5 comments about Tennessee Pusher.

1. Old Crow Does what they do. It is the essence of the band not to give two hoots and a holler on what is expected and to give fine music and they have done that again. Oh, they sure have. This time they dug deeper in their heart and gave a little more of theirselves and I love it. I LOVE IT. Meth is a masterpeice. The Martin Luther King song is haunting and on par with Bobbie Jo Gentry's Ode to Billy Joe and how often does that Happen? HUMDINGER is a stomping, banjo slice of perfection. And its delicious to hear them sing , LOW DOWN HOOCHIE COOCHIE on Greatest Hustler of All. DONT MISS THIS WORK. Go to their MySpace and read what KETCH has to say about the Production of the album with Cowboy Jack Clement....and the others that were involved. This band is one of the most important torchbearers in existence and will gather more and more respect with time. They have mad music skills. This album is Terrific and doesnt need a cheerleader. It stands on its own. It bears no weakness. Amen.



2. I was hoping this album would be a return to form for OCMS after the disappointing Big Iron World but, in fact, it is even worse. There is just no spark and the songwriting is horrific. I don't know if they quit drinking, doing coke, or what the problem is but the album just sounds so sober. No fun.



3. Not a bad record, but in my opinion not close to the quality of Big Iron World and OCMS. I thought "Alabama High-Test" and "The Greatest Hustler of All" are their best cuts on this CD - and those are 2 that sound like songs that would have fit easily into Big Iron World. Everything else on this album is fine, but just OK. If this was the first OCMS record I'd ever heard...I am not sure I'd buy a 2nd.
   
   I would suspect the different sound on this album has more to do with Don Was than it has to do with the members of the band. Don Was has ruined albums for Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and The Hughwaymen. My experience with Don Was produced albums is limited to these artists, but with each one he has changed their sound and in my opinion - he mutes what is great about these singers. With Waylon, Willie and the Highwaymen CDs - they were all terribly over-produced, too much noise going on and overshadowing the voices of terrific singers. With Tennessee Pusher, he seems to have taken all of the fun out of OCMS. How do you do that? It can't be easy, but he did it.
   
   I am looking forward to album #4 to see if this record was more of a product of a different sound the band is looking for - or if it is situation where Don Was was involved and therefore the group recorded a "Don Was album" and not an OCMS album.



4. The first time I heard The Old Crow Medicine Show I was blown away. I believe it was a live version of Shack #9. I'd never heard anything quite like it. I got my hands on a copy of Greetings from Wawa and Eutaw and was amazed. Their OCMS album was equally impressive. They had taken old time classics like Oh my Little Darlin and stamped it with their own unique sound. The sound was very raw and yet beautiful in it's own unpolished kind of way.
   
   Tennessee Pusher is a notable departure from that unique old timey sound. It's more refined and lacks that raw old time sound. There seems to be no traditional songs on this album. I understand that as a band matures they experiment with different sounds but I just can't get into Tennessee Pusher. Granted there are a few good tunes on here but I would much rather listen to these boys play Cumberland Gap, Little Birdie, Kitty Clyde or Hesitation Blues. It's those very kinds of songs that made the band successful. I wish they wouldn't mess with a good thing.



5. I am a big Old Crow fan, but didn't indulge in their newer stuff until last week.
   
   Let me say that I was floored by "Tennessee Pusher." I play bluegrass mandolin in a bluegrass band and love bluegrass and old-time music as much as anyone, but I am glad that these guys blossomed on this CD. It's not the typical Old Crow ram it down your throat fast, old-time medicine show. It's more Bob Dylan and Neil Young than the Skillet Lickers. There are traces of R&B in there too, with a country sound throughout.
   
   If you like Old Crow because they are an old time band you won't like this CD as much. But, just remember that Old Crow isn't really an old time band, and most of the guys are northerners who just love that music. They grew up in the 80s and 90s listening to what was on the radio, then chose their favorite music as they matured. It shows on this CD, and it's the most natural and unforced they've ever sounded.
   
   I love it because it's a collection of finely crafted songs that reflect themes faced by young people today. I can also actually believe what they are singing about, instead of just getting hyped by these young guys doing an old thing fast and sublimely reckless.
   
