "The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," at roughly the same time, and for a while I listened constantly to the "Early Recordings" and pretty much neglected this set. One reason is that the "Early Recordings" are so great that I couldn't tear myself away, but another reason is that the "Paris and London" set includes more large-ensemble recordings that have taken me a little longer to appreciate. By my taste, at least, Django is at his best in small acoustic settings (e.g., in the famous Quintet of the Hot Club of France, or even soloing or just accompanied by piano). "Paris and London" does contain a number of songs by the original Hot Club (including Stephane Grappelli), and most of those rank with the very best on the "Early Recordings" set --- but there are also a number of wartime recordings (made while Grappelli was stranded in London) that have a more standard jazz ensemble sound (featuring Hubert Rostaing on clarinet in place of Grappelli's violin), as well as a few performed with large orchestras, and at first I found those a little less appealing. My view changed a little, though, when I read in Django's biography (by his contemporary, the French music critic Charles Delaunay) that by this stage of his career Django was becoming more interested in composing and arranging than in simply playing guitar, and that he felt there were more musical possibilities in larger groups than within the limitations of the string quintet (three guitars, bass and violin). So I've been going back and listening to these large-ensemble recordings with a new ear, and I guess I can say that it's expanded my musical horizons a little. As a guitarist myself, I'm naturally partial to Django's remarkable lead guitar playing, but with the larger groups his role is more like Duke Ellington's on the piano (that is, using his guitar more as the cohesion behind the arrangements than as a lead instrument). So on these recordings you get a fuller sense of Django's overall musical vision, beyond just his virtuoso guitar playing. In any case, even if you're mainly just interested in hearing Django's guitar, you won't be disappointed, because these recordings include some of his best. Also, I see that one reviewer criticized the sound quality of this set as compared to the "Early Recordings," but I'm not sure I'd agree. That reviewer may have better equipment and a more highly-trained ear than I do, but on my equipment these recordings sound just fine --- and in some cases even more sharp and clear than the "Early Recordings." In any case, don't let that consideration deter you from purchasing this great 4-CD set. If you don't already own the "Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order," then by all means start with that. Then, if you like that set (and who wouldn't?), don't hesitate to get this one too. They both show Django at his best, and this one in particular shows his versatility and broad musical vision.



5. I certainly agree with the other reviewers about the music here being terrific. I also favor the small ensemble work rather than the larger aggregations. After all, there's more Django in the small arrangements.

   But I do have to comment on the sound quality. One of the remarkable things about the first installment of this set (the 5 CD box) is its sound. Engineer Ted Kendall did a sterling job of collecting the best quality sources and then cutting as little as possible from the output to give us the music. By contrast, this set is far less impressive. There is much less depth to the bass and the high end has been truncated a bit too in the interest of getting rid of surface noise.

   It is because of the sound that I give this set three stars (and really would give it three and one-half if there was that option).

4 comments about Mendelssohn: Complete Piano Music.

1. This is an amazing collection of Mendelssohn's works! However, the recording is a little on the soft side, so you sort of need to crank your speakers, but all in all, it's a must have for collectors of classical music. Enjoy! Oh, and may I strongly suggest track 3 of disc 4 - it was my whole reason for buying this collection. The entire set is amazing, but that track is worth the price of admission.



2. This is no doubt to me great piano music played by a great performer. I can't find anything wrong with that. The only problem is the recording quality is very poor, almost intolerable at times. This was recorded in the early through late 70s. I disagree with the previous reviewer, the sound isn't crisp or clear at all, it's very staticy and recorded at a very low volume so you have to crank up the volume creating more static. It's also hard to hear how beautiful the piano really is. To confirm what one of the other reviewers said it does sound as if the piano is underwater. Too bad the recording was not cleaned up to sound at least a little better.
   
   Even at the price I paid ($25)it still may be over priced. It is a great way to get all of his solo piano music but if you want quality skip this and spend the extra money.



3. Mendelssohn's piano music is an amazing body of work and if you are a classical music fan who has not been exposed to it yet, this is a wonderful way to get his entire piano output. Nimbus has Marvin Jones( winner of the 1968 Myra Hess Award ) performing this for us, recorded in the 1970's. It is in ADD, which is what one would expect from that time, but the sound is very crisp and clear, with the microphone placement not extremely close to the piano, so as to capture the room acoustics. Mr. Jones plays with great brilliance, clarity, and enthusiasm, and, most importantly, he seems to capture the true spirit of Mendelssohn. The set is nicely packaged in two triple cases in a sleeve with a booklet.



4. For the price, you really can't find a real deal... but in a lot of places, it's obvious why the price is as low as it is. First of all, the recording is awfully muddy and the piano's tone suffers as a result, often sounding more like it's underwater than anything else.

   The second thing is that the pianist makes a fair amount of mistakes in the music he is playing, some of them often grating, something that is unacceptable in a studio recording. But I'm still giving it a middle-of-the-road score because the performances aside from the mistakes are often quite good.

No comments about Magical Moods of Mantovani.

5 comments about The Early Years: 1930-34.

1. THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL RECORDINGS THAT CAB CALLOWAY AND HIS BAND (THE MISSOURIANS) DID THAT MADE CAB A STAR, AND IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE KIND OF MUSIC THAT WAS BEING PLAYED UP AT THE COTTON CLUB, WHERE CAB CALLOWAY WAS THE FEATURED PERFORMER AFTER THE DUKE ELLINGTON BAND DEPARTED. THE WORD I WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE IT "INFECTUOUS", EVEN WHEN HE SINGS A SAD SONG IT MAKES YOU FEEL HAPPY! IF YOU LOVE CAB CALLOWAY YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS COLLECTION. AFTER LISTENING FOR AWHILE, YOU'LL FEEL LIKE YOU'RE HANGIN' WITH THE KING OF SWEDEN, YOU'LL BE KICKIN' THE GONG AROUND, CHILLING IN CHINATOWN, CABBING IT UP TO HARLEM, SPENDING TIME WITH SMOKEY JOE (WHO WAS MIGHTY COKEY), LOOKING FOR MINNIE, BECOMING A JITTERBUG AND SAYING HI-DE-HI-DE-HI-DE-HO, WHICH ALL SEEM TO BE RECURRING THEMES IN A LOT THE SONGS, ALONG WITH A LOT OF NONSENSICAL SCAT SINGING, WHICH MAKES THE WHOLE THING SUBLIME AND UNFORGETTABLE.



2. Cab Calloway fans, you MUST own this! Sit back, close your eyes and imagine you're nodding off in the Cotton Club. I LOVE this collection. Disc 1- St James' Infirmary, worth the price alone.



3. While I'm a big fan of this collection, along with the continuing collection "1935-1940", I'd be really interested in knowing if JSP is planning on putting out a collection of Cab's 1940-1947 stuff. If such a collection exists from JSP & I'm just being ignorant, please let me know!



4. I'm a very big Calloway fan and this is a very complete collection. Wonderfully put together and sounds just like I'm listening to an actual record. Amazing.
   
   I will highly suggest this four disc set to everyone, a four disc set of one of the greatest jazz/blues singer and performer of the 1930's.



5. JSP Records from the U.K. has really been doing a bang-up, first-rate job with these CD box sets of classic swing jazz: they offer complete chronological catalogs of great artists, re-mastered with terrific sound, and sold at amazing prices! I've enjoyed their Django Rheinhardt, Bill Wills, and Louis Jordan box sets, and this collection of Cab Calloway and His Orchestra (the first of two) is another triumph.

   This set encompasses the earliest recordings in Cab's incredible career, starting with his first session with the musicians who had once been the Missourians (they changed to the Cab Calloway orchestra when he became their singer) through his years as the top act at the Cotton Club. Before Benny Goodman made swing a commercial smash, Cab and his orchestra were swingin' hard, and you can hear in these first four years of recordings. His band leaps from hot jazz to hard swing to Cab's bizarre slow blues that became his trademark (exemplified in "Minnie the Moocher," heard in two different versions in this set). Cab Calloway was a remarkable showman, a born entertainer, a funny guy, and a unique singer. He was also an exceptional bandleader, and this extensive collection of songs lets you savor the musicianship of the boys in the band in a way that wasn't previously possible.

