Shapes & Forms [Import]

Shapes & Forms [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
"shapes and Forms" Are the 21-year-olds Swiss Kanzleramt Artist Diego and the Former Drummer of Thelegendary Punk Bands Discharge and Flux of the Pink Indians Dave Ellesmere.

Tracks:

Confession
Abuelita
You Stay Here
My Love Will Follow You
Spring
Wisteria
Waiting For The Storm
The Grocer's Broom
Merritt Parkway, 2 AM
Transit
Calling The Moon

Amazon.com

Richard Shindell saw his fervid following expand thanks to Cry Cry Cry, an album of covers he recorded with fellow folk stars Dar Williams and Lucy Kaplansky. But fans are keen to take him straight up, and folk's Velvet Fog has obliged them with Somewhere Near Paterson. His fourth release is in fact a return to form after the uneven Reunion Hill. Still, longtime fans--and those lucky to come upon this singer-songwriter for the first time--should cherish almost everything here. In the jingle-jangle opener, "Confession," a Wall Street type is desperate for pharmaceutical grace. Some will consider this monologue a chip off the Michael Stipe-ish block, yet its compound of irony, sympathy, and slant observation is Shindell's own. Other great tunes include "You Stay Here," narrated by a war-zone Everyman, "Waiting for the Storm," featuring another of the disc's quiet outlaws, and "Spring." Though this cut's Celtic-style coda has its longueurs, few would be without its paradoxical chorus: "Maybe will be certain / You can take it as a vow / Winter's just the curtain / Spring will take the bow." Shindell insists that his dramatis personae exist only in "songland," but his best work makes one beg to differ. And no one does dynamics and drop-D tunings better. --Kerry Fried

Customer Reviews:

one listen and you are hooked... .......2007-06-14

there I was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa the night before my own one-man show was set to take center stage and I was invited to attend a concert being given by the foks of Legion Arts. That was my first introduction to the music of Richard Shindell. I bought this CD that night after the concert. A unique singer-songwriter with lyrics that run deep. Beautiful music, one of the great unknowns of American music with a loyal, dedicated following. Listen and you'll know why. My wife became a fan after I played it for her and it is still one of my most played cd's that I own. Confession, You Stay Here and My Love Will Follow You are my favs.

Songwriter's Dream.......2007-02-26

Richard Shindell explores a variety of personal emotions in his work. Every song is interesting and most will stick with you. I believe "You Stay Here" is one of the best songs ever written. It packs a huge, unspoken story into such simple lyrics.

"Wisteria" ids also a favorite of mine. "The Grocer's Broom" is moving.

Shindell is probably too introspective for some, but if you're in a contemplative mood, you won't go wrong with this one.

Wow...This is Great!!.......2005-11-09

"Confessions" and "My Love Will Follow You" are the strongest tracks. There is also the poignant "You Stay Here," about survival and family, and "Transit." Shindell has a knack for crafting haunting and compelling stories and music. This is a very gifted singer/songwriter. "Lately I've been thinking, something has to give....I left the doors ajar, sitting here in this rocking chair waiting for the storm." Powerful. I cannot believe I'm just discovering his music now. I just received this CD and have been playing it over and over in the car, feeling more enriched after each listening experience. I've ordered his live CD "Courier" which I understand is even better! I look forward to seeing him in concert some day soon too.

The lyrics are very meaningful and not like the tripe we see in commercial music nowadays. The excellent music enhances the lyrics, taking them to another level. There is almost a blunt honesty in his music that shines through very graciously. As one reviewer said, this is "great music to listen to on a summer night in the car with the windows open." Congrats on an excellent recording Mr. Shindell :) Your music is a true treasure.

Go Richard Shindell!.......2005-10-17

I loved this CD! It was almost like sitting at one of his concerts. The songs are poignant, and the music is diversified, some mellow and reflective, some just fun. Richard's music is story-telling at its best!

A Folk Tour De Force: Shindell's Poetic Magnum Opus.......2001-04-12

If anyone questions Richard Shindell's place in folk music, he/she need only listen to this glorious, passionate tour de force and all doubts will vanish. Shindell has created a collection of astounding beauty and heartfelt tenderness. With this cd, he has raised the poetic simplicity of "Blue Divide" to astonishing heights of insightful commentary (Confession, Transit), poetic wistfullness (Wisteria, Thr Grocers Broom), and sumptuous music (Spring, Merritt Parkway). This is some of the fimest folk music ever recorded. His warm vocals and depth of spirit will at once break your heart and make you shout on the rooftops for joy.

Average customer rating:

Timony at her best
Cool, Cool, Cool...
Fan-freakin-tastic

The Shapes We Make
Mary Timony Band
Manufacturer: Kill Rock Stars
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Ex Hex
Volta
Learn to Sing Like a Star
Lullaby for Liquid Pig (+Bonus CD)
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

ASIN: B000OPOAQ6
Release Date: 2007-05-08

Tracks:

Sharp Shooter
Killed By The Telephone
Pause/Off
Summer's Fawn
Each Day
Curious Minds
Pink Clouds
Window
Rockman
New Song

Album Description

Their Kill Rock Stars debut represents the latest stage in the evolution of one of the most important voices in underground music. Flowing from the mystic prog-laced veins that have informed her art for the past decade, this record builds upon the stark rebellious austerity of 2005's "Ex Hex" and imbues it with warmth and formidable urgency. Equal parts clairvoyance and virtuosity, Mary (formerly of Helium) and her musicians paint in broad strokes a vivid landscape of colorful musical shapes. Much more than a gifted crafter of melody, Timony is a talented multi-instrumentalist, recording among other things, intricately layered keyboards, banjos, analog synths, viola, the melotron, and a vintage Casio PT1.

Customer Reviews:

Timony at her best.......2007-06-06

The other reviewers are completely right. This CD is amazing like Magic City, and also has the moodiness of Mountains and the upbeat feel of Ex Hex. I can't stop listening to "Pause/Off" - it's my fave Timony song of all time. None of my other friends have been able to get into Mary, despite our similar musical tastes, but this CD may change that. I just wish she were touring somewhere near my city!

Cool, Cool, Cool..........2007-05-30

....So cool, best describes Mary Timony's new album, Her best work since the Magic City, and at times even surpassing that very fine record. It should bring her a whole new audience, it deserves many ears to hear it, but it probably won't. It's also her most straight forward rock record, less of the Cartoon Monster feel of the Dirt of Luck, Less of the medieval feel of all her other records.

Pause/Off is a cool shimmering 60's spy flick soundtrack noise coupled with smart and witty feminist lyrics, it's easily her best song to date. The best record release of the year so far, go out and buy it and be one of the cooler kids.

Fan-freakin-tastic .......2007-05-09

To me this album sounds like a delicious melding of Ex Hex and Helium's Magic City. It has all of the trademark MT sounds and melodies but expands to include some really cool guitar work (some post-hardcore-esque riffs and Sonic-Youth-y picking), along with rockin' drums and bass and dreamy keyboard effects.

Average customer rating:

HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Lush pop.
Must have with Kaledoiscope world
Love it!!
More jazzy, soulful and smart pop

Shapes and Patterns
Swing Out Sister
Manufacturer: Island / Mercury
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music

Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Somewhere Deep in the Night
Living Return
Get in Touch with Yourself
Where Our Love Grows
Kaleidoscope World

ASIN: B000001EU5
Release Date: 1997-06-17

Tracks:

Somewhere In The World
Here And Now
We Could Make It Happen
Shapes And Patterns
Better Make It Better
Something Out Of This World
Joe Meek's Cat
Stoned Soul Picnic
You Already Know
Always
Now You're Not Here
Icy Cold As Winter
Shapes And Patterns (Reprise)

Amazon.com

More swinging, instantly likable Burt Bacharach-style retro pop from the U.K. duo fronted by Corinne Drewery. Like a pre-Todd Terry, frown-free Everything But the Girl, SOS is at its sophisticated best on the Japanese No. 1 "Somewhere in the World," a jazzy "Now You're Not Here," and the irresistible cover of "Stoned Soul Picnic." --Jeff Bateman

Customer Reviews:

HIGHLY RECOMMEND.......2006-11-10

This is the best album Swing Out Sister has put out. I love every track on this album. The opener "Somewhere in the World" is a fun uplifting song that will put a smile on your face. "Here and Now" is my favorite on the album, it has a great vocal by lead singer Corinne Drewery with many different and pleasant chord changes. The song reminds me of something Dusty Springfield or Billy Davis Jr would of recorded in 1968. "Better Make it Better" is better than the original from The Living Return. It has more of a full orchestra sound, than the original and is more traditional to SOS. The cover tune "Stoned Soul Picnic" is very well done and is close to the original by the 5th Dimension.

After listening to this album, I am reminded of how great the music was back in the late 60's. It would be wonderful to see Swing Out Sister collaborate with The Original 5th Dimension. They've already worked with Jimmy Webb on their Kalidescope World album. I think a Swing Out Sister/Paul Staveley O'Duffy produced album by The Original 5th Dimension would be awesome.

Lush pop........2006-09-08

Swing Out Sister have always occupied various, if consistently beautiful, spaces in their soulful pop sound. On the previous two outing, 1992's "Get In Touch With Yourself" & 1994's "The Living Return" they went a little 1970's "Philadelphia soul", echoing The Stylistics & The Delfonics with modern flairs & jazz touches.

Here, they return to the 1960's halycon pop they were known for. "Shapes & Patterns" see's the return of their mainstay producer Paul Stavely O'Duffy who helps give Corinne & Andy the focus they needed for their fifth long-player.

The record opens on a reassuring pop note of "Somewhere In the World" before spilling into the patient "Here & Now", & swings toward the deliciously urgent "We Can Make It Happen". Each of these cuts are all "ba-da-ba's" & violins a plenty. Soul pop at it's best?

The record only gets better, & slightly moodier, as you get further in. Corinne's voice manages to echo Marilyn McCoo of A Fifth Dimension; only more British. (S.O.S. gives the A.F.D. staple "Stoned Soul Picnic" a safe but pretty reading here.) Andy, ever the arranger, with a guidng hand from O'Duffy manages to immerse Corinne in jazzy, pop sounds. All at once are they retro & at the same time could fit into contemporary A/C radio format.

Highlights include, the beautifully haunting "Something Out of this World" where the star is Corinne's enuciation of the lyrics. Also, the heart-breaking ballad "Now You're Not Here" hint at a deeper sense of romantic longing. Corinne vamps (vocally) a little here, but never too much.