   The Old Crow Medicine Show has matured, and the result is a masterpiece.

5 comments about Vivaldi: The Four Seasons.

1. He's incredible. The sound that he creates flows right to the center of the soul.



2. Wow! I have bought 4 other versions of The Four Seasons, looking for, to my taste, the definitive version. This is it! The subtelty, nuance and pacing of Bell's version is perfect. That is where other versions fall down. I attended concerts by Joshua last year at the Disney Hall where he played the four Seasons and was mesmerized. Now it is available.



3. ... but why would he perform and market something so awkward and inappropriate to his technique? Might it be filthy lucre that he's expecting from another performance of Vivaldi's most overworked evocative masterpiece? For a fiddler with plenty of flair in his bow, Bell takes most of the tempi lumpishly slow - over 10% slower than most baroque violinists on recordings, of which there are dozens - and he seems to equate baroque style with odd exaggerations and specials effects. In short, this isn't even close to the top of the list of best performances of Vivaldi; number one, if anyone is willing to take my recommendation, is that of Fabio Biondi with the ensemble Europa Galante. "The Four Seasons" is the first disk of two in Biondi's generous recording of the whole of Vivaldi's Il Cimento dell'armonia e dell'inventione, available on the Virgin Veritas label.
   
   If you want to hear Bell play well, listen to "The Red Violin," muisc by American composer John Corigliano.
   
   And now for a wish list of anachronisms. How about:
   1. Death of a Salesman staged in a Roman forum, with the actors in togas.
   2. A remake of Rocky I in colonial Philadelphia, with John Dickinson replacing Apollo Creed and Ben Franklin played by Sly Stallone.
   3. The Ring of the Nibelung reorchestrated to match the verve of Sweeny Todd.
   All of which would sound about as plausible as Bell playing Vivaldi.



4. While there's no doubt Joshua Bell is a fine violin player, his interpretation of this work feels awkward at times. His rhythm is occasionally off, and his dynamics are too exaggerated - though his pitch is almost always right on. His emotive style is much better suited for more Romantic pieces, and anyone who's listening for a good baroque interpretation of the Four Seasons would likely be disappointed.



5. Whether you're a Joshua Bell fan, a Four Seasons fan, or just a classical music lover, this CD is a MUST BUY. I'm not a musician or an expert of any kind in the field of music just a lover of beautiful classical music. This recording of The Four Seasons is absolutely beautiful and a delight to listen to. I don't even own any other recordings of TFS in it's entirety because it always seemed a little boring to me in parts. There is just something about Joshua's playing on that Stradivarius that is so incredible that my untrained ear can usually tell his playing on the classical music station I listen to even if they don't announce that it's him. The artistry on this CD of both Joshua and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is top notch. They actually toured with this program for quite a while before they recorded it, so they had time to perfect it.
   
   The second thing about this edition is the packaging--it's brilliant and absolutely beautiful. It's a trifold case with gorgeous photography and artwork, including a double-sided small poster which has a photo of Joshua on one side and the other side is another photo and a 2009 calendar. Also included are four seasonal cards which contain a seasonal photo on one side and poetry to accompany the season on the other side. They're so gorgeous they're worth framing.
   
   If you're a Joshua fan and own an iPod, there is also a short video of him playing a selection from this CD that is available on iTunes for download.

5 comments about 25 Classical Favorites.

1. Bought this product for my grandchild to introduce him to classical music. It was perfect. Thanks



2. Overall an excellent collection of classical favorites and for $3.99 its a steal, but strangely there is not a single Beethoven composition in the CD.



3. This turned out to be the right pace and type of classical music that I was looking for. (I like and appreciate classical music but can't stand, nor understand, a lonesome violin screeching away for 55 minutes).
   I think this set is a great gift and/or as an introduction to classical music especially to younger audiences.
   As for the sound quality - it sounds like...well..a regular "Digital Audio" CD. Nothing to write home about. Its not the audiophool quality recording you might be looking for. Some tracks are recorded better than others. But if you think MP3 sounds freakin' awesome, don't worry about what I said about sound quality.



4. The CD was well represented by the clips on the Amazon website and came in time for our event. We did have a problem with the charge but that was taken care of promptly. Great service.