   The first CD shows the band and Cab finding their identity. Cab seems a bit hesitant on the first track, his first recording as a leader, "Gotta Darn Good Reason (For Bein' Good)," but with the second track, a recording of the already old "St. Louis Blues," he finds his groove and starts having fun. And the fun never stops after this.

   Here are some of the classic and un-earthed gems and other delightful treasures you'll find here:

   Two recordings of "Minnie the Moocher," the first of which is extremely different from what people usually think of the song. (The most famous version wasn't recording until 1942). You'll also hear two of the sequels to "Minnie the Moocher": "Kickin' the Gong Around" (two versions) and "Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day." Cab does some great nonsense scatting with "Zaz Zuh Zaz," "Hotcha Razz-Ma-Tazz," "The Scat Song," and "Wah-Dee-Dah." Some of the songs have strong racial overtones that reflect the kind of shows the Cotton Club put on for the white patrons: "Yaller," "Black Rhythm," and "Strictly Cullud Affair." These are somewhat unpleasant songs if you focus on the lyrics, but extremely interesting from the historical perspective. (The excellent liner notes discuss Cab's opinion about having to sing songs like this.) And then there's the extremely naughty, but red-hot song about marijuana, "Reefer Man." Cab also croons quite well on some very pretty, slow blues numbers, even though ballad singing wasn't his strength: "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues," "Stardust," and "Six or Seven Times" are among the best tracks on these CDs. Some other personal favorites of mine: "Aw You Dog," instrumentals like "Moon Glow" and "Mood Indigo" that show how great a band was backing up Cab, and the defiant "I Gotta Go Places and Do Things," and...

   Oh, there's just too much that's good on these CDs! And how can you turn it down at this price? You also get four informative booklets (actually, it's one continuous set of liner notes spread over four booklets) that detail the history of band, it's many exceptional players, and background on the racial situation of the times, which ties very closely into Cab Calloway's music. This information will help you appreciate the genius of Cab Calloway and His Orchestra even more.

   And if you like this, make sure to get JSP's Volume 2 set of Cab Calloway, covering 1935-1940.

5 comments about The Songbook Collection.

1. Rosemary Clooney was one of the greatest singers of the great American jazz and pop standards. This collection features her work from 1979 to 1989, with some of the best songs of Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Rogers and Hart, and Rogers and Hammerstein...some of the best American song writers of the past century.
   
   The sessions feature outstanding musicians that really make the music come alive. The recordings have that "Concord" sound: you feel as if it is a live performance and you are sitting just a few feet from the band.
   
   Rosemary Clooney brings the experience of a lifetime to her interpretations of this music, making even the oldest songs in the collection seem new again. This is simply one of those "Desert Island" collections that every fan of the "Great American Songbook" must have.



2. I was in my high school and college when the great female (and male) singers were providing real music. This is a wonderful collection of songs by the master song writers. To the writer who complained about the format of the song I suggest going out and finding a 45 rpm record and listen to the way it was done. To this day we are stuck with the 3 min. song that was the capacity of a 78 rpm record. Sometimes a song would be done on two records because of this limit. This is a WONDERFUL set and I wish they had ones for Kay Starr, Peggy Lee and others. It is only since the CD that this limit gets broken, but those probably won't get air play because the playlists are often set around the old length song.



3. There are some standouts in the Clooney's Songbook Collection, "When October Comes" and "P.S. I Love You" from the Johnny Mercer CD, for example. Her exurberant rendition of "It's De-lovely" from the Cole Porter Songbook and the tender rendition of Irving Berlin's "Better Luck Next Time" are also standouts and may be the best renditions of those songs ever recorded. But the whole collection is solid. Even if you prefer another interpretation of some of the songs, or, like me, do not want to EVER hear anyone sing "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" (and, to my astonishment, serious artists insist on recording it), Clooney's versions are always at least good and there are treasures throughout the collection. I highly recommend it.



4. I bought this collection as I first got into the Standards genre. I really wanted to like it, but it seemed like she hardly sang in any of the songs within. Each song (and I do mean every single number) consisted of one or two short verses, followed by a very long instrumental, and ended with a short closing chorus.



5. Rosie recorded several songbook albums between 1980 and 1990 - six of them are collected together in this beautifully packaged box set. There are not many up-tempo songs here, but it does not matter because Rosie was such a great ballad singer.

   The first CD focuses on the lyrics of Ira Gershwin. George composed the music for all except two of the songs, the exceptions being Long ago and far away (Jerome Kern) and The man that got away (Harold Arlen). Perhaps the best-known songs here are Fascinating rhythm and Nice work if you can get it.

   Rosie raided Cole Porter's catalog to get the songs for the second CD. Perhaps I get a kick out of you is the best-known, but several of the others are not far behind.

   The third CD covers the music of Harold Arlen. The most famous songs here are Ding, dong, the witch is dead (from Wizard of Oz) and Stormy weather.

   The fourth CD is a tribute to Irving Berlin, which includes Cheek to cheek, There's no business like show business and Let's face the music and dance, together with several less well-known songs.

   For the fifth CD, Rosie sings some of Johnny Mercer's great songs. By far the most famous here is I remember you, with which Australian singer had considerable success in the sixties (it was a number one in Britain).

   Richard Rogers is the focus of the last CD, with lyrics by Hart or Hammerstein, of which The lady is a tramp is the most famous.

   Of course, anybody with any knowledge of the Great American songbook will recognise a lot more songs than those I mentioned, but Rosie did not always record the obvious songs, so most people will find songs here that they haven't heard before. This is a truly magnificent collection which is essential for anybody interested in the Great American Songbook.

5 comments about Mommy and Me: 100 Songs for Kids.

1. I bought my first set used from a local ad. My daughter loves it, and I actually do to. During a kitchen remodel, we seem to have lost 2 discs, which is why I'm looking on amazon for them. There is some repetition of tunes, but that seems to have taught my daughter to make up her own words to her favorite tunes. The songs are upbeat, not overly saccharine, and pleasant even after the 50th time.



2. My toddler loves these CDs possibly because all the songs are sung by kids. It really entertains and sooths her. Great for car trips and play time. A few of the songs are nursery rhymes put to music but most are classics and there are so many that you never get bored listening to them over and over again. Definately a good investment.



3. These songs are upbeat and cheerful. Great for little kids ears. I haven't been able to find a better compilation. My kids love it.



4. This collection is quite a pretty good one that even you will enjoy hearing, it seems to definitely have a positive effect on moods. I've noticed that even other adults that happen to be around while it's being played, hum, sing and sway to these tunes. The only two drawbacks according to me are, the music that accompanies some of the songs doesn't sound good at all with those songs and the fact that after the children finish singing several of the songs they make some comment, which actually ruins the end of some of the songs.



5. Although it is a very comprehensive collection, I cannot speak very highly of the overall quality of this product. The tunes are very monotonous, it is the same bit for all the songs. I wish there were some variations to the tempo of the songs presented in this collection.

3 comments about Costello & Nieve (Ltd. Ed. Live 1996 5-disc box set - LA/San Francisco/Chicago/Boston/New York).

1. Picked up this somewhat hard to find live collection from a used-like-new vendor on Amazon for under $30...an excellent value. It's surprisingly well produced for the most part, though I do find myself tweaking the volume control occasionally.
   
   Only some narrowness of song selection and a couple of 'clunkers' keep this from 5 stars. 'All This Useless Beauty' tunes are the centerpiece. If you don't like ATUB, you'll be wasting your money here.
   
   'It's Time', 'Man Out of Time', 'You Bowed Down', 'Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes' and 'I Want to Vanish' are among the best cuts. However, the versions here of 'Little Atoms' and 'All This Useless Beauty' far exceed their studio-brothers and are the real finds for Costello completists looking to embellish their desert island best-of collections.



2. Excellent stuff, better than I expected. They play almost all of Useless Beauty (a favorite of mine) and a bunch of older tunes. The commentary between tracks is funny and insightful. Grab this if you can find it!



