mike arnold
Group: Members
Posts: 6
Joined: Nov. 1999 |
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Posted: Dec. 02 1999, 15:53 |
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Reading through the reviews, it is obvious that there are some very mixed feelings about this new cd. One reviewer thought that Mike appeared to have had little to do with this recording! Quite an amazing statement, since Mike composed, produced and arranged the whole thing, and probably had quite a hand in the recording and mixing processes.
There are some valid comments with respect to the cover, also the absence of a proper 'bell' tune...just the 'dongggg!'.
But, putting aside the issues of the cover and the name of the cd....which are relatively immaterial, it is the music that matters,....this is in my opinion one of Mike's better recordings.
After a few more listenings to the cd, I understand now why the 'Santa Maria' piece
didn't initially make a real impression. Whilst it is a very good and fitting track, it just happens to be eclipsed by the powerful tracks before and after it, 'Pacha Mama' and 'Sunlight Shining Through Cloud'.
Several listenings later also reveal 'Mastermind' as a very good track. Also, hearing 'The Millenium Bell' track without any pre-conceived idea as to whether or not there should be a bell tune in there, shows that this is also a really strong track.
'Amber Light' still tips the scales as being the best track on the album, with 'Sunlight Shining Through Cloud' a close second.
I mark this cd as at least 9/10, right up there with the best. And no, the album is not too short. It is the quality of what is on the cd that matters. Look at it this way, it's a lot better to have 45 minutes of truly artistic material rather than 70+ minutes of irrelevant claptrap? (After all, this was a major failing point of 'Amarok'. Whilst we are on the subject, what was so bad about 'Earth Moving' anyway? Sounded great to me!).
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