5. It is an excellent collection of classical music. I would recommend this CD if you have a friend who don't like classical music, since it has the most beautiful overtures and portions of famous artists. If you are a Classic Music Savvy you probably will not be impressed by it, unless you want to play the CD as background music in a friends gathering.

No comments about Glass Box: A Nonesuch Retrospective(10 CD).

5 comments about Bach: The 6 Unaccompanied Cello Suites.

1. Not exactly sure what I would do without these recordings. A world without Bach: a scary thought. My pulse slackens a bit each time I put these on. Relaxing, sure, but also tremendously moving. A perfect antidote for the trivial drone, distraction, and bustle of our post-capitalist world. No need to go buy new-age computer glitch world-music ambience; this is sonic therapy, written centuries before we needed it.



2. Yo-Yo Ma is one of the greatest cello players of all times and he's playing Bach. Is there really anything left to say? I think not :)



3. I admit that I had initial misgivings about this product in light of the widespread renown of Mstislav Rostropovich. But I did some comparison, courtesy of YouTube clips which had surprising sound quality. I came to prefer the more personal and intimate rendition consistent with Yo-yo Ma's style. I suppose, at the end of the day, there is no point arguing taste. The qualities that make Yo-yo Ma's playing uniquely his own just happen to lend themselves well to my personality and current state of mind, which does not detract from the greatness of Rostropovich on the cello.
   
   With regard to Bach's work itself, the Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, I am in awe. I have heard parts of this set at one time or another. Perhaps the most famous would be the first movement prelude of suite no. 1 in G major, having been used for TV ads and such. If you are a fan of Bach, this set is further demonstration of his versatility and genius. The sound quality is excellent, having a mild reverberation, which perfectly complements the cello as an instrument, Yo-yo Ma as a performer, and the suites themselves as stunning examples of music of any age.



4. this one's for me - couldn't find in the big record stores- yay amazon. quick delivery, good price, great condition



5. YoYo Ma awoke an entire generation to Bach with this recording. Listening to Ma play these works is truly a stunning thing.
   
   Bach is THE master who demands attention and requires another master to play his work correctly and with emotion. In the hands of a technician, Bach can be all dried up and too mathematical. In the hands of a master such as Yo Yo Ma, the concept of the Master living forever through his music becomes true. Bach is all about math. But, with only the math and none of the humanity, Bach can be cold-- and that would be an appalling thing.
   
   Bach's music is about the glorification of God and humanity and only the combination of technique, mathematics, and emotion can bring it alive and make it true. Bach is very challenging for every player on every instrument. Yo Yo Ma will forever be remembered for this 2 disc set. He introduced Bach to a new generation and made Bach seem cool again. But Bach has always been cool and always will be.
   
   Yo Yo Ma's Cello Suites set the standard for every Bach cello recording before or after, for better or ill. But this is no disservice to Mr. Ma. It is rather an acknowledgment of the power of his performance, the brilliance of his technique, and his very special and rare ability to bring the master alive and off the page to enrapture new audiences.
   
   Yo Yo Ma has done the world a service and Bach would certainly concur, I think.
   
   I had a friend in Massachusetts who lived next door to Yo Yo Ma. My friend could hear him practicing the cello at all hours. I said, "Oh how lucky you are!" He replied, "Well, it gets really aggravating after a while-- he's playing all through the night."
   
   I kindly replied, "You're a f****** moron."
   
   What a brilliant set this is by Yo Yo Ma. Anything that advances Bach into the public consciousness as this recording did and still does is a service to humanity. Superb.

5 comments about 25 Mozart Favorites.

1. This CD is brand new and -- YAY -- didn't arrive with cracks in the case! Very happy with this purchase.



2. Toma una dimensión distinta de Mozart cuando escuchas sus mejores temas.
   
   ...



3. I was extraordinarely ignorant when I purchased this recording. I thought,"WOW!! Look at all the music you get in this CD set. The price cannot be beat!" When I received the CD, I discovered that you don't really get any music at all. This is a great sample CD, and should be bought by a person brand new to classical music. However, if you have any experience with classical music, you will want to pass on this CD.
   
