I Will Have REVENGE!

So saith Antonio Vivaldi, the prophet wrote.

What makes this 1993 album special to me is this:  My copy was for sale on Amazon a decade or more ago.  I got a "sold, ship now" notice.  And, by golly, the person buying this CD was the flautist himself, Pierre Saint-Denis!

01. Spring - Allegro (3:39)

02. Spring - Largo e pianissimo sempre (2:16)

03. Spring - Danza pastorale: Allegro (4:17)

04. Summer - Allegro ma non molto (5:36)

05. Summer - Adagio -- Presto (2:02)

06. Summer - Presto (3:15)

07. Autumn - Allegro (4:39)

08. Autumn - Adagio (1:25)

09. Autumn - Allegro (3:58)

10. Winter - Allegro ma non molto (4:20)

11. Winter - Largo (3:31)

12. Winter - Allegro (3:52)

Vivaldi's Revenge - The NEW Four Seasons

Now you too may hear his artistry.

See you on Thursday, March 2. for a month of Man from U.N.C.L.E. music.

  

Clinical Bach

This 1989 release has so much great music, so much performing artistry, yet it’s ultimately boring, alas!  And I can't explicate why.  Don't you hate not being to explicate a feeling or impression?

01. Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565: I. Toccata, Adagio (2:32)

02. Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565: II. Fugue (6:00)

03. Fantasia in G major, BWV 572 (‘Pièce d’orgue’): I. Très vitement (1:15)

04. Fantasia in G major, BWV 572 (‘Pièce d’orgue’): II. Gravement (4:47)

05. Fantasia in G major, BWV 572 (‘Pièce d’orgue’): III. Lentement (1:34)

06. Variations -  ‘Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her’, BWV 769: 1. Nel canone all’Ottava (1:31)

07. Variations -  ‘Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her’, BWV 769: 2. Alio modo, nel canone alla quinta (1:32)

08. Variations -  ‘Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her’, BWV 769: 3. Canone alla settim (2:25)

09. Variations -  ‘Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her’, BWV 769: 4. L’altra sorte del canone al rovescio: 1) Alla sesta, 2) Alla terza, 3) Alla seconda e, 4) Alla n (2:55)

10. Variations -  ‘Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her’, BWV 769: 5. Per augmentationem, net canone all’Ottava (3:08)

11. Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532: I. Prelude (4:23)

12. Prelude and Fugue in D major, BWV 532. II. Fuge (5:04)

13. Pastorale in F major, BWV 590 (‘Pastorella’): I. In F major (2:05)

14. Pastorale in F major, BWV 590 (‘Pastorella’): II. In C major (2:22)

15. Pastorale in F major, BWV 590 (‘Pastorella’): III. In C minor (2:25)

16. Pastorale in F major, BWV 590 (‘Pastorella’): IV. In F major (3:55)

17. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, BWV 552 (‘St. Anne’): I. Preludium pro organo pleno (8:05)

18. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, BWV 552 (‘St. Anne’): II. Fuga a 5 con pedale pro organo pleno (6:11)

13. Pastorale in F major, BWV 590 (‘Pastorella’): I. In F major (2:04)

14. Pastorale in F major, BWV 590 (‘Pastorella’): II. In C major (2:21)

15. Pastorale in F major, BWV 590 (‘Pastorella’): III. In C minor (2:24)

16. Pastorale in F major, BWV 590 (‘Pastorella’): IV. In F major (3:54)

17. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, BWV 552 (‘St. Anne’): I. Preludium pro organo pleno (8:04)

18. Prelude and Fugue in E flat major, BWV 552 (‘St. Anne’): II. Fuga a 5 con pedale pro organo pleno (6:10)

Preston - Toccata & Fugue

Perhaps you can explain it to me.  Until then, see you next time!

   

Hymning and Hawing

It’s a 1993 release. The selections are really competent, but too distilled, too clean and precise, the bluegrass version of easy-listening muzak.

01. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (2:04)

02. I Saw the Light (1:46)

03. Turn Your Radio On (2:28)

04. Bringing in the Sheaves (2:13)

05. Standing on the Promises (1:48)

06. Shelter in the Time of Storm (1:55)

07. Trust and Obey (2:03)

08. I Love to Tell the Story (2:16)

09. When I Survey the Wonderous Cross (2:32)

10. Onward Christian Soldiers (2:16)

11. Send the Light (2:10)

12. I've Anchored in Jesus (2:17)

13. Rescue the Perishing (2:10)

14. Are You Washed in the Blood? (2:27)

15. Let the Lower Lights Be Burning (2:27)

16. Near to the Heart of God (1:53)

17. I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go (3:04)

18. Wonderful Grace of Jesus (2:47)

19. Take The Name (2:09)

20. Living on the Hallelujah Side (2:35)

20 Appalachian Hymns V3

Tell me if you become more or less spiritual after this album!  See you Thursday!

  

Look Out for Falling Houses

This is a 1990 compilation for which the artist or his producer shortened or edited some tracks for this release.  But it's still COSMIC, DUDE!

You may need to be in a certain frame of mind to appreciate the dreamy strains.  I first encountered Mr A on Music from the Hearts of Space, a bounty for meditative types.

01. Devotion (6:34)

02. Twin Flames Rising (4:13)

03. Inner Mounting Flame (7:11)

04. Feather's River (5:15)

05. Windsong (7:18)

06. The Other Side of the Rainbow (5:25)

07. Garden of Eternal Spring (4:33)

08. Lotus Love (5:09)

09. Oasis (6:53)

10. Celestial Sanctity (4:11)

11. Crystal Illumination (5:32)

The Other Side of the Rainbow

See you on Monday!

  

Work, Study, or Commit Hari-Kari

This 1954 album may be so smooth you can't take it.  Here is the text of the LP's liner notes.

     Now that modern science has come out in favor of it, everyone agrees on the good sense of listening to music while you are otherwise occupied. 

     Industry pipes it to production floors and laboratories—even where the most precise work demands absolute freedom from distraction.

     Schools pipe it to study rooms and libraries, and college professors recommend it as an efficiency aid to doing homework.

So it’s official! When you work by music or study by it, you work better or study better as the case may be.

     Ever since David played upon his harp and “Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him,” there have been at least two schools of thought on the matter of mixing music and more practical things.

     But it was not until fairly recent years, after the restaurateurs found that soft strains whetted appetites—and hence helped business—that psychologists began to do intensive research on the problem.

     Appropriately enough, the first noble experiment had been made by one of the prime movers in the development of the record industry—Thomas Alva Edison.

     As early as 1915 this great innovator played a selected program of recorded music in factories; it was his notion that production would increase proportionately with morale, and it was a perfectly sound notion. But the phonograph was not then as perfected as it is today, and the project unfortunately was written off as a failure.

     In 1942, when the findings of a more recent and more elaborately controlled test were presented to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the response was immediate and universal.

     Washington was so impressed that, after a further survey to confirm the scientific reports, it made phonographic equipment a high priority item for plants engaged in war work. And today it is a rare factory that does not offer music to its employees.

     In offices, too, there has been a steadily rising acceptance of the “music while you work” idea. Banks, advertising agencies, insurance companies, and publishing houses are among the employers now providing piped-in music for their white collar personnel.

     From the earliest days of World War II, when the British Army discovered his talents and made him its musical director, George Melachrino has had a wealth of practical experience in preparing ideal antidotes for preoccupied, overworked minds.

     If any orchestra in the world knows how to make music to work by or study by it is this one. Under Melachrino’s baton it might by any piece from Beyond the Blue Horizon to Chopin’s Minute Waltz, or even Whistle While You Work. No matter what the mood represented, the music is always appropriate for work and delightful for listening when interpreted by Melachrino. The privacy of the listeners mind is never invaded, so that it may ran freely over the most involved manual or intellectual problems without disturbance despite—or perhaps because of—the song that is on the lips.

The selections are:

01. Beyond the Blue Horizon (2:30)

02. Can't Help Singing (2:39)

03. Waltz in Water-Colours (3:07)

04. Midnight in Mayfair (3:06)

05. Way to the Stars (3:15)

06. Pick Yourself Up (1:58)

07. Scrub, Brother, Scrub (1:50)

08. The Minute Waltz (1:57)

09. Heigh Ho / Whistle While You Work (1:51)

10. It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow (1:43)

It's all so sparkling and fluffy, it doesn't even have the calories of whipped nothing!

Music to Work or Study By

See you on Thursday, if you recover from studying or working in such a haze of haziness ...
  

A Low-Threshold Spectacular

You’ll Spec! You’ll Synth! You’ll Kiss $1.98 Goodbye!

(At least, I did.) This is pretty competent and probably a whole lot more work in 1987 than it would have been even five years later.

My guess is this, regarding the credited artist’s name, "Star Inc": One of the composers’ credits lists an “E Starink.” However, the CD-Text spells it "Startink."  Hmmm …

This album is presented two ways—with the tracks of the two medleys ripped individually.  Then with the two medleys ripped as single tracks, to preserve the flow.

Ed Starink - Synthesizer Spectacular (separated tracks) -- 

01. Dervish D. - Vangelis (3:24)

02. Axel F. - Harold Faltermeyer (2:58)

03. Theme from Antarctica - Vangelis (4:12)

04. Miami Vice - J. Hammer (2:32)

05. Space Shuttle - E. Startink/H. Dussen (3:12)

06. Blue Monday - New Order (3:41)

07. Synsation Zero - E. Startink/H. Dussen (2:11)

08. Oxygene - Jean-Michel Jarre (1:43)

09. Aurora - Nova (1:44)

10. Chariots of Fire - Vangelis (1:42)

11. Plane Funk - E. Startink/H. Dussen (1:42)

12. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo (1:29)

13. The Model - H. Schul & H. Bartos (1:11)

14. The Friends of Mr Caïro - Jon & Vangelis (1:48)

15. Japanese Desert - E. Starink/H. Dussen (1:52)

16. Vienna - Billy Curry / Chris Cross / Warren Can / Midge Ure (1:24)

17. State of Independence - Jon & Vangelis (2:04)

18. I'll Find My Way Home - Jon & Vangelis (1:49)

19. The Eve of the War - Jeff Wayne (1:43)

20. E.T. - John Williams (1:44)

21. To the Unknown Man - Vangelis (2:23)

22. Equinoxe - Jean-Michel Jarre (1:39)

23. Magnetic Fields - Jean-Michel Jarre (1:38)

24. Sygns - E. Startink/H. Dussen (1:29)

25. Funky Town - Robert Greenberg (1:40)

26. Don't You Want Me - The Human League (1:33)

27. Don't Go - Johnny Clarke (1:34)

28. Inter Synthellite - E. Startink/H. Dussen (1:25)

29. While You See a Chance - Steve Winwood (1:30)

30. I Won't Let You Down - Hymas & Neil Diamond (1:23)

31. Maid of Orleans - Star Inc. (1:42)

32. Star Wars Theme - John Williams (1:35)

33. Magic Fly - Ecama (1:24)

34. Synsation "One" - E. Starink/H. Dussen (1:34)

***

Ed Starink - Synthesizer Spectacular  (medleys grouped)

01. Vangelis - Dervish D. (3:24)

02. Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F. (2:58)

03. Vangelis - Theme from Antarctica (4:12)

04. J. Hammer - Miami Vice (2:32)

05. E. Startink/H. Dussen - Space Shuttle (3:12)

06. New Order - Blue Monday (3:41)

07. Star Inc - Synsation Zero (24:04)

08. Star Inc - Synsation One (22:27)

I think you’ll find it fun.  You won’t say that Star Inc medleyed where no one should meddle!

Inadequately Tonked

These selections are such favorites to the record company that the record company couldn't even get the song names right!

01. Swanee River (2:30)

02. In the Mood (3:06)

03. Little Brown Jug (2:37)

04. The Entertainer (2:27)

05. Ain't She Sweet (3:50)

06. Maple Leaf Rag (2:49)

07. The Entertainer's Rag (2:27)

08. The Beer Barrel Polka (3:43)

The Honky-Tonks - Piano Favorites

Here's the straight skinny:

Track 1 is “Swanee, How I love Ya” not “Way Down upon the Swanee River.”

Track 3 has “Baby Face” and “Comin’ Through the Rye” before it gets to “Little Brown Jug” about 1:15, before moving on to “Woody Woodpecker Song.”

Track 4 was “The Intertainer” in the CD-text originally encoded in the disc.

Track 5 has “Put Another Nickel in the Nickelodeon” about halfway through, and becomes “Ain’t She Sweet” at 2:20 and “Has Anybody Seen my Gal” at 3:00

Last track begins with “Abba Dabba Honeymoon,” then the title song, then “Yessir That’s My Baby” then “Toot-Toot-Tootsie Goodbye” and “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.”

I might even have missed an interpolated song or two!  Let me know ...  Until then, see you Thursday!

   

Style Never Goes Out of Style

Here's a 1999 two-disc synthesis of what somebody liked about the 1930s.

Of course, the English major in me wishes to point out that "style," like "quality," is a NEUTRAL adjective.  You gotta say "good" or "bad" or "high" or "plebian" or some such.  When I hear an entertainment-type human describe something as "a quality product," they mean GOOD.  But since they didn't say "good," they deserve to be slapped in the face with a wet carp, until they learn.

Until then, here is some non-specific style:

VA - The Age of Style, disc 1

01 - How Do You Do, Mr Right - Frances Day

02 - Change Partners - Fred Astaire

03 - You - Carroll Gibbons

04 - Deep in a Dream - Greta Keller

05 - It's De-Lovely - Leslie Hutch Hutchinson

06 - By the Fireside - Jessie Matthews

07 - Roll Along, Prairie Moon - Al Bowlly

08 - I Wish I Were Twins - Coleman Hawkins

09 - Deep Purple - Turner Layton

10 - The Girl I Knew - Elisabeth Welch

11 - Leave a Little for Me - Jack Buchanan

12 - Moonglow - Django Reinhardt

13 - Love In Bloom - Noël Coward

14 - Let Yourself Go - Ginger Rogers

15 - May I Have the Next Romance With You - HUTCH

16 - I Believe in Miracles - Hildegarde

17 - Sing, Baby, Sing  You Turned the Tables On Me - Carroll Gibbons

18 - Would You Like to Take a Walk - Marion Harris

19 - Looking On the Bright Side - Layton & Johnstone

20 - Would You - Greta Keller

21 - South of the Border - Al Bowlly

22 - With Thee I Swing - Carroll Gibbons

23 - After You, Who - Fred Astaire

24 - Down By the River - HUTCH

25 - A Thousand Goodnights - Raie Da Costa

**

VA - The Age of Style, disc 2

01 - Love Locked Out - Al Bowlly

02 - It's an Old Southern Custom - Carroll Gibbons

03 - I Think I Can - Jack Buchanan

04 - Stairway to the Stars - Greta Keller

05 - Remember Me - Leslie Hutch Hutchinson

06 - Dancing on the Ceiling - Jessie Matthews

07 - Smoke Rings - Django Reinhardt

08 - The Glory of Love - Hildegarde

09 - Living In Clover - Jack Buchanan

10 - Heart and Soul - Dorothy Carless

11 - Everything I Have Is Yours - Al Bowlly

12 - Did You Ever See a Dream Walking - Frances Day

13 - I've Got You Under My Skin - Carroll Gibbons

14 - I'm Putting all My Eggs in One Basket - Ginger Rogers

15 - Don't Blame Me - Leslie Hutch Hutchinson

16 - Harlem in My Heart - Elisabeth Welch

17 - Heaven Can Wait - Turner Layton

18 - Transatlantic Lullaby - Adelaide Hall

19 - We Were So Young - Noël Coward

20 - You Hit the Spot  I Feel Like a Feather in the Bree - Carroll Gibbons

21 - One More Kiss - Jessie Matthews

22 - Flying Down to Rio - Fred Astaire

23 - Lamplight - Greta Keller

24 - When Day Is Done - Benny Carter

25 - I Still Love to Kiss You Goodnight - Leslie Hutch Hutchinson

VA - The Age of Style

And it's one big fat file.

Welcome to zee Summair of zee Luff!