Ambrosia

I have been listening to ambrosia since the early eighties and have always loved them. They have great voices and such feeling when they sing. I still get teary eyed when I listen to them.

ambrosia was the most fantastic singing group in the 70 and 80 i love them because the music they made in my time in life was so very happy and very much in love and when i hear this music i can go back in time to relive that moment of true love

Ambrosia at the local deli is popular; whipped cream, coconut, pineapple, half a cherry, a treat.
Ambrosia at the local Top 40 is much the same, a big seller, filled w/marshmallow vocals, easy as puddin' guitars, and achin' cherry popped songs that melt the gal next to ya.
Ambrosia at its best was Bread with memorable hits as, "Biggest Part of Me", "You're The Only Woman". "Nice Nice Nice" (with lyrics by Kurt Vonnegut !), while apparently in a good relationship, and late '70's hits of "Holdin' On to Yesterday", and "How Much I Feel", all yearning pretty while uhmm not so much.

This is a fine example of 1970's pop song writing and performance. It also may make some tear up. That would not be an allergic reaction, but a heartfelt reminiscence of a side salad of mixed fruit and bittersweet memories.

From 1975-1982, Ambrosia utilized pop sensibilities and a fusion flare - with a heavy dosage of progressive rock - to find a niche in the FM radio marketplace.

The overview of the band's career is a great place to get an appreciation of the power within the production and the California groove which powered the success in charting singles. Perhaps lost in the shuffle in the "Golden Age of Rock," the group was Nice, Nice, Very Nice musically, which makes Anthology a worthy addition to any rock album collection.

Behind Ambrosia's romantic, sweet radio hits like "How Much I Feel" and "Biggest Part of Me" lie incredible songs like "Can't Let a Woman," "Life Beyond L.A.," "Somewhere I've Never Traveled," and, of course, "Nice, Nice, Very Nice." The accomplished Ambrosia, in spite of its lightweight reputation, was a highbrow, artsy band of sorts: Guitarist/ keyboardist/vocalist David Pack's mentor (and friend) was none other than the great Leonard Bernstein, and "Nice, Nice" has lyrics written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Bassist/vocalist Joe Puerta, during Ambrosia's decade-long hiatus, was part of Bruce Hornsby's Range.

Three GREAT reasons to buy this CD: 1)"You're the Only Woman", 2)"How Much I Feel", & 3)"Biggest Part of Me." Need I say more? :D

Ambrosia's self-titled debut album is their best ever. On their early work, they were a cross between the Alan Parsons Project, Pablo Cruise, and Loggins & Messina, blending art-rock with pure pop-rock in a way that doesn't sound pretentious. Anyone who knows Ambrosia only from their soft-rock hits such as "How Much I Feel" MUST check this CD reissue out.

When I was in college in 1982, I was in a friend's dorm room and came across this album. At that time, I had a college radio show and was looking for "things that I had never heard before" that I might play on the show.

I was aware of Ambrosia's hits (How Much I Feel, Biggest Part of Me, You're the Only Woman), and my feelings were pretty neutral on those. When I read that the lyrics for "Nice, Nice, Very Nice" were written by Kurt Vonnegut, and that Alan Parsons had engineered it, I was curious about it, so I asked my friend about it. He told me that a girl had bought it hoping it was like Life Beyond LA, and didn't like it. So, she traded him for an album that he didn't like.

I asked what he thought of it. He said he wasn't that keen on it either ... kind of reminded him of Yes, or ELP ... two bands he didn't really like (two of my favorites).

Well, that cinched it for me, I asked to borrow it.

I was floored by this album.

I went back and asked him if he would trade for it, and I brought along a few albums to offer. Since I really liked the Ambrosia album, one of the albums I brought along was one that I really liked too ... Steely Dan's Countdown to Ecstasy, and I just hoped he wouldn't ask for that one in trade. Well, he did.

But I still thought I got the better deal.

At some point a few years later, my albums went into storage, and I basically forgot about this one ... sort of. When my family started to stockpile MP3s, You're the Only Woman turned up, and a few weeks ago, I noticed it. Ah, Ambrosia, they had an amazing first album. So, I snagged it from iTunes.

Well, the mid-70s were an amazing time for music, and this one is one of the best.

See how music can take you back ...

Where was I, you might ask? It's a long and treacherous tale my people. Aside from my talent of historic time travel, I am also known to visit the worlds contained within books. Oh, I see your smirk. You think experience is restricted to the boring earthy plain. Not so! Dreaming is the real world. All this is just illusion.

Anyway, I visited Greece and it was quite an experience. However, while in Athens I read a book on mythology and, when I fell asleep, I got stuck in some netherworld for two weeks! There was no brandy, to my chagrin, however, I did meet Athena and she was my date many times. Oh the laughs we had! We met Plato and had philosophical discussions about lepers and crooks. Everything was fine until Medusa showed up. Spoiled everything. She wanted a make over and new hair style, but no one could do it because she turned every stylist to stone. Each and every one of the many snakes on her head tried to get me with venom. Luckily, Athena threw me into Apollo's chariot and I was whisked out of the book by Pegasus. And, I made it back in time to write another worthy review.

And, as you might have guessed, this leads to Ambrosia, nektar of the Gods and this one surely is. This music hovers around the progressive rock arena in many mystikal and exciting ways. It is fantasy, ethereal, and a production level amoung the very best in the pop field. Elemental in substance, it runs the spectrum of sound. Light jazzy pop confections in some areas and soft, melodic, almost classical themes in others. This was a very bold step for an album debut - but everything here works amazingly well in sound and execution.

It begins with the rythmnic lift of "Nice, Nice, Very Nice", an ode to the vast array of people that inhabit our world. Replete with lyrics by the inimitable Kurt Vonnegut, it is a joyous beginning of this musical journey. Then comes the rocking horse intro to "Time Waits for No One". Building in pace to hurriedness, alarm clock in tow. Interesting segments of motifs are strung together like beaded pearls. The message here is to relax and relish your time and enjoy it. You might even hear music of Zorba the Greek here. See how my own subconcious themes weave? And you thought I was an ordinary Seer!

The beautiful and bittersweet "Holdin' On to Yesterday" is a gem here. Perfect pop ballad. And did I mention the violin? Ambrosia are all more than capable musicians with many, many instruments at their disposal. You will hear them fall into place. Next up is the rousing "World Leave Me Alone" with opposites played out in the lyrics, "I've never been a thief, but I won't say I'll never steal, I've never been a star, but that doesn't mean I don't appeal", and so forth and so on.

What is so satisfying with Ambrosia is the mood each song sets in the setlist. "Make Us All Aware". An easy groove coveying the need to learn and grow within the endless universe. Connection is the key and, with that, a semi-irish jig to propel us all forward. "Lover Arrive" is grandiose and lush in every sense, reminiscent of an early Elton John tune. Or, at least that is what it reminds me of.

We then come to "Mama Frog" which explores jazzy augmented chords while entertaining a repetition and build into an erudite, Lewis Carrol monologue of Jabberwocky. Eerie but fascinating with unusual background effects. You may think the music spirals out of control, but don't forget, it's an Alice in Wonderland as music and noises here.

This self-titled debut ends with the introspective "Drink of Water". It examines the search for meaning in life. The search for everyman. Keyboards approach at every turn in a wonderous sonic attack, only to give way to mist and onwards to the yearning conclusion. The hills and valleys in Ambrosia's music are unique and make this album a stand out for all seasons hence.

For lovers of contemporary pop, this selection is indispensible and quite a find. Now, I have to get back to my everyday boring chores. What? Washing dishes and cleaning my castle? Forget that! Why do you think I have a sea sepent and dragon? They must earn their keep somehow. No. I meant meeting Athena for brunch. Com'on, you know Metamorpho's ironic wit by now!

It's all for fun, for goodness snake -- Metamorpho ;)

Ambrosia in the early days reminds me of a cross between early Alan Parsons Project and Seals & Crofts. I think you'll agree that while the sound of their music appears to be stuck in that good time 70's vibe, the quality of their songwriting skills elevates them far above most other rock bands. They were truly a talented band capable of writing some of the best verses and choruses we've ever known. I feel pretty confident if you like the sound and style of 70's rock, this album is sure to please you.