   Each of the pieces are hacked apart to the point of it being comical. It's interesting to listen to the greatest music in the world, only to have the development cut. All of a sudden I was thrust into a new key, I thought my ears were going crazy. Perhaps an effort by a decent high school orchestra, but this music is not up to snuff with any other recording.
   
   Do yourself a favor and go out and purchase real recordings of Mozart, and not watered down stereotypes.



4. Very pleased with product, delivery, cost and service. Will use this vendor again.



5. I found this to be a nice collection of favorites, especially to keep in the car and listen to. It is a variety of well known compilations. Although not encompassing, it is perfect as a review for driving, relaxing, and enjoyment. Plus, the price is right!

5 comments about Romance of the Violin.

1. a trained violinist, to me he does not feel the music, therefore, his playing is not inspiring.



2. ABOUT THE ALBUM: ROMANCE OF THE VIOLIN, 13 TRACKS, JOSHUA BELL, VIOLIN, CRAIG OGDEN, PIANO, GREGORY KNOWLES, FLUTE STEPHEN ORTON, OBOE JOHN CONSTABLBE, CLARINE ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS, MICHAEL STERN, CONDUCTOR, Released 2003
   
   The 13 pieces on this Joshua Bell album entitled "Romance Of The Violin" are from the 19th century's Romantic period, but the orchestra is the famed British ensemble St. Martin-in-the-Fields, better known for its Mozart repertoire when it was lead by its dynamic conductor Sir Neville Marriner in the 1980's. Here the conductor is Michael Stern and the orchestra's far from Mozartian in sound or Classical. Although it's clean, polished, and technically note-for-note accurate without any slips into romantic mush, it still somehow manages to pay homage to the Romantic Era of music, with a modern take on the romantic. And it is still very romantic. Joshua Bell is the star here, although there are other musicians supporting him with harp, oboe, flute and clarinet, and the orchestra is strings- viola, cello and violins, the prominence of Joshua Bell's violin takes the lead. It's like a very elaborate concerto of several movements in which the violin sets the mood and keeps the whole thing together. There is not as much sentimental romance as a feeling of great artistry and brilliant detail, a glimmering sort of romantic elan. The pieces are mostly nocturnal, a lot like transcriptions of Chopin's nocturnes, but they range from Baroque, Classical to Romantic periods but given a more romantic touch in the tenderness, delicacy , peacefulness and even a drowsiness. It's like a long, beautiful dream or a very elaborately done salon music piece. And perhaps not even that. It's a grand tribute to Romantic music done with the most modern improvisation and solid musicality. Piece after piece seems to want to surpass itself. This is a very ambitious album for Joshua Bell and he succeeded. It's a best-seller. Because I didn't care for the latter tracks 9-13, I'll only comment on 1-8, which are my favorite. The tracks at the end are too clinical and too slow and boring for my tastes. It's romantic but it's too much like a sleep-inducing pill that makes you want to dream romantic dreams, rather than recreating romance on the violin. I don't wish to fall asleep listening to any classical music, so when some music really does make me drowsy, I see it as being badly played.
   
   1: O Mio Babbino Caro from Puccini's opera Gianni Schicchi: This Puccini aria "O My Beloved Father" from his comic opera "Gianni" is a soprano's song. The harp at the beginning is a nice touch, and from then on, the violin sings, taking the soprano voice, with all the right notes, both in the middle and high range. The flexibility of the violin, with its deep resonant lower register and sharp high notes, seems to be like a woman's voice. This is a great accompaniment to the aria, even better than the piano and on Joshua Bell's skilled hands, becomes very exciting. Puccini's music transfers well to violin and orchestra and this is an example of the sheer romanticism of the opera. This is and "Casta Diva" are two examples of romantic opera being used to magnificent effect on this album.
   
   2: "The Girl With The Flaxen Hair", Claude Debussy. This late 19th century work of Debussy's was an Impressionistic piece and it has been a popular piece for violin over the years. Apparently Joshua Bell wanted histurn. Far from falling into the deeply sentimental, nostalgic or dream-like, it's a straight-forward but lovely account, not without the appropriate hazy and melancholic "silent film" type of sound that the piece seems to have. Debussy would be proud although there are better renditions.
   