Overall, "Shapes & Patterns" finds Swing Out Sister returning to their pop roots of Bacharach & David, but at the same time moving the texture & feel of their sound forward. Highly recommend.

Must have with Kaledoiscope world.......2006-06-15

Please refer to the review of J. Collins "stoned-soul" -

This is a wonderful album, more lyric centered and exploratory than kaledoiscope world. It their finest work.

Love it!!.......2006-03-25

One of my favorite SOS cds ever! Corrine Drewery has such a beautiful voice! I love the jazzy, 60's, pop kind of sound.

More jazzy, soulful and smart pop.......2006-01-27

Swing Out Sister may be one of the most consistent pop acts you'll come around. Vocalist Corinne Drewery and keyboardist Andy Connell's music is always well arranged, densely layered and rhythmic enough to make you dance (or at least tap your feet). Add "Shapes and Patterns" from 1997 to the honor roll.

Again, the vibe is a combination of Motown and Burt Bacharach -- all with a contemporary pop production style. Again, Drewery and Connell are backed by other top-of-the-crop performers -- including jazz-soul fixtures like guitarist Tim Cansfield, percussionist Luis Jardim and the unmistakeable trumpet/fluegelhorn player Jerry Hey.

And again, Drewery's dry, simple vocals shine -- here contrasting well with the gospellish power of her backing vocalists (especially on "We Could Make It Happen," the cover "Stoned Soul Picnic" and "Always.")

There's even a bit of innocent trippiness in some of the CD tracks, such as "Something Out Of This World" and "You Already Know," jazz-flavored ballads whose backing tracks seem to float into the sky but never get too far out to enjoy. They're perfect for the girlish side of Drewery's voice. (A bit of "You Already Know" is sampled in the "Shapes and Patterns" mini-song bridges earlier in the album and in the finale).

There's a twist to this SOS set. As songwriters, Drewery and Connell seem to have taken and passed some courses at the Bacharach/John Barry school of killer chord changes. Dig the midtempo "Always" or the moving love ballad "Now You're Not Here," used as the theme for a Japanese TV serial. Each chord shift keeps you involved in the song after even hundreds of plays.

"Now You're Not Here" is the album's highlight -- a moody slow-burner that is among the best songs SOS has ever composed. SOS manages to mix the Bacharach sound with psychedelic soul and a touch of hip-hop (note the sampled sound of the opening bars) into classy pop you love but never seem to hear anymore. And at the end, there's the trademark scatting of Drewery, whose plaintive vocals during the whole song provide an elegant tour-de-force.

More quality music from an act that's been "about" quality throughout the bulk of its career. Excellent.

Average customer rating:

Looking for "different." Look no further!
disappointed
These aren't your run-of-the-mill songs!
Highly Awarded Early Childhood Music Pioneer
Can A Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet?

Can A Jumbo Jet Sing The Alphabet?
Hap Palmer
Manufacturer: Hap-Pal Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Educational | Children's Music | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Children's Educational | Children's Music | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Radio & CD Players | Electronics for Kids | Categories | Toys & Games

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Browse Refinements | Refinements | Toys & Games | Gender (target_audience_browse-bin)
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Product Features:

GRADES K-2

ASIN: B00000I6UA
Release Date: 1998-10-15

Tracks:

'Round the World With Ways To Say Hello
Alphabet in Motion
What Could You Use?
Can a Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet?
Shapes That Surround You
Jig Along Shapes
Everybody Dance?
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Letters in the Blender
Boogie Down and Cruise
The Bean Bag
Tug-A-Tug to Twenty-Two
Fun With the Rhyme Time Band
Action Fraction
Motion Memory Good-Bye Game
Good-Bye My Friends

Product Description

This lively mix of musical styles and original lyrics teach a variety of concepts from initial consonant sounds and word blends to counting patterns and fraction awareness.A good follow-up to Hap's ever popular "Basic Skills Series"; includes complete guide with song lyrics and activities. Includes these songs: 'Round The World With Ways To Say Hello, Alphabet In Motion, What Could You Use?, Can A Jumbo Jet Sing The Alphabet?, The Shapes that Surround You, Jig Along Shapes, Everybody Dance, Take Me Out To The Ball Game, Letters In The Blender, Boogie Down And Cruise, The Bean Bag, Tug-A-Tug To Twenty-Two, Fun With The Rhyme Time Band, Action Fraction, Motion Memory Good-Bye Game, Good-Bye My Friends. By Hap Palmer.

