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World & Folk |
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Artist:
Various Artists
 Brilliant, 2010-08-24
All the Charlie Gillett annual compilation records are full of real gems and great value - this is no exception... and as Gillett died during the compiling of this selection it is a fitting memorial to a great dj
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List Price: £16.99
Our Price: £7.49
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Artist:
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
To gauge the magnitude of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's popularity in his native Hawaii, consider this: following his death in 1997 (at age 38, attributed to his profound obesity), Kamakawiwo'ole's body lay in state in the state capitol, only the second person to receive such an honor. Kamakawiwo'ole's appeal lies in his love for prestatehood, precondominium Hawaii and the expressiveness of his gently passionate voice, which can float through higher registers with an ease that brings Johnny Mathis to mind. Several selections ("Ka Pua U'i," "White Sandy Beach of Hawai'i," the sun-kissed "La 'Elima") feature Kamakawiwo'ole in a traditional mood, using only his ukulele to adorn th...
Excellent CD Choice, 2010-08-01
I bought this for my mother in law who had heard "Somewhere over the Rainbow" from this album and loved it. I was hoping that she would also enjoy the rest of the CD. We both sat and listened to it and we both loved the whole album. It is very easy listening and relaxing and suits a varied age group. I would highly recommend this album to anyone.
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List Price: £18.99
Our Price: £7.39
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timeless class, 2010-08-29
its a short review, i have had this for a few years and it is class, ive got about 300 cds which i would class as world music, i have refined that lot to quite a high quality, this is in top 30. one for low lights, candles, wine, and finally convincing the woman in your life that you are a man of high culture !!!!!!!
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List Price: £4.99
Our Price: £2.83
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Artist:
Various Artists
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List Price: £15.99
Our Price: £8.95
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Artist:
Paco Peña
the title says it all, 2009-10-03
good for background or just to wind down and relax, somehow it's very soothing despite the frenetic rhythms of the flamenco
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List Price: £5.99
Our Price: £2.24
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Artist:
Ali Farka Toure,
Toumani Diabate
Scampicat, 2010-08-08
I purchased this album solely on the direction of a recommendation from Amazon. You know - "customers who bought this etc".Well it might be a clever marketing tactic, but it has bought me much pleasure, not least with this album. It is beautiful. Maybe, I am being fanciful but I am convinced that the album has a wistful and sad quality determined by the knowledge of Ali Farka Toure that he had'nt got much time left. I was so impressed by this album, that I have done my homework subsequently. Have also bought albums by Habib Koite and Bamada, also from Mali. It is not often that you play an album without wishing to skip at least one track. No track to skip on this masterpiece.
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List Price: £13.99
Our Price: £8.39
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Artist:
Serge Gainsbourg
Génial, 2010-07-01
Of the British people who are even aware of Serge Gainsbourg's existence, the majority of them would simply see him as a dirty old Frenchman who got his young girlfriend to groan over one of his records.
While that's not exactly untrue, to write Gainsbourg off as the man behind "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus", his only hit outside of his native France, is similar to basing the entire career of John Lennon around "Imagine". "Je T'Aime..." is just one of many shimmering jewels in a magnificent, Gallic crown.
Again like John Lennon, it would be impossible to put all of Gainsbourg's hits on just one album, a glorious career spanning 33 years in the spotlight, but Initials SG is certainly a good place to start, with a chronological look at how Gainsbourg evolved from a chanteur with a uniquely cynical style to the master of ye-ye penning hit after hit for the likes of France Gall and Juliette Greco before meeting his first muse Brigitte Bardot and beginning a golden era that would continue with his lover of ten years, English actress Jane Birkin.
His early career has a generous helping of the compilation, with the jaunty "Intoxicated Man" and "Couleur Cafe", a percussion-led trumph particular highlights. But it's the Serge of the late-1960s and 1970s that truly shines. The pounding "Bonnie & Clyde" and James Bond-inspired "Initials BB", both featuring Bardot, are stunning examples of sixties pop-rock at it's very best, and the simply outstanding and vastly under-appreciated "Requiem Pour Un..." gets a well-deserved place.
Only one track from Gainsbourg's magnum opus Histoire De Melody Nelson is included ("Ballade De Melody Nelson"), but it is a good choice and anybody who enjoys what they hear on this compilation would do well to seek out Melody Nelson. Near the end of the compilation, "Aux Armes Et Caetera", Gainsbourg's controversial reggae cover of "Le Marseillaise", the French national anthem, proves that even at the age of 51, Gainsbourg was still cutting-edge.
Serge certainly wasn't perfect, especially in his twilight years, but no deadwood has wormed it's way into this compilation and thus this serves as a fantastic introduction to one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. Hopefully one day the United Kingdom will realise the genius of Serge Gainsbourg, a man who was quite preposterously snubbed despite being hailed as a legend just 34 kilometres across the Strait of Dover.
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List Price: £8.99
Our Price: £4.73
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Artist:
Gipsy Kings
Music To Make You Smile, 2010-08-06
This album has to be up there with the top 'Feel Good' albums. The song A Mi Manera (My Way) is just beautiful, and the upbeat tunes Bambaleo and Volare are sure to make you smile & lift your mood. All in all this album compliments a cold beer on a warm summers evening.
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List Price: £4.99
Our Price: £2.12
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Artist:
Carolina Chocolate Drops
A Lost Tradition Found, 2010-06-21
The Applachians have always been associated with blue grass and the white music of the lost provinces of North Carolina and the Blue Ridge mountains. Slave labour was as useful in the mountains as the Mississippi Delta and by the mid 19th century there was a considerable black musical presence in North Carolina and Virginia which drew on the Scots and Irish music traditions as their African roots. The Carolina Chocolate Drops are superbly gifted musicians who bring alive this tradition along with rag-time blue grass and traditional British folk tunes. 'Snowden's Jig' (the genuine negro jig of the title) dates from Appalachia 1850 and sits comfortably with the up tempo novelty song 'Cornbread and Butterbeans', the 1920s torch song 'Why Don't You Do Right' and Papa Charlie Jackson's rag 'Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine.'
This is not prissy perfect musical homage to a dead tradition but a vibrant reinterpretation of fabulous roots music. Just listen to 'Peace Behind the Bridge' or 'Hit 'em Up Style' if you need convincing.
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List Price: £11.99
Our Price: £6.59
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Artist:
Buena Vista Social Club,
Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder's name has helped bring attention to this session, but it's the veteran Cuban son musicians who make this album really special. Reminiscent of Ellington in its scope and sense of hushed romanticism, Buena Vista Social Club is that rare meld of quietude and intensity; while the players sound laid-back, they're putting forth very alive music, a reminder that aging doesn't mean taking to bed. Barbarito Torres's laoud solo on "El Cuarto de Tula" is both more blinding and more tasteful than any guitar showcase on any recent rock album; a quote from "Stormy Weather" and some very distinct parallels to Hawaiian styles remind us of why it's called "world music."<...
Addictive, 2010-07-23
So these guys were just minding their own business playing away in a bar - thank goodness someone found them. This album is AMAZING, great South American sound, my only complaint is that I can't stop playing it!
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List Price: £13.99
Our Price: £9.43
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