3. Unsurprisingly these songs sound fantastic stripped down to guitar and piano (Pete Thomas plays drums on a few cuts). Only 30,000 of these were pressed ... 5 eps from 5 different concerts that the duo played in 1996. Your EC collection is incomplete without this one!

5 comments about Live Phish Vol. 15: 10/31/96, The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia.

1. If there has been a band that has had the most success of being an "underground" band, it would have to be Phish. Phish has long had the reputation of being a band with an "open audio taping" policy and as a result they built up a great following - especially as a live act. . In fairness to the quartet, this is a band that produces some of the most innovative music anywhere on the music scene. With the wealth of bootleg recordings that existed from Phish concerts, it did make sense when Phish launched the "Live Phish" series starting in 2001. This is a twenty volume set that provides some of the great Phish concerts - in their entirety. With the proceedings going to charity, it also gave an opportunity to cleanup and remaster these recordings. One of the more famous ones of the "Live Phish" series is the four disc "Live Phish Volume 15" - recorded Halloween, 1996 at the Omni in Atlanta, Georgia. Phish had built a reputation for their Halloween concerts and the "Live Phish" series contains 4 of them. "Volume 15" easily ranks not only at the top of their Halloween performances, but at the top overall of Phish performances.
   
   The reason why the Atlanta performance works so well is because it contains a solid set list (since this was performed in 1996, this was the tour in support of "Billy Breathes", so that is the "newest" material). In addition to "jamming" (and this set contains some of their all-time live jams to their classic songs), Phish continues to cement their reputation as one of the greatest improvisational bands of all time. They also continue to build their reputation for doing covers of other music. Halloween had become a Phish tradition for doing covers of entire albums. On this set, Phish would cover the Talking Heads' "Remain in Light". Other Halloween sets would feature the Beatles' "White Album (Halloween 1994 - "Live Phish Volume 13"), the Who's "Quadrophenia" (Halloween 1995 - "Live Phish Volume 14"), and the Velvet Underground's "Loaded" (Halloween 1998 - "Live Phish Volume 16"). Phish also mixes in many other covers in this set.
   
   Here are ten thoughts on this concert to support the points above. These are listed in no particular order:
   
   1-Phish plays homage to many of their old music. In addition to classics from 1988's "Junta" such as "You Enjoy Yourself" and "Sanity" (the concert's opener). Phish plays homage to 1987's "The Man Who Stepped into Yesterday" by performing "Colonel Forbin's Ascent" and "Fly Famous Mockingbird".
   
   2-The performance of the Talking Heads' "Remain in Light" might possibly be one of all-time jams by Phish. You don't even have to be a fan of this album to appreciate what Phish brings to the table here. They perform "Remain in Light" in its entirety and nearly segueing each song into each other. Give bassist Mike Gordon enormous credit here - his bass really is the highlight of this cover set.
   
   3-When looking at each of the four members of Phish, they clearly bring there "A" game to Atlanta. Gordon also shines on songs beyond the "Remain in Light" set, however the "MVP" of the band on this night was guitarist Trey Anastasio. Anastasio demonstrates some of his best guitar work I've ever heard on a Phish performance.
   
   4-The nice thing about the "Live Phish" collection as opposed to many other live collections from other artists, is that you are getting the complete Phish concert from a single night - delivered in the order in which it was performed. I prefer this approach as opposed to a live album that puts together "best of" live performances from several nights on a tour. By showcasing the concert - in its entirety on a single night, you are able to capture the "magic" of the performance. The Atlanta performance on this particular Halloween night clearly had that magic.
   
   5-In addition to the "Remain in Light" set, Phish delivers two other standout covers - most notably, AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" and the theme to "2001". Perhaps the most interesting cover is when Phish performs an a cappella/barbershop quartet style rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner"
   
   6-The popular Phish covers of ZZ Top's "Jesus Just Left Chicago" and Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein" are two of the last three songs that wrap up the concert. While these aren't bad covers, I did feel these two songs were a bit of a let-down compared to the rest of the performance from the Omni.
   
   7-There are plenty of other Phish classics included. Standout performances (in addition to above) include: "Down with Disease", "You Enjoy Yourself", "Prince Caspian", "Reba", "Character Zero", "Maze", and "Simple".
   
   8-The jam to "Simple" might be one of the best jams I've ever seen attached to that song. The 15+minute jam will surely not disappoint.
   
   9-It is worth noting that Phish performed three sets at this performance. The first two discs contain the first set, the third disc contains the second set (the "Remain in Light" set), while the fourth disc contains the third set.
   
   10-The Liner Notes are not very inclusive. They do include a listing of the songs and the length of each of the performances (as well as identifying the sets to the performance). Other than a few pictures, they don't offer much more.
   
   It is also worth noting that Phish has a very interesting packaging model. The outer packaging is a cardboard slip case while the inner packaging unfolds to a binder page. This was to store into a special "Live Phish" binder. Overall, this is nothing short of a legendary performance by Phish. While there are many good live recordings made available by Phish (such as "Hampton Comes Alive" and "Live at Madison Square Garden"), this performance in Atlanta definitely takes its place among those. I would highly recommend this collection.



2. Alright, so trey flubbs the arpegios at the beginning of yem, but parts of the yem, like the lyrical section and later solos are some of the best out there, they all just rip it up. Then theres the reba and the colonel forbin/fly famous, possibly the best versions of these songs.
   The Remain in Light is practically flawless, Trey nails all of the abnormal solos with his own twist, and Gordon slaps all the bass lines while still keeping to the heads themes. Born under punches and houses in motion are spectacular, and the version of The Great Curve is perhaps one of the best songs of all time, the first solo is perfect, and the second goes into this ridiculous jam, which the horns add to a lot.
   To top it off, the open the third set with a sick Brother, and keep it fresh until the simple, the song part of Simple is pretty solid, and if you wait through the five minutes or so after that part (through the long bass drum and keyboard jam that doesnt change until about 11:00) trey comes in with this really intense pitch and they go into one of their best jams of all time... This show is easily one of their best performed.



3. Ive listened to almost all of the live phish series, as well as having 30+ additional shows on discs. Of all of them, this is the best version of Reba I have ever heard(though the white album show's reba is quite comparable). From the moment the vocals start, you can tell this is going to be a good one. Trey is on like I have never seen before, his guitar is just singing, his vocals are right on the mark, its completely awe inspiring. All 15 minutes remain interesting, not trance playing, but jams that really go places.
   
   Whats even better, is that the rest of the show is essentially as good. As a talking heads fan who has both this cover and the actual album, I can say that phish really tackles this one.The other halloween covers, especially the white album, honestly arent better than the original. This, in my opinion, is. They just nail it on the head and take it a step further.
   
   This is one of the peaks of phish. They're starting to move away from their early humor and eclecticism and heading towards the more focused funk of the wonderful 97. You get some bonus gamehendge material in colonel forbins ascent > fly famous mockingbird, a great little tidbit. This has some excellent funky bass from Gordon, superb trey playing(especially compared to post hiatus), fishman holding it together as always, and page doing well also(page's best stuff is the tweezer set from LivePhish 18, check it out).
   
   If you are a phish fan at any level beyond farmhouse and bouncin round the room, you should check this out. Maybe listen to a live one or slip, stitch, and pass first, but this may well be the best live phish release available and would get my hands on it as soon as possible



4. You guys sent me the cd case but when I opened the cd, it had the Las Vegas show. I ordered another one and it happened again if you could send me the Omni show I will be happy to rate it. I am not very happy with the problem I have had trying to get the right cd, or the one that I ordered. Could you please send me the right Discs I already have the cover. If you look at my records you will see I have ordered two Atlanta Phish shows and both of them have been the right case but when I opened the cd case it was the Las Vegas show. Please Please help me out with this problem, I really want the Omni show so please send it.



5. I was lucky enough to have attended this, and with the exception of Big Cypress Y2K, it was the best Phish show I've been to. When I bought this volume of Live Phish, I was hoping I didn't build up that Halloween night in '96 TOO much in my head over the years...but after hearing it, it only confirmed that the boys were indeed on fire. Talking Heads' "Remain In Light" album was right in the bands' wheelhouse, and surpasses the other albums Phish covered on Halloween ("Crosseyed and Painless" even re-appeared several times in future shows & has become a fan favorite). As for the other material, standards like "You Enjoy Myself", "Reba", "Down With Disease", and "Maze" are cream of the crop versions, and rarely is there a weak moment anywhere else on these CDs. This is a "desert island" show, so pick this up NOW...

5 comments about Dowland - The Collected Works / The Consort of Musicke, Rooley.

1. I love these CDs. This music is absolutely gorgeous. I can't stop listening to it.



2. This is a fine recording of John Dowland's music, and worth your time if you are an early music enthusiast. The biggest highlights are the vocal recordings done by Emma Kirkby, who has a wonderful soprano voice that is perfect for the style of music. The solo lute recordings are also very nicely done, and highlight the lute's unique texture - these recordings do not sound like a guitar. I highly recommend this collection.



3. I heard 'clear or cloudy', from this recording, on the radio recently and had to purchase it. It is strange but it is the sort of song that makes life prior to listening to it different from life after. I find it sad that so many people haven't heard it. There are also many other wonderful works in this collection. Given you get twelve well recorded CDs with top quality performances, this has to be one of the bargains of the age.
   
   Please buy it.



4. Both the music and this actual product are masterpieces. John Dowland's collected works here - covering 12 compact discs - exhibit the depth and power of this composer, a composer who many now regard as suffering from clinical depression. I doubt that the issue of the diagnosis of Dowland's depression can ever be settled, however, it is certainly obvious from his music, so completely on display here, that he was a man with very dark depths and corners in his mind. Dowland's various manifestations and "takes" on his own tune, "Flow my tears"/"Lachrimae" are here. This tune has haunted me ever since I first heard it when I was a child. It seems to sum up Dowland's feelings - at least Dowland seems to have thought so.
   
   The First, Second, Third and Fourth Bookes of Songes, A Musicall Banquet, the keyboard transcriptions, all the lute music, consort music are here and virtually everything else written or supposedly written by John Dowland. Anthony Rooley and The Consort of Musicke perform this music with style and feeling throughout. This 12 CD set is something of a monument to the ensemble - I only wish they'd finished their collection of Monteverdi madrigals, which was equally good (La Venexiana are currently doing a magnificent job of recording all Monteverdi's books of madrigals for the GLOSSA label).
   
   This is an expensive set, however, you will probably never need to buy another John Dowland CD again after buying and listening to this collection.
   
   I bought this CD set on a mild Summer evening of 1998 and listened to it while sitting in my sun room - which a glorious orange sunset in progress, and a glass of wine. It brought back so many memories.



5. I'm amazed at how many people tend to associate John Dowland's music with a tragic sense of drama. While no doubt this is art highly based on sadness, the "tragic" sense of it is more a legacy from the Romantic period. During the Renaissance, however, sadness was undestood as a very aesthetic way of approaching life. That is also the reason why Shakespeare's tragedies appear more sophisticated than his comedies.

   Dowland, a contemporary of Shakespeare, discovered that meditating on a sad theme is, at the same time, a way of discovering a special beauty that we tend to avoid (maybe because of the "tragic" heritage of the Romantics). So, in the end, meditating on sadness is an uplifting experience! This box set is a journey into melancholy that includes songs, chamber music, pieces for lute, some rare sacred music and -as a highlight- Dowland's beautiful collection of seven pieces for viola which he called "Lachrimae" (Tears).

5 comments about Live Phish Vol. 14: 10/31/95, Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois.

1. I went to this show and it still ranks in the top 3 concerts that I have ever been to. There are moments in this show that are still etched in my mind nearly 12 years later...
   
   Aside from the Quadrophenia set there were many great performances at this show. Every set was very solid and had lots of energy.
   
   I will never forget when the second set started with the storm and waves...I knew immediately what they were going to do. As they moved more into it and even into "The Real Me" there were still younger "kids" looking around not sure what album it was. I was 30 and this is the first time that I truly felt old. I suspect that is was obvious I knew what album it was because this guy came up to me and asked "dude, what album is this?"
   
   They did such a great rendition of the Quadrophenia, I was really floored. I disagree with the earlier negative comment about Fishman singing "Love, Reign O'er Me". This was absolutely the right choice. The emotion that he had and the reaction from the audience still gives me goose bumps thinking about it all these years later...it was so intense. I could have left after the second set and been perfectly happy.
   
   When they came out in the third set and did the 40 minute YEM I was speechless. After they finished the encore I really was in awe...



2. 
   I have very mixed opinions about these Phish Halloween live releases. First off, kudos to the band. I have to appreciate any band dedicated to its audience enough to rehearse up an entire albums worth of music for a single show. And it's a clever concept, having the band go in disguise on Halloween not via costumes but by covering a classic album by another band. But here's the down side: The actual music is not that good. The problem is, constrained by both the amount of material they need to learn as well as their attempted fidelity to the original, a band like Phish, appreciated for their improvisatory skill and energetic style, is not playing to its strength. I was beside myself with anticipation prior to hearing Phish covering the Beatles White Album (10/31/95, Live Phish Volume 13). But what I ended up getting was something a little less than the Beatles White Album itself and a little less than Phish playing Phish.
   
   However, of the series, this one was my favorite. On October 31st, 1995, in my old backyard of the Rosemont Horizon, Phish played the Who's Quadrophenia, and it does not disappoint. Something about this Who album translates well to Phish plus horn section.
   
   Even minus the Quadrophenia, this is a live show worth owning. In all fairness to Phish, I should have mentioned before that they do play a generous amount of their own music before and after the Halloween cover album in these shows. Volume 14 features a marathon You Enjoy Myself, A Day in the Life, My Generation (A Who cover but not part of Quadrophenia), a nice Sparkle into Free, and Divided Sky. Buy it and enjoy. Gotta go, nighty-night.



3. The Halloween of 95 had Phish with the major task of finding a new musical costume, and it seems that Quadrophenia was the perfect choice. One of my favorite musical costumes of all time, it was an energy-filled night with a mixture of The Who as well as Phish classics. "Icculus" "Run like an Antelope" as well as "A Day in the Life," and a bluegrass "My Generation" help this halloween to be one that should be treasured!



4. Phish's Halloween 1995 concert is a great show. It has an excellent first set, highlighted by Trey's jazzy solo in "Ya Mar" and a sweeping "Free." The group's famous spoken word pieces "Harpua" and "Icculus" shine throughout. Unfortunately, I can't comment much on the Quadrophenia songs because I am not familiar with the album, although they are very well performed with the Phishy twist to them, although extended improvisations are missed. The 10/31/98 show featuring the Velvet Underground's Loaded was better in my opinion, largely because I am familiar with the tunes on Loaded, but Phish jams them out on that show.

   What I can comment on, however, is one of the crown jewels in Phish history: the epic 40:10 YEM. Yes, I paid 25 bucks for this 4-disc album, but hearing rumors about that YEM made me buy it. It lived up to every expectation and more. Throughout 40 minutes, Phish explores the heights of manic, speed-fueled guitar jamming (listen to the audience go completely nuts around the 15-minute mark) to the depths of space to monolithic blues-derived slow rock. The group's entire history summed up in less than an hour. Equally legendary is the 12/29/94 David Bowie, which is fortunate enough to recieve release in this series.

   The show closes with an amusing (if predictable) cover of "My Generation," featuring one Jonathan Fishman gleefully trashing his drum kit (surprise!) Kieth Moon-style. Fun way to close the show. But if not for the YEM, this would have been simply a very good Phish show. The YEM made it a show that would go down in Phishistory. 'Nuff said.




5. Quadrophenia is one of the most complex albums made, and also one of the best. I am honored, as a who and phish fan, that phish did a cover of quadrophenia, my personal favorite who album. I know it was tough for trey to sing as daltrey and play guitar as townshend at the same time, but fishman had the hardest job of taking keith moon's job. Either way, phish played awesome and if you are a phish or who fan, buy this album