Amazon.com

Hap Palmer is a master of entertaining and teaching children with music. Can a Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet? overflows with fun songs that will have your child dancing along while he or she encounters themes such as vocabulary, shape recognition, problem solving, spatial awareness, numbers, and cultural diversity. Included in the liner notes is an extensive teaching guide, which lists skills and concepts, vocabulary, lyrics, suggested activities, variations, and follow-up questions for each song. These notes are a great resource for daycare or school instructors as well as parents, and, when implemented in moderation, can add another dimension to the listening experience. Palmer's original songs are diverse in style and are accompanied by strings, percussion, woodwinds, keyboard, vocalists, and even a children's chorus. --Tami Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

Looking for "different." Look no further!.......2006-01-14

I have this CD and Can a Cherry Pie wave goodbye for my 3 1/2 and 15 month old and we LOVE it. The instructions are clear and gives the children enough time to move to the action. They have learned so much and are having so much fun while learning. Sometimes, I will pause the cd to give them time to answer. We do not listen to the cd from front to back, but I select 2-4 songs to listen to a program them into the cd player so that the kids don't get bored of it. The music is great (no rock or rap that preschoolers and toddlers cannot understand), but not your average Toddler CD.
We Love the title song as it teaches early phonics and recognizing that words start with a letter. I don't turn to the CD to teach my kids everything, but use it as a supplement to my teaching.

disappointed.......2005-08-28

I was looking for music that will help my students learn the sounds of the alphabet but to my disappointment there was none included in the album. Anyway, I said it was ok cause because it teaches about other things too like shapes, letters etc. But I was just not inspired by the music. It was not as lively as I expected and it sounded like country music to me. I know the type of songs that will really get my kids excited and this is just not it.

These aren't your run-of-the-mill songs!.......2005-04-12

I am always looking for innovative Childrens Music CD's and I was excited to fall upon this real gem. As you can tell from the title, Hap Palmer has a great sense of humor and imagination. I like music CDs that don't have the same ol' kid songs that we all know and have heard again and again. Instead, I like exposing my children to a lot of fun new songs. Not only are they more interesting to listen to, but I love to see how fast their great little memories can learn these new songs. You get everything in this CD! Part of the songs are pure fun and the other part mix fun with learning.

Some of the great fun songs include the title song "Can a Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet," "What Could a Bean Bag Be," and "The Compost Bin." His learning songs teach shapes, sound blends, and rhyming. I love "Letters in the Blender" and "Fun with The Rhyme Time Band" as well as "Jig Along Shapes" and "Action Fraction."

As you can see from reading the titles, these aren't your run-of-the-mill songs. Hap Palmer has a great talent at creating songs that are interesting to listen to and fun to dance with. This hour long CD is definitely worth it and will quickly become your family's favorite tunes! --Denise Steele-Darnell

Highly Awarded Early Childhood Music Pioneer.......2004-01-11

Hap Palmer has been honored with many awards for his music for young children. He is a pioneer of pairing movement and music, and integrating basic educational ideas into music. His music interests me as a parent.

So my family and I have made a point of listening to his music, mostly by loan through our local library. Unfortunately, we do not like his musical style or voice very much. Most of his albums are not singable or melodic. I praise Palmer for making music that is good for childen and not like most commercial "junk food" children's music products that are on the market, but we just don't like most of his songs.

"Can a Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet" is one of the exceptions. The songs are interesting and fun to listen to. We like this CD. Plus, the messages are good for children, like most Hap Palmer albums. Thumbs up!

RECOMMENDATION: I suggest that parents start with CD's by Raffi. Then consider this CD. Hap Palmer's music is especially valuable if you use it to interact with your child, such as moving and thinking. Palmer's music is quality.

Can A Jumbo Jet Sing the Alphabet?.......2001-01-25

I am a volunteer storyteller for two year olds at the local library. After story time we danced to "Everybody Dance" and "The Bean Bag". The children and the parents were so excited when we finished that they broke out in cheers! I'm ordering my own copy of this CD today and so are a half dozen other parents and caregivers!

Average customer rating:

Relax and rejuvenate.
A Superb Escape
Classical guitar magnificence
beautiful work
Relaxing music doesn't get any better than this

Shapes
Dominic Miller
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Smooth Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
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Songs from the Labyrinth (Music by John Dowland)

ASIN: B0000ZS9US
Release Date: 2004-03-02

Tracks:

Mass In B Minor
Adagio In G Minor
Shape Of My Heart
Air On A G String
Presto [Violin Partita In G Minor]
Ave Maria
Nimrod [9th Variation]
Gymnopedie No. 1
Misa Criolla
Mi Fe
Prelude No. 3 For Clavier
Moonlight Sonata

Customer Reviews:

Relax and rejuvenate........2005-12-11

I bought this album after a massage therapist played it during a massage. Miller evokes many emotions through his mastered art of guitar playing and I think many can appreciate the tone and mood his music sets. A-list singers paired with his rendition of popular and traditional pieces are a winning combination. Truly magical!

A Superb Escape.......2005-11-29

I enjoy all sorts of music from techno & trace through to the classics and smooth jazz, and this is a superb easy listening album that spans an emotional spectrum. Thanks to Qantas who featured the album in-flight during November 2005 so I listened to it for hour after hour. What a find - this is music to escape to, favourite tracks: 3. Shape Of My Heart with Sting, 10. Mi Fe with Alejandro Lerner, 11. Prelude No. 3 with the smooth sounds of Chris Botti. But Dominic Miller's sublime guitar work is the presence that binds all these pieces into a fantastic journey that can be listened to now, and for all time.

Classical guitar magnificence.......2005-05-20

I too first heard Dominic perform as Sting's opening act in the second half of the Sacred Love tour. I ejoyed the set, and was prepared for the disc to be entertaining, but not as remarkable as it is.

In the little bend into the first note of the CD, Miller lets us know that what he's got in store for us will be subtle, respectful, elegant, and astoundingly technical and beautiful at the same time; that he respects and loves the music he's playing, but will play it as himself and from his heart, not just as a technically superior musician. His choices in the Bach pieces in particular are brilliant, unexpected, and profoundly affecting. The recording is very clean and very intimate.

I highly recommend this album to pop fans who aren't particularly interested in classical music, and to classical music fans who don't particularly like pop. Some very sophisticated arranging along with Miller's brilliant performances will convince both sides that maybe there's more in the other's camp than they thought.

beautiful work.......2004-09-06

I just saw Mr Miller do an opening set before the Sting/Annie Lennox concert in Atlanta. Then he got busy doing the Sting material I love. What an exquisite experience.

I was lucky enough to get Mr Miller's autograph on this album and found him to be a really nice guy.

This is a great album and one that I can listen to over and over again. The remake of "Shape of My Heart" is outstanding, especially with his long time partner Sting on vocals.

This album is a must have. Thanks Dominic!

Relaxing music doesn't get any better than this.......2004-05-17

Dominic Miller's Shapes is exquisitely beautiful.
From Bach's Air on a G String to Sate's Gymnopedie. From Moonlight Sonata to Sting's glorious vocals in Shape of my heart, everything about this album is stamped with class.
Turn down the lights and lie back and enjoy.

Average customer rating:

a note about Musical Shapes.....
a superb twofer from a perhaps overlooked artist...

Two Sides to Every Woman/Musical Shapes
Carlene Carter
Manufacturer: Wounded Bird Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Country | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000AP3034
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Tracks:

Do It in a Heartbeat
Lies
Swap-Meat Rag
Gold-Hearted Lady
Two Sides to Every Woman
It's No Wonder (Why I Love Him)
One Good Lover
Old Photographs
Radio Sweetheart
Cry
Madness
Baby Ride Easy
Bandit of Love
I'm So Cool
Appalachian Eyes
Ring of Fire
Too Bad About Sandy
Foggy Mountain Top
That Very First Kiss
To Drunk (To Remember)
Too Proud

Album Description

Carlene Carter is a country singer, with a little rock thrown in, thanks to her marriage to Nick Lowe. She is the daughter of June Carter. She has issued numerous albums over the 70s, 80s & 90s. Two Sides To Every Woman was her second album, issued in 1979. It features Paul Schafer & Clarence Clemons. It is making its worldwide CD debut as part of this two-fer. Musical Shapes is from 1980 and features Dave Edmunds & Nick Lowe. Wounded Bird. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

a note about Musical Shapes............2005-12-17

This reissue, for me, is notable for the second album. Musical Shapes is the great lost Rockpile country album- excellent Nick Lowe/Dave Edmunds/Billy Bremmer stuff with Carlene's tough girl vocals. Two Sides is indeed an excellent album, but for my money, Musical Shapes is the gem in the collection.

a superb twofer from a perhaps overlooked artist..........2005-11-01

Carlene Carter is perhaps best known for her ties to June Carter and Johnny Cash. June was Carlene's mother, and Johnny Cash would later go on to become Carlene's stepfather. Carlene has also been notorious for her troubled, hard-living personal life. She had some major commercial success with her early '90s comeback, but her excellent early work seems to have been badly overlooked.

In October of 2005, Wounded Bird Records reissued Carlene Carter's first four albums. Seemingly to make them more appealing, they released twofers instead of each album on a single CD. However, being the sly marketers that they are, Wounded Bird clearly took into account that there has previously been a CD released that paired her 3rd and 4th albums, "Musical Shapes" and "Blue Nun" respectively, onto a single CD. So, what they have done is paired her 1st and 4th albums onto one disc, and paired her 2nd album "Two Sides to Every Woman" with 1980's "Musical Shapes". (It's fortunate that Wounded Bird didn't pair "Two Sides..." with 1981's weak "Blue Nun".)

Anyway you look at it, this pairing of "Two Sides to Every Woman" and "Musical Shapes" makes for a CD that contains a wealth of great music. In particular, 1979's "Two Sides to Every Woman" is real stunner that can't be missed if you take country-flavored rock & roll seriously--it's a little-known classic that puts the likes of such future "country rockers" as Shania Twain to absolute shame. Not only does it happen to have one of the sexiest album covers of all time, but Carlene clearly upped the ante from her debut, and "Two Sides..." simply kicks ass all over the place--it's got the stomping "Swap Meat Rag"; the raging uptempo rocker "Lies" (written by Roger Troy & Nick Gravenites); the haunting minor-keyed ballad "Gold Hearted Lady"; and the roaring, ultra-catchy title track which sounds kind of like a disco-rocker with its catchy beat and string arrangement, but it rocks out devastatingly and has an infectious, impassioned Carlene vocal. The album also has the fun, lighthearted, rolling pop-rocker "Do It In A Heartbeat"; the sassy, riffy country-rocker "One Good Lover"; the memorable, tender and reflective "Old Photographs"; and the fine ballad "It's No Wonder (Why I Love Him)". The closing track is a version of the Elvis Costello composition "Radio Sweetheart" which has one of those damn endlessly-repeated fadeouts so characteristic of early Costello, but at least in this case it serves as a respectable 'anthemic' finale to the album.