A musical feast, this CD includes 8 tracks that are each original, dynamic, and make for addictive listening; guaranteed you'll want to play your favorites over and over.

This was Ambrosia's debut album and I remember hearing it for the first time in a high-end listening room at a local stereo store way back in 1975. I was so impressed with the production values and astonishing sonic quality (especially for the time), that I credit this very album with starting me down the path toward becoming an audiophile. I still have that original vinyl record and played it one last time before getting this CD.

Ambrosia's debut album is a rare gem and should be part of any music lover's collection.

Ambrosia had all the tools to be an American version of Yes and Pink Floyd rolled into one amazing band.

Take one part Copeland,one part Chopin,a smattering of Pink Floyd,the Beatles,Alan Parsons Project,and a chunk of Frank Zappa,fuse it together and voila ,Ambrosia.

This is their last album that was any good,anything after just sucked.

I wish they hadn't sold out and gone over to the dark side of the Hollywood hit machine.

What a waste of talent!

Beware - it says "original recording remastered", but what you receive when you order is the original CD release from last century. I tried ordering twice expecting to get the latest remasters (the second time going to great lengths explaining the situation), but was still sent the original CD release version, not the true "remaster". Amazon was great with the returns, but I'd go to the store if I was youze.
But 5 stars for the material.

And..., Somewhere I've Never Traveled, Cowboy Star, The Brunt, Danse With Me George and Running Away are my favorites on this CD. The melodies are strong. The lyrics are thoughtful and clever. The execution of the material, the colorful production and crisp engineering are all top notch and painstakingly intricate. This work represents some of the most successful melding of progressive rock / pop with classical elements. It's especially enjoyable in headphones. To think these guys were in their early 20s when they created this... Amazing. If you enjoy this CD you will also enjoy their first one just as much. Brilliant and inspired.

While some might dismiss this as a poor sophomore effort, it charters new territory on some songs while staying true to some of the debut's tracks (Can't Let a Woman). "The Brunt" is no more off kilter than "Mama Frog" from the first. And to say that "Cowboy Star" or "Danse With Me George" is over the top also indicts the debut's "Drink Of Water".
It's an assortment for the ears to be sure and has enough songs that if combuned with some of the first album/CD's would make for a sonci killer!
Starting off with "And..." & rolling into the title track this is a good start. The closing "We Need You To" was on par with the final sone on their last album (Road Island) in the tune of "Fool Like Me".
Unfortunately after this second effort the prog was dropped for pop (although the 1-2 punch of "Art Beware" & "Apothecary" with it's blues then jazz motif is very tasty) on Life Beyond LA.
Well worth addition in a collection. To say that's it is a huge drop from the debut and holds less musicianship is put to rest with a listen to Danse, The Brunt, Can't Let A Woman, Cowboy Star, and the title track.

They did ressurect some of the magic with the final release, Road island but by then it was just as well they moved on.

BTW, "Harvey" is about a retarded elderly man who hung around the studio where the LP was recorded. It is his voice heard on the LP saying..."And my front brain, would not accept, my thanker(thinker)...see...no kid.."

I am a big fan of Ambrosia's self titled album, which I have held in esteem for nearly thirty years. Naturally I figured a broader sampling of their music was in order. unfortunatley, reviews given by devoted listeners can be over enthusiastic, and I got sucked into believing them. I may try to listen to "Somehere I've Never Travelled" one or two more times in the future but it doesn't hold a candle to their first.

why this album was so villified by the folks who think Ambrosia's debut is the masterpiece it is. While not in the same class - and barely in the same genre - "Life Beyond L.A." has much to recommend it. In fact "the HIT" (How Much I Feel) isn't all THAT cheesy by the era's standards and is at least listenable. There are five great songs (1,2,3,8,10) and three damned good ones(4,7,9) to "make up" for "How Much I Feel."