   3: Nocturne No.20 in C Sharp Minor, Frederic Chopin: Chopin's nocturnes are treated well on the violin. Bell is no stranger to works like this one and he employs rubato, tenderness, mystery and produces the most nocturnal and romantic sounds so evocative of Chopin's piano music which graced the salons of Paris. This rendition however, is a little too tame to have any lasting impression. With the numerous nocturnes in Chopin's catalog, the twentieth wasn't, for me, a good choice for this album. There are other nocturnes with a more memorable melody and a more enjoyable and elegant feeling. Perhaps the other nocturnes were tooc challenging for Bell. This one is too bland.
   
   4 "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals, Camille Saint-Saens: This one really works. It's a classic of violin music, interpreted by former violin masters like Jascha Heifetz and Itzak Pearlman. Bell is again far too technical in his performance, but it's accomplished with grace and balletic elegance, discipline and the results are glorious, as if we're watching a dance in progress, a prima ballerina's solo set to Joshua Bell's violin.
   
   5 Swan Song, Franz Schubert: Schubert's famous Lieder, or songs, were renowned for their poetic beauty and it's a repertoire of song and piano that is very rarely done today. The music is gorgeous, budding with romantic sensitivity and it was the toast of Vienna salons. Schubert's emotional music is perfectly transferred to the violin, which can also, if played right, can appear emotional. This one is a plain song, with wistful rubato and lingering lyricism. For a modern album of a modern violinist like Bell, this is an ambitious and yet very satisfying selection.
   
   6 "Casta Diva" from Bellini's opera Norma: Another ambitious piece. The aria from Bellini's romantic opera "Norma" is a bel canto masterpiece. It received transcriptions for piano in the 19th century by Franz Liszt, who also did various other opera-to-piano transcriptions, a commercially brilliant venture because it offered the rich and middle-class with music sheets for piano so that opera could be heard from inside the home, or for entertaining guests or for a singer to practice singing. "Casta Diva" is no easy song. It's long, lyrical, with sustained, ethereal melody and a strong climax in the middle that is repeated. Few sopranos take on the difficult part of Norma today although Casta Diva is still sung by most lyric and dramatic sopranos. Again, like in the Puccini aria "O Mio Babbino Caro", the violin once again sings, and it is a gorgeous soprano aria, with wistful pianissimi and an ecstatic climax and lovely conclusion. It's why I bought this album. There is no such thing as too many versions of this jewel of the opera.
   
   7: Piano Concerto 21 in C Major, 2nd Movement, Andante, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: This one really stood out because the Academy of St Martin-in-the Fields are experts at the works of Mozart. The Piano Concerto Number 21 has long been admired for its elegance and its romantic charm, and because the 2nd movement was used as the love theme for the 1968 Swedish film "Elvira Madigan", a tragic love story, it has been dubbed the "Elvira Madigan" concerto. The real pleasure here is that it's not done at a slow and dull pace. Many pianists who perform this make the mistake of doing it too slow. It's measured to be performed at a walking or moderate pace "andante", and here, the beat is just right, the pace is perfect, leisurely and elegant but not dull and slow. It's a brilliant violin version of what has to be Mozart's greatest andante piece. It's sunshine, it's tea, it's innocence, it's childhood, it's romantic, it's a magnificent tribute to Mozart's artistry as done on violin. It even seems to one-up the piano version!
   
   8: Dance Of The Blessed Spirits from the opera "Orfeo Ed Euridice", Christoph Willibald Gluck. I would have never guessed that this could turn out so well on violin. It's no surprise. Gluck, a Reconstructionist composer, is said to be responsible for changing the face of Baroque opera to what later became the Classical Opera of Haydn, Salieri and Mozart's time. Gluck made works of brilliant musical qualities, with a majestic Baroque like spirit but with an appeal to the more balanced and classical structure used by composers that followed him. Gluck's Orfeo was a very beautiful and romantic opera and revival productions are still done today. "The Dance of the Blessed Spirits" is all strings and it can appear like some long-forgotten ballet at the cout of King Louis the 14th watching at Versailles. The music is eerie, haunting and ghost-like, but there is a definate dance rhythm, as if ghosts were floating about and waltzing. The harspichord keeps the beat, and provides a most haunting effect but on the violin, the music takes on a better flavor, more romantic, more grandiose. It's a piece that ought to be performed more. It's really stunning and Joshua Bell steps up to the challennge of the Baroque material which is not always easily accomplished on a single violin.
   