"Musical Shapes" isn't as exciting overall, but it's by no means less than respectable, and it has such moments as the album opening one-two punch of "Cry" and "Madness"; the venomous "Too Bad About Sandy"; and the highly catchy rockabilly-flavored "The Very First Kiss".

"Two Sides to Every Woman" hasn't been released officially on CD prior to this, and it's an absolute must for any serious listener, containing some of the hardest-rocking country music you could imagine. Adding "Musical Shapes" makes this CD even more valuable. Overall, a superb twofer.

Average customer rating:

Smart Moves 2: Preschool thru 1st
Abridge Club
Manufacturer: Russ InVision
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00024DORA
Release Date: 2004-04-20

Tracks:

Build a Bridge
Take That Rope (Letters)
Step on the Stones (Colors)
Show Me Your Middle
Dance Freeze
We Are Rolling
How Low is Low?
Play in the Band
Can You Find the Shape?
Chuggin Down the Track
Go Round the Village
Balance It On My Head
Keep It Up!
With a Letter or Two
Bounce That Ball To Me
Step on the Stones (Color Patterns)
Build a Bridge (Warp Speed)
Keep It Up! (Instrumental)
Step on the Stones (Colors)
Take That Rope (Letters)
Chuggin Down the Track
Roll That Ball To Me
Play in the Band
--- The End ---

Album Description

These action-packed fine & gross motor songs for young children can be used with props such as cones, balls, and ropes, or to promote imaginative play. Using engaging lyrics and movement, children learn specific concepts as they step on the colored stones, form letters with rope, find the shapesand then step as directed, keep it up, play in the band, chug down the track, dance & freeze, and more. The activities focus on listening skills, physical coordination, motor skills, team work, body identification, and following instructions. This collection includes 17 English songs, with 5 Spanish versions, from the award winning producers of the popular "Smart Songs" music series.Guest singers: Robert Picardo (The Doctor), and Ethan Phillips (Neelix) from the popular Star Trek: Voyager TV series.

Tracks:

Smoke And Mirrors
Oh, My Dear Its Just Chemical Frustration
A Tornado; An Owl
Sleep Parlysis
The Game
Paper Clich
120 Ways To Kill You: An Illustrated Childrens Book
What Temperature Does Air Freeze At?
The Other 90% Of The Iceberg
Analogue Logic
Dont Shoot The Messenger (Not My Idea)
Attached To THe Fifth Story
The Blanket Truth

Customer Reviews:

Kinda dissapointed overall.......2007-01-15

OK, so a lot of people are comparing this to 80s synth pop, etc. etc. I'm going to be upfront and say I've never heard of those things. I like good, catchy rock music, and when I heard some cool Action Action singles I said, what the heck, and bought their last two CDs.

At first, I was like, wow, this stuff is cool and original (and maybe only original because the horror synth melodies are so old they're new). On the faster songs Action Action really succeeds. The music is cool to dance to and fun to listen to. The songs kind of start to sound the same after awhile, but the novelty of the neat "Adams family"-type synth openings combined with decent guitar riffs and a catchy melody was enough to keep me interested...until the slow songs mid-album.

On the slow songs, Action's Action's non-versatality and the annoying, whiny voice of the singer starts to show through. The melodies are tired, cliche, old, and that would be OK if the loud, obnoxious lead voice didn't make you want to tear your eyes out. The whiny, abrasive quality of it is ok in an upbeat song, but dragged out over a "ballad" and wow. Your ears will cry.

I think overall the album was a mixed bag. About half of the songs (the fast ones) were fun to listen to and great dance charts, but then the other half just reveals the album for what it is, which is another alt rock band with a lead singer with an annoying voice and no talent for coming up with an original riff. I thought overall the fist album had more charm than this one, but Action Action is just "okay". It would make a good concert and nice background music at a Halloween party, but overall, not something I'll pull out a year from now and jam to while I do my homework.

Erlack!.......2006-08-04

Once again Victory Records molds another great band into conformity! Their lyrics are EXTREMELY cliche and the sound is way too overproduced. Don't be fooled by this poor attempt at music. Get their first CD which is actually worth listening to. You will notice the difference.

Dares to be different.......2006-07-09

While other bands of their alleged genre play it safe and end up sounding like each other to a depressing degree, Action-Action isn't afraid to strike out into its own musical territory, and you have to admire that. Yes, they have influences and sometimes they wear those influences on their sleeve. But those influences seem to come from a deeper, more real, more important, more heartfelt place than their competition. One thing that's clear from listening to this record is that those influences do NOT include The Killers or Interpol. Depeche Mode? Maybe. But not so much that they copy them. It's just dumb marketing hype that their record company decided to sticker their record with the names of those other bands. Don't let them hype you. What's good about Action-Action is that they are NOT like those bands. There is a definite sense of risk taking on this CD. They can wander, they can go one and on, they can make noise, they can be sensitive, they can be poppy, they can be loud and nasty or they can be cute. But they never play it safe. And in this day of prepackaged sound-alike bands, it's their fearless musicality that stands out. This band deserves an audience, and if it's not the Killer's or Interpol's audience, that's to their credit.

Best of 2006 so far..........2006-05-11

Easily my favorite album of 2006 so far. Possibly too layered & with too much depth for the "scene kids" that want My Chemical Romance and/or Fall Out Boy rehashes. Pretty much perfect from beginning to end and made to be listened to as such...as a complete album. Listen to it all the way through a few times and tell me there isn't amazing talent and originality all over the place. Give Action Action a chance and I'm pretty sure you'll find something worthwhile.

This Album is Fake.......2006-05-02

I don't keep up on a lot of current bands, and someone gave me this album to listen to. Basically, it is a big imitation of their influences in a very bland way, and in the case of the singer's accent, a very obnoxious way. If you are an up & coming scene kid and aren't really familiar with older new-wave bands, then you might think this is cool. Or if you don't mind good ideas from true musical innovators being rehashed into uninspired modern wanna-be-cool retro. Many of the songs remind me of songs done much better, a long time ago. Songs done from the heart. These people are not artists. This album is fake.

Average customer rating:

Excellent!
Even Better 20 years later
CARLENE CARTER is da Bomb! This double cd is really a 4.5 *
SomethingWonderfulThisWayComes
this is not a 5 star cd

Musical Shapes/Blue Nun
Carlene Carter
Manufacturer: Demon Records UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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West

ASIN: B000001183
Release Date: 1994-07-05

Tracks:

Cry
Madness
Baby Ride Easy
Bandit Of Love
I'm So Cool
Appalachian Eyes
Ring Of Fire
Too Bad About Sandy
That Very First Kiss
Foggy Mountain Top
Too Drunk (To Remember)
Too Proud
Oh How Happy
Love Is A 4-Letter Verb
That Boy
300 Pounds Of Hongry
Tougher Stuff
I Need A Hit
Rockababy
Me And My .38
Do Me Lover
Too Many Teardrops
Billy
C'Mon Feets
Think Dirty
If The Shoe Fits
Home Run Hitter
When You Comin' Back

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2004-05-25

Demon Records reissued Carlene Carter's Musical Shapes and Blue Nun on one disc in 1992. Neither album is straight country - with their propulsive rhythms and jangling guitars, they exhibit the influence of her then-current husband Nick Lowe - but Musical Shapes is one of her best records, and worth getting in any form. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

(Review for 'Musical Shapes'): This is Carter's masterpiece to date. Great songs and production that could easily fit into today's climate of country radio. - Cub Koda, AMG

(Review for 'Blue Nun'): Carter's American label passed on this one, and it's too bad. While it's not one of her best albums, when she's on, she's dead on. It's interesting from a historical point because it somewhat chronicles her musical associations with former-husband Nick Lowe and Paul Carrack (ex-Ace, Squeeze, Mike + the Mechanics). - Jim Worbois, AMG

Even Better 20 years later.......2002-07-12

I was a clerk in a record store when this first came out. I was really a rock n' roller at heart and had little regard for country music. I loved some of the stuff that was coming out of Stiff records - especially Nick Lowe. And while at first, Musical Shapes looked like just another country LP, when we opened the promo at the store and played it, we all fell in love with Carlene's "cowpunk" style.

Over the years, I bought every new Carlene Carter Cd but then put them on the shelf and never really listened to them. Recently as part of my mid life crisis I started listening to Carlene again. And as much as I love "Little Love Letters" and "Little Acts of Treason", I really needed to hear Musical Shapes again.

I finely got ahold of a copy and I am 19 again! With Carlene, theres's no whining or crying. She's brassey and sassy. She's tough and tender. I can't say enough about this CD. Okay I'm still warming up to the Blue Nun portion. But if you like Elvis Costello or NIck Lowe or even Tom Petty, you will love Carlene.
Get this Cd and "Little Love Letters" before they go out of print. And then, like me, you'll hope that CC starts recording and touring again.

CARLENE CARTER is da Bomb! This double cd is really a 4.5 *.......2002-01-28

I must differ a good bit from [other reviews]. Yes, the vocals in some of the songs are somewhat lost in the mix of the instruments. The thing is, that instrumentation is by the fabulous Rockpile (consisting of Carlene's then husband Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds).

Musical Shapes is a 5 star release. Cry is just a (...)kicking piece of rockin' country. 'Baby Ride Easy', a duet with Dave Edmunds, is one of the greatest duets you ever will hear. The interplay between the two is so convincing that you think it was a first person account. 'Madness' highlights the fine gutiar work of Edmunds. I will grant you, Ring of Fire is a let down compared to her step-dad's classic. The new wavish approach does not work. Too Bad About Sandy and Bandit of Love are other standouts. Foggy Mountain Top is a good re-interpretation of the ole Carter Family gem. Overall, this album can be mentioned in the same breath as Marshall Crenshaw's selt titled debut as fine examples of early 80s rockabilly.

I give Blue Nun 4 stars. A little inconsistent. The highlight of the album is the duet with Paul Carrack on Edwin Starr's "Oh How Happy". C'mon Feet, a retitled cover of the John Fogerty/CCR tune 'Born to Move' and Love Is A 4 Letter Verb are also stellar.

I have turned many hard core rock n roll fans on to Carter at rollingstone.com. She is like an alternative Linda Ronstadt. Get your hands on anything you can by this woman who is Carl Smith and June Carter's daughter, Johnny Cash's stepdaughter, Nick Lowe's ex, and a part of the legendary Carter Family no less! Plus, she was backed by Graham Parker's The Rumour, Rockpile, Paul Carrack, the Doobie Brothers, Paul Schafer, Clarence Cleomons, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at various times in her career! There is a reason so many talented guys wanted to work with her, and I am not talking just about her stunning physical attributes. She's a great one!

PS: Ring of Fire was co-written by Carlene's mom June and aunt Anita Carter, from June's perspective about John R. Cash of course. I highly recommend you get Anita's "Ring of Fire" offered here on amazon because she had one of the greatest soprano's that you could imagine.

SomethingWonderfulThisWayComes.......2002-01-13

Ah, someone who perceives to be to the South of the infamous "Line."

There are those who want to bash such vibrant beginnings. When Something beautiful and intangible had simply and suddenly erupted, like Venus from the Half Shell & they missed that "episode" .......

They are quite incorrect in their grievious delusions. (i.e. get a clue.)

Carlene was brilliant far before she was even noticed by others. She had this sense of South mixed with some kick-derierre lyrics and music. She was never accepted by any side, greatly. Perhaps the British, but do they count? (Let me look into this French thing, however.)

Carlene Carter did something that gave credibility to country that rocks. She was and is both. (Perhaps "Iron Man" on her next covers album? How about "Cruel to Be Kind"?)

Give her credit. Her first albums were shoe-string budget, yet gave the basis of her Music. Stop being persnickety about their production/performance/precision/perfection. Because they were brilliant.

And by the way, I never gave a sad rating to her other albums. I merely gave her what she deserves from a strange and uncertain time .......

EmmyLou and Carlene gave and extended to us legacies.

I have found EmmyLou ....... but Carlene - is Carlene - still.

this is not a 5 star cd.......2001-12-13

I can't believe this CD is getting 5 star ratings
while Little Love Letters gets 4. Have ya'll no
descriminating tastes? Face it, Little Love Letters is a
10 out of 5, while I feel generous giving this
one a 3. The vocals in half these
songs are drowned out by instrumentals, and
the techno-pop-disco version of _Ring of Fire_
makes me shudder. And what's with the get-up
on the back of the CD, is that from some guest
appearance on 'Mary Hartman Mary Hartman' or what?

Average customer rating:

Little hearts, little heads

Shapes and Sizes
Shapes and Sizes
Manufacturer: Asthmatic Kitty
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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The Gulag Orkestar
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ASIN: B000FMGWL4
Release Date: 2006-07-11

Tracks:

Island's Gone Bad
Weekends At A Time
I Am Cold
Northern Lights
Wilderness
Goldenhead
Topsy Turvey
Oh No, Oh Boy
Rory's Bleeding
Boy, You Shouldn't Have

Album Description

From British Columbia come Shapes And Sizes. Their melodic pop inhabits a world of beauty, noise, whispers, and elusive, contradictory moods, where the dynamic of a steam piston gives way to elegiac understatement, often within one song. With three of its four members writing for the band, their repertoire is one of constant surprise, often going out on a limb, but never falling off.

Customer Reviews:

Little hearts, little heads.......2006-08-13

The Asthmatic Kitty label tends to focus on pop music that is usually religiously tinged and rather upbeat, or sometimes just meditative (a la Sufjan Stevens).

Shapes and Sizes is a somewhat different sound -- more serious, less perky. But it also has what you expect from an Asthmatic Kitty band -- oddball lyrics, melodious pop music, and little experimental flourishes to keep it from ever being boring. It could use a bit more humor, though.

It opens with some strummy guitar and handclaps, in a meditative little song that seems to just wander after itself in circle. "Spent nine long years/upon an island/have you scavenged for food/whenever we got hungry..."

Then suddenly it switches into bombastic melody-pop overflowing with mellotron, before changing again into a solid, upbeat little powerpop melody, about how "I like eating fruit off of trees/when I'm with you/fruits always taste much sweeter/and air always tastes much cleaner/when I'm with you!" Three songs in one. Not bad.

After that, they try out different kinds of melodic, experimental pop-rock -- fuzz rockers that turn into jazz, rollicking carnie songs, sputtering little melodies, choral pop, and ambient-sounding bittersweet pop. If Shapes and Sizes's self titled debut has a flaw, it's that it is all so over the map and tries out so many disparate sounds, which are loosely tied together.

It takes a little while to really "get into" Shapes and Sizes' sound, if nothing else because it takes awhile to decipher all the little musical touches. What's more, don't expect more psychfolk -- Shapes and Sizes sounds more like tap-pop band Tilly and the Wall than Sufjan Stevens. ("I Am Cold" even has echoes of Sigur Ros)

And they have a knack for weaving together odd little melodies -- guitar and a bit of fuzz bass take the center stage, but they can also switch over to shimmery synth, cymbals, whistles, handclaps and some languorous horns and bits of shimmery mellotron. They sound a wee bit bland when they have mainly guitar, while their more colourful songs are their strong point.

Another enchanting detail is the way the three different vocalists chime in, sometimes separately and sometimes in chorus. Their lyrics are densely whimsical ("No, Susan/you can't be tribal leader"), full of preteen castaways, falling through ice ("and it was cold"), kisses, gifts, and a vibe like that of a pretend game full of colourful adventures.

More serious musically than many of Asthmatic Kitty's other bands, Shapes and Sizes still retains a bizarre innocence. Delightful.

Music:

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