"Angola" is great fun, and the lyrics are a reality check for those of us going through hard times. (Again!) Remember, the economy was a basket case in the late '70's and early '80's also.

Anyway, great production, great musicians and good songwriting make for a pretty good album. Listen with fresh ears. Is it as good as Ambrosia 1? Nope, but it is a good album in its own right, and an enjoyable listen.

Life Beyond LA is a fine pop/rock album, with not a bad song on it. The sound quality is fabulous, especially on a high end system. The remastering job is very good, but I think for it's time the recording of this album was exceptional. This album is one of the great CD deals out there that few people know about, since you can find this CD from several sources for less than 10 bucks.

But this is a far cry from the simple, creative group that made two classic albums before hitting it big. I guess the pressure to excel and the rigors of touring all caught up with the band. The single 'How Much I Feel' is a good song, actually, a great song, but certainly firmly in the MOR/AOR camp. The rest of the album falls between semi-creative jazz-rock songs and tres-cheesy R&B fluff. Lyrically, the optimism and earnestness has been replaced with cynicism (Art Beware), despair (title track), substance abuse issues (Apothecary), boredom (all of the above). The multilayered, classical music approach has been replaced with a mature, stripped down, jazzy, sequenced feel. This can be creatively done, as in the excellent title track, or by-the-book (If Heaven Could Find Me). Art Beware and Apethecary segue into each other, and are nicely arranged and well written, if a little toned down from previous records. Songs like "Heaven Could Find Me", "Dancin By Myself", "Not As You Were" tread too much into the Disco Era. "Angola" has a kind of annoying verse, but the bridge is actually as good as anything on this record (do you remember when, old wall street fell), before returning to the verse, now more annoying than ever. I mean, I like the lyrical intent but the song sounds like a stage musical. Heart To Heart and Ready For Camarillo are not terrible, but pretty bland and depressed feeling. Overall, the most morose album from this group. Their next album, 180, was slightly better. If you only know the band for their two top 10 hits, buy the compilation first.

After so much promise after Somewhere I Never Travelled, this release did for Ambrosia what Abacab did for Genesis, a freefall from creative prog to top 40 drivel. Ouch....

I was a huge Ambrosia fan in the 70s, and I still think their first album and their second, _Somewhere I've Never Traveled_, are both among the top 10 albums produced during that decade--it's exhilarating music, just absolutely wonderful. The band got a bad rap with critics and their more intense fans because of three easy listening hits that came off their next two projects, and one of them, "How Much I Feel," is here on _Life Beyond LA_. In a certain mood I don't mind those radio hits, simply because David Pack and Joe Puerta both have such terrific voices, the band is so tight and cool (as good as Steely Dan in that sense), and their tunefulness and vocal harmonies have only ever been surpassed by the Beach Boys themselves (another band I love). But, yeah, OK, the hits in question are a touch on the schmaltzy side. But that is *not* what marks this band on the whole, and Life Beyond LA is still well worth getting. I just bought it and listened to it fresh lately (first time in fifteen or twenty years), and I'm greatly surprised at just how good it is. Many of the lyrics still have the young, angry, artsy edge that I loved about their first two albums, and I can listen to Pack and Puerta sing all day long--believe me, as singers they are *that* good. "Apothecary" is my favorite, a jazzy piece that swings, with clever lyrics in the voice of a drug addict, and the title cut rails against LA phoniness, and it rocks as well. "Art Beware" follows right along: "Art beware, it's all been done / There's nothing new under the sun." I loved the whole first half of the CD, hit single and all. The second half continues with "Dancin' by Myself," with an interesting staccato rhythm that stops then flows into smooth, high-70s pop mode in the chorus. It's perfectly indicative of the drift the band was undergoing away from their progressive art rock beginnings. "Angola" gets back to political commentary, with a comic air that still makes a serious (angry) comment about how blasé Americans are with their absurd consumer abundance. "Heart to Heart" is romantic pop--a bit dull, maybe, except I still love Pack's voice whenever I hear it, especially when he climbs into a falsetto as naturally and effortlessly as Brian Wilson, as he does at one point. "Not as You Were" is a pleasant rocker, with a late 70s-sounding keyboard--it's catchy and it works, but it's not thrilling either. On the whole, while not as ambitious as their first two albums, Life Beyond LA is pretty darn good. For someone only familiar with Ambrosia's radio hits, this is the place to start if you're looking to feel your way towards their mind-blowing early works, and the terribly underrated and ignored (and terrific) final album, _Road Island_. In the end, this band is so good and so talented that I'd recommend anything they put out. Ambrosia is 70s pop/rock at its very smartest and best.