   The album shows off Joshua Bell's versatility as a violinist. One could argue that he's really taking on too much too soon, and that he is just doing his razzle-dazzle Mozart-type genius. But when you really listen, it's not at all a one-man show. The orchestra is very prominent and has a terrific resonance of its own. The St. Martin In The Fields orchestra is a major orchestra and does not take second place here. It's more like a very sophisticated support to Joshua Bell's virtuoso violin, which itself takes on the formula, technical artistry and wholeness of a solo performance. It's really a miraculous album. I wonder just how they got away with it. It's possibly Joshua Bell's best album and a glorious tribute album to the music of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic Era. All true classical music enthusiasts should own this and listen to the lustre and beauty of a very well played concert!



3. I have several of Mr Bells CD's and enjoy all of them. This is the best CD I own. The music is very relaxing and the sound of the strad is awesome. We listen to it nightly (kids) as a bedtime routine and I never tire of it. You would not regret this purchase.



4. I played this during my dinner party this week and several of my guests commented on how beautiful the music was! It is a lovely collection and has not one single track that I want to skip when it plays!



5. This comment is from my husband, enraptured as he listens (again) to "Romance of the Violin":
   
   "It's just heart-wrenchingly good. I don't know how else to describe how it makes me feel! (Joshua Bell's) abilities...he's amazing--it's just unfathomable what he can do with the music.
   It's like there is no human playing the violin; it's like he IS the violin."
   
   Highly recommended. Among our very favorites.

5 comments about The Most Soothing Lullabies In The Universe.

1. I was very pleased with this collection. It is simply just beautiful classical music that hasn't been dumbed down for babies, like so many other albums seem to be. It also does NOT have any 'new age' like adaptions, which was a big plus for me personally. My daughter has not had any problems drifting to sleep while it's playing. I would definitely recommend this as a great first CD for your baby!



2. This is a nice CD full of classics. Not all of the tracks will lull baby to sleep (try Mozart for Mothers-to-be), but, for the price, it's well worth adding to your collection.



3. very soothing for the unborn baby (decreases in-utero kicking) and the newborn baby (increases between-feedings time at night). highly recommended for any newly minted parents out there.



4. These lullabies are infact very soothing. I have filled an MP3 player for my princess w/ lullabies, classical music and the Nutcracker and it helps w/ keeping her asleep all night by shadowing all other noises in the house until morning. I would recomend anyone to get this cd not only for a small child but for anyone who has trouble sleeping. These beautiful classical mastepieces help anyone fall peacefully asleep*



5. A double CD with 20 really soothing classics played by real orchestras. Music not only for the unborn baby or child but but to relax mom and dad as well. Beautiful pieces!

5 comments about Revolutionary [Includes Bonus DVD].

1. It was a pleasure hearing and watching this brilliant artist with his innovative and creative style. While this CD/DVD is saturated with hunger and ambition, it's also confident and sophisticated. It is a work of effortless symphonic grandeur, beautifully excessive and ornamented with dazzling arrangements.
   
   I can understand why the "purists" give this CD a substandard review - they tend not to think outside of the box.



2. Cameron Carpenter is a very talented musician with brilliant technique and a wonderful creativity. The problem is that performances (or recordings, in this case) of this nature are not about the music or the medium; rather, they are solely about the performer - musical narcissism at an illogical extreme. Need evidence? Just look at the cover. Or consider that Mr. Carpenter plays the left-hand bravura of Chopin's Revolutionary Etude in the Pedal, an unnecessary display of virtuosity affording the performance little (or no) musical advantage or gain. (The display is precisely the reason it's on the DVD.)
   
   Am I a purist? Maybe. Do I want intelligent performances where the artist asks "Does this make sense?" You bet. I also want to hear a real organ - ie. with pipes, not this computer. Would you pay to see or hear Horowitz or Richter play a Clavinova? If this makes me a purist, then sure.
   
   Be wowed by the spectacle and entertained by the quirky imagination. But don't expect profundity or insight
   
   As a final note, it would be appreciated if those who leave comments refrain from name-calling insults leveled at others who hold opposing views. It is unnecessary and impolite as well as only enervates your arguments.



3. A few days after this CD was released there were around four 1 star reviews. Now they're gone. I wonder why the honest criticism was removed?
   
   In my opinion the only thing amazing about this CD is how the "artist" can have such a profound technical ability and have so little musical taste. It is very easy to be taken in by the shear technical brilliance of this musician, and it's easy to understand why such a gifted musician would easily become board with playing music as it was intended to be performed. Often child prodigies become very frustrated because they think playing notes is all there is when in reality there is so much more. However, the result of Mr. Carpenters boredom of his view of the status quo does not make for good listening if one is at all familiar the music contained in this CD. Imagine a cranky child banging on a keyboard because he's frustrated with his piano lesson... now imagine that same child performing feats of technical brilliance because of the same frustration, and that is what the listener may expect to here in this CD.
   
   Lots of brilliant technique, but very poor understanding of the music. Take away the technique, and all that's left is banging on a keyboard. Sadly, great technique does not an artist make.



4. Cameron takes the organ, an instrument that has rarely been recognized in any other setting other than church, and brings it out into a performance realm. Cameron is a prodigy and he will bring a lot more interest and respect to the organ world. Whether you love classical music or are a person who dabbles in a little of everything. this is a record to check out!



5. The reviews are mixed as I expected. There is so much to consider with the CD/DVD. The purists will hate it. The novice will be blown away.
   I have been learning as much as I can about Cameron from the web. As a former/retired teacher I see Cameron as a true genius- not for his technical ability, but the way he is put together mentally. He is so far beyond what the average person can grasp or comprehend, that he is completely misunderstood.
   Can he play tradition organ music in a tradition fashion- musically? Of course he can. So can many fine talented organists. Will those performances reach the common public? Perhaps not. Will his performances reach the common public? Probably. And in this day when youth demands over-stimulation to catch their attention, this will do it. Contrary to what the purists say, he IS very musical. The performances are just so different in their renderings, that the purists don't see/hear it- or can't accept it. Probably the latter.
   Cameron is another Virgil Fox or Jean Gilliou. Both were/are misunderstood, both were/are controversial, both were/are very musical and talented. Different does NOT mean BAD!!! Different is JUST different.
   If you can grasp what Cameron is trying to say on his recent Pipedreams {www.pipedreams.org} program #0837, he tells what he is trying to do. He has the purpose to reach a new generation and let them know that the organ is still the greatest instrument of all time and not just something found in a church for Sunday worship services.
   I hope to see more of Cameron Carpenter, not just hear more. Visually, he is captivating in his technical ability. I hope he will do more improvisations done on the spot and not written previously for performance. He is so good at them.
   Keep an open mind. Know that you are watching/hearing a genius. We have so few among us today.
   Good Luck, Cameron!

5 comments about Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics, Vol. 2.

1. It has different classical music composers and music selections. If you bought the Baby Bach, Bay Mozart #1 and #2, there will be some repeats. I still enjoy the music selections of the other composers.



2. This is great CD. We love Vol. 1 but it was getting a little over played so we bought Vol. 2. It's THE best thing for a car ride. Especially with a fussy baby who hates cars.



3. My son had a rough time giving up his musical mobile. He needed the music to help him calm down as he was falling asleep.
   
   In a moment of desperation, I purchased both this CD and volume 1 of the Lullaby Classics.
   
   When I played the CD I was pleasantly surprised, that the music on the CD was very calming. I also know most of the songs which made it more enjoyable. I even enjoy hearing it on the baby monitor when my son was trying to fall asleep.



4. This is a very nice cd to have home, it's the best way of introducing music to your baby. Amazing composers, great selection and the instruments used, made it easy for "little ears". It's a calming, sweet way of putting your baby to bed. Everytime I have time I turn it on and give a full body massage in my daughter... we both love it.



5. These are so good for the young kids in your family!!! I love all their products