Collected Ambient & Textural Works 1977-1987

Collected Ambient & Textural Works 1977-1987


This compilation album preserves (with digital remastering) the brilliant early works of space music composer Michael Stearns. Short of re-releasing all the albums in their entirety, this compilation approaches perfection; if you want to experience the transformative thrills of space music, you can't go wrong in the hands of this master. It's best if you play the music on a good stereo system, place yourself between the speakers (perhaps boost the bass a bit), AND wear good-quality headphones. If the bass tones break apart on an inferior system, you won't get the full impact of the vibrations. I won't describe all the various tracks, but will point out elements that make his music work. First, Stearns composed for dance and movement classes, so he has a natural affinity for the breath, stretching, trancework, meditation, etc. On the first track, "Elysian E" (from Ancient Leaves, 1978), massive bass drones attract the body; swirling layers of organ sounds swirl woozily in your head; the music is forever taking off to new cosmic and stellar dimensions. Stearns' occasional vocal chants bring in monastic overtones, and he often mixes natural sounds and electronic music. "M'ocean" from the 1982 album Light Play uses the rhythm of waves for the structure of his unfolding and percolating tapestry of sound. His 1979 "Morning" begins with the cheery patter of a Mexican village coming to life: a rooster, children's voices, bird songs, horse hooves. Organ drones and layered angelic voices (by Stearns and Marsha Lee) cast a spell that seems to spread over the whole desert to proclaim the arrival of flying saucers. Magical chimes like a crystalline harpsichord echo through the heavens. The intensity of the organ tone patterns build until the saucer seems right overhead. The arrival of horses and chanting Indians make the experience even more exciting. Again, more dramatic in the original longer version, but moving nevertheless. A dizzying sequence of tones welcome your ears on the title track from Ancient Leaves; Stearns also plays a hypnotic melodic patterns on the metallic Finnish kantele, a form of hammered dulcimer. The layers swirl and build until it sounds like you are surrounded by a swarm of fairies, crows, and flying saucers. More live sounds are recorded with the gigantic stringed Lyra (three pieces from Lyra: Sound Constellation and with vocals and crystal bells on "Vickie's Dance" (1983). "Jewel" (1979) is more peaceful, working crystalline tones with and against each other; the voice of Marsha Lee - seductive, haunting, and angelic - almost seems to turn to solid light. (These days, the voice would come from MIDI sources; this is obviously a custom job.) Stearns explains that the tones of this music were created on processed sound originating from the "Eikosany" vibes. Stearns' in-depth liner notes add to the appreciation of what it took to produce this early pre-MIDI, pre-digital music. Excellent album. ~ Carol Wright, Rovi






Michael Stearns - Collected Ambient & Textural Works: 1977-1987
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Collected Ambient & Textural Works (1977-1987)
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Collected Ambient & Textural Works 1977-1987 - CD
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Michael Stearns ~ Collected Ambient & Textural Works 1977-1987 (new)
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Michael Stearns - Ambient & Textural Works
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Collected Ambient & Textural Works 1977-1987
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Comfort Candles™ with Gift Box Friends

Comfort Candles™ with Gift Box Friends


With a pattered gift box secured with a snap closure, a Comfort Candle makes a lovely gift for any occasion. The refined travertine stone finish has the look of luxury, and the hammered copper lid lends quality to the round terra cotta candleholder. Each is etched with an inspiring message. Just add your own tea light candles. Candleholder, 3" x 2-1/2" dia. Elegant candles with sincere sentiments Friends: "Friends are like angels without wings. blessing our lives with the most precious things


Comfort Candles™ with Gift Box Friends
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14.0

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Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - Original Soundtrack - CD

Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - Original Soundtrack - CD


Much like the soundtrack to the first Charlie's Angels movie, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle features a nearly irresistible mix of old and new rock, pop, and disco that's equally kitschy and stylish. Within its first four songs, the soundtrack includes two of 2003's most infectious singles. Pink's Beck-penned "Feel Good Time" recalls the funky pop of Prince, War, and, of course, his own Midnite Vultures work; it may be her sexiest and most self-assured performance yet. Electric Six's "Danger! High Voltage," meanwhile, remains one of the year's most unabashedly fun singles, as well as the perfect segue to some of the soundtrack's guiltier pleasures, such as Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," Journey's "Any Way You Want It," and MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This." Nas featuring Pharrell's "Nas' Angels. The Flyest" is also something of a guilty pleasure: Equal parts silly and sexy, it's another clever Neptunes production, fusing belly dancing music with Nas and Pharrell's swaggering rap. Nickelback and Kid Rock's collaboration on Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" doesn't fare quite as well, however; the track feels heavy and uninspired where the original was nimble and clever (and just as much of a "rock" song). The disco preoccupation of the first soundtrack continues on the sequel, particularly on Andy Gibb's "I Just Wanna Be Your Everything" and Donna Summer's "Last Dance," although it also finds room for sleek pop like Edwyn Collins' "A Girl Like You," as well as a recent version of David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" that's intriguingly moody but lacks the immediate impact of the original. Overall, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle is a fun, summery collection of music from a fun summer movie; like all things connected with the Charlie's Angels movies, it works best when you don't think about it too much. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi



Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - Original Soundtrack - CD
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Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
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Ricky Martin - Mas Musica + Alma + Sexo (Fan Edition)

Ricky Martin - Mas Musica + Alma + Sexo (Fan Edition)


Audio Mixer: Bob Clearmountain. Recording information: 221 Enterprises, Atlanta; Apogee's Berkeley Street Studios, Santa Monica; Avatar Studios, New York; Capitol Studios, Los Angeles; Cuero Room, Miami; Dharmik Studio; Henson Recording Studios; I-Savant Recording, Nashville; Oxide Studio; Picks And Hammers Studio; The Hit Factory Criteria Miami Studios; The Real Studio; Twin Palms Studio. Photographer: Mariano Vivanco. The last time Ricky Martin released a record - way back in 2005, a good six years before Musica + Alma + Sexo - the Puerto Rican singer was half a decade removed from his last blast of crossover success and still closeted. In 2011, he's one year removed from coming out and even further removed from the place he used to occupy in pop culture, that of a handsome, dexterous crossover artist with a flair for frivolous club/dance cuts and adult contemporary crossovers. Theoretically, this loosening of expectations would give him some freedom to roam on Musica + Alma + Sexo, and it does to the extent that he does not feel compelled to devote the record to the English language. His two English cuts, the Joss Stone duet "The Best Thing About Me Is You" and "Shine," are buried at the end of the record, the rest of the album sung in Spanish - but that doesn't necessarily mean that Musica has a distinctly Latin lilt in its rhythms. This is clean, gleaming dance and lite-pop, all shepherded by Desmond Child, the old studio pro responsible from for co-writing hits for Kiss, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, and Cher, not to mention Ricky's own "Livin' la Vida Loca." Child helps steer Musica + Alma + Sexo toward a high thread-count upscale pop that knows no borders. It's all pleasant enough and Martin has enough effortless charm to keep things light and sometimes even engaging. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine




Ricky Martin - Mas Musica + Alma + Sexo (Fan Edition)
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Ricky Martin ~ Ricky Martin M.A.S.: Musica + Alma + Sexo [CD/DVD] (new)
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Mas Musica + Alma + Sexo (Fan Edition)
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Ricky Martin M.A.S.: Musica + Alma + Sexo [CD/DVD]
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Ricardo Arjona - Qui n Dijo Ayer [Special Edition]

Ricardo Arjona - Qui n Dijo Ayer [Special Edition]


Personnel: Dan Warner (acoustic guitar); Eros Ramazzotti (electric guitar, background vocals); Don Gorri, Monel (electric guitar); Rodrigo C rdenas, Dar!o Espinosa, Ot vio DeMoraes, Sal Cuevas, Julio Hernandez, John Falcone (bajo sexto, bass guitar); Pedro Alfonso (violin, strings); Sami Merdinian (violin); Wolfram Koesser, Rodrigo Duarte, Chris Glansdorp (cello); Miami Symphonic Services (strings); Missael (saxophone); Juan 'Figlito' Casas (trumpet); Fernando Otero (piano); Pete Wallace (Hammond b-3 organ, keyboards); Kim Ballard (Hammond b-3 organ); Lee Levin (drums, percussion, programming); Hiram Paniagua, Jorge 'Chiquis' Amaro (drums); Dennys "Papacho" Savon (congas); Tanis 'El Bambino' (electronic percussion); Luis Dr. Shenka, Tommy Torres, Eric Lopez (background vocals); Tony Rijos (guitar, electric guitar); Michael Landau (electric guitar); Hector del Curto (bandoneon); Dante Vargas (trumpet); Paco Barajas, Alberto Barros (trombone); Doug Emery, Sergio George (piano, keyboards); Milton Sesenton, Matt Rollings, Robbie Buchanan (piano); Felipe Bustamante (keyboards); Aaron Cruz, Pablo Aslan (double bass); Robert Vilera (bongos, timbales, percussion); Armando Montiel (percussion); Jose Gomez (programming); Alfredo Oliva. Additional personnel: Marta S nchez (background vocals); Fernando Otero, Marc Anthony, Pante¢n Rococ¢, Sandro. Recording information: Cabanna Studios Ver; Conway Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Hit Masters, Miami, FL; Jet Wash Studio, Miami, FL; Jocoteco Studios, Mexico; Kirkos Beats, Miami, FL; La Chicken Station, Mexico; Legacy Studios, NY; MedaStudios, Milan, Italy; Picks & Hammers, Miami, FL; Studio Red, Led Madrid, Spain; Super Charango, Buenos Aires, Argentina; The Hit Factory Criteria, Miami, FL; The Tiki Room, Miami, FL; Wally World, Miami, FL. Photographer: Ricardo Calderon. Arrangers: Ricardo Arjona; Sergio George; Fernando Otero; Lee Levin. Issued in 2007, this two-disc set presents many of the finest tracks by renowned Guatemalan perf.





Ricardo Arjona - Quien Dijo Ayer
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Ricardo Arjona - Quien Dijo Ayer
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Ricardo Arjona - Quin Dijo Ayer [Special Edition] [CD] - Used
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Qui? n Dijo Ayer [Special Edition] - CD
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Quien Dijo Ayer [Special Edition]
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