If I wanted soft rock or pop, I'd listen to Barry Manilow, NOT Ambrosia. This album has some "decent" songs like "Ready", "Kamakaze", and so forth, but forget the mushy stuff. Sure, as a girl that appreciates a great male voice, I love hearing David Pack sing his sweet ballads, but some of these songs are just a little too mushy for me. I'm like a lot of others that are disappointed in how much of a "180" they did with their music. Some of the old Ambrosia feel comes through on the harder songs, but this album is mostly just mush!!! LOL!!! This album, regardless of the hit singles on it, may have been Ambrosia's demise. If you like mush, it's a great album to get. If you like classic Ambrosia, hang it up!

It's difficult to reconcile an Ambrosia album like "One Eighty" with their previous, predominantly progressive, hard-rock extravaganzas including their debut masterpiece effort (self titled), followed by an arguably even LOFTIER orchestral, rock-opera creation called "Somewhere I've Never Travelled" (which, if you own the LP, is unique, creative and imaginative [and a definite collector's gem] in that the album cover actually opens out and up into the shape [suitable for a table centerpiece] of a perfect pyramid!). Wow! And then Ambrosia's third offering, "Life Beyond L.A.," is worth the price of purchase alone with its eponymously-titled opening track, a progressive-rock "quo vadis" that even received respectable-enough airplay on selective radio stations in 1978.

But by then however, Ambrosia fans were beginning to notice a rather disconcerting change in their beloved, "intelligent-rocker-audiophile" quartet's musical direction. To put it mildly, Ambrosia was beginning to show signs of "mellowing out." Worse yet, they seemed to be "selling out." You could say that the worry began to settle in with 1978's adult-contemporary hit single, "How Much I Feel." With this song, Ambrosia started to gain a whole new audience, while undermining their faithful base of progressive-rock worshippers.

That loyal base could have forgiven Ambrosia their 1978 commercially-driven faux pas, were it not for their fourth offering and the album reviewed here, "One Eighty" (released, not coincidentally enough, in 1980). Two more hit singles reminiscent of "How Much I Feel," namely "You're the Only Woman" and "Biggest Part of Me," nailed the coffin lid shut on Ambrosia (as rock-and-roll pioneers) forever, typecasting them as "easy listening" to the masses of listeners right up until the present day.

Tragically enough, being typecast as easy-listening was never what band members and erstwhile audial imagineers David Pack, Joe Puerta or Christopher North ever had in mind. But something happened between "Somewhere I've Never Travelled" and "One Eighty." Perhaps it was the fact that David Pack was (literally) losing his hearing in both ears. Or maybe the reality was best summed up in the lyrics to the outstanding, progressive-rock swan song "Life Beyond L.A." (from the album released 2 years before "One Eighty"): "Living out here you soon come to know that it ain't how good you are as much as who you know ... now you fake it."

They did. And they made a lot of money doing just that.

But surprisingly (or perhaps not, at least to the legions of "true" Ambrosia aficionados), just as Ambrosia began to be recognized in a rather major fashion by the Billboard Pop Chart, rather than "ride the success wave" to further pop popularity, "One Eighty" marked both the apex (commercially) and the collapse (artistically) of Ambrosia's career. Their followup album, "Road Island," sank into the ocean of oblivion like Krakatoa. And along with "Road Island," Ambrosia itself disappeared beneath the waves.

I recall vividly in 1980, leafing through an issue of Billboard Magazine shortly after "One Eighty" and its attendant, light-on-the-ears, soft-on-the-brain hits dolloped onto the