Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac
from: SONY CLASSICS
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Sales Rank: 7544
Sales Rank: 7544
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Music : Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac |
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Rating: - * Perfect with a glass of wine on a stay at home day ... I've enjoyed listening to the CD so far. It makes me wish for a winter day, sitting on my couch in front of a fire, with a nice glass of wine and a great book and this music in the background. I grew up listening to a lot of classical, and it's refreshing to have the "classical" sound without simply another group rehashing the same old melodies. Don't get me wrong, I love Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, etc. but I don't always want to hear them. This is a good alternative, and the extra flourishes and addition of vocals on a couple of the tracks kept me intrigued throughout my first listening. Rating:  - * New Age Music ... Here's a tip for you: if someone feels it necessary to say certain music is not New Age, you can be pretty sure it is. This is pleasant, anesthetic, soporific background music. Listen to the samples carefully before you buy. Rating: - * Beautiful Music ... I stumbled over this CD when I was looking for relaxing music to help me sleep. The title drew me in. For the most part, I love the music. The only thing that prevents me from giving it 5 stars is that I wasn't too crazy for the non-instrumental songs. Rating:  - * AHN TRIO CONTINUE TO MAKE SOME OF THE BEST CONTEMPORARY CLASSICAL MUSIC ... AHN TRIO LULLABY FOR MY FAVORITE INSOMNIAC The Ahn Trio is comprised of three sisters born in Korea and educated in the U.S.A. at the prestigious Juilliard School. They play piano, violin and cello and their deep-roots in the classical tradition are clearly evident. But consistent with their last two albums, their fifth CD, Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac (Sony-BMG-RCA), finds them playing everything but traditional classical repertoire. They try their hand at "My Funny Valentine," David Bowie's "This Is Not America," a Brazilian number, a couple of folk songs, and several film themes. In addition, the Ahn Trio is joined by folk singers, DJ-beat-masters, Czech musicians and even a Korean rapper. The Ahn Trio's instruments stay in the forefront on the first dozen songs, but fade a bit into the background on the four bonus tunes which are remixes of four of the first selections using club beats and grooves. Several of these compositions were covered by the Ahn Trio on previous albums (these are different versions, however). The first three-fourths of the CD comes across (as the title suggests) as a recording of lullabyes and softer songs for dreaming, loving and relaxing, so be prepared the first time the bonus tracks come on because they are much more beat-oriented. The Ahn Trio must be commended for their continued experimentation. They bring a lot excitement to classical music, which can use some shaking up from time to time. Whether you call it neo-classical, contemporary classical, classical crossover or modern classical, this is some of the best, most refreshing and most invigorating out there. Rating: - * A rousing tour de force of classical music like never heard before. ... The Korean-born, Julliard-trained Ahn sisters (violinist Angella, pianist Lucia and cellist Marcia) present Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac, an album that revitalizes common conceptions 21st century classical music with its unique blend of old and new. Incorporating elements of new age, jazz, pop, folk, minimalism, lounge, hip-hop and more into traditional styles, their latest album Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac transcends barriers as a refreshingly unique creation. The track list (including eight brand-new recordings) is "Dies Irie", "Magic Hour", "My Funny Valentine", "Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac", "Big My Secret", "All I Want", "Heart Asks Pleasure First", "Dream", "Oblivion", "Song on the Land", "This Is Not America", "Solitary Singer", "Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac (Tao of Sound Remix)", "Song on the Land (DJ Spooky Remix)", "This Is Not America (Superdrive - This Is America Mix)", and "My Funny Valentine (Ra.D - My Funny Baby Mix)". The club remix tracks especially stand out since they are the result of international sound designers working their magic with some of the Ahn sisters' most popular tunes. A rousing tour de force of classical music like never heard before. |
The real joy of the set, however, is nine NBA playoff games presented as they were originally broadcast and almost in their entirety. They last about 90-100 minutes with TV introductions and post-game interviews, but minus halftime, commercials, and some slower moments. The games include such absolute classics as the game in which rookie Magic Johnson started at center in place of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the 1987 "baby hook" game against the Boston Celtics. If you're used to watching current NBA games you might be tempted to just skip to the end, but it's surprisingly rewarding to watch the game develop, to watch the game's superstars strut their stuff (or see a couple of 1972 reserves named Phil Jackson and Pat Riley), and to observe how radically the sport has changed over the years. Variable picture quality and technical glitches are unavoidable (even the 2002 game looks washed out), but this is the first time complete or nearly complete NBA games have been available in the home-video era, and they probably still look better than the VHS tapes you've been saving over the years. Yes, it'd be easy to argue about which games from the Lakers' long history should have been included, and the highlight videos don't have a ton of replay value, but the NBA Dynasty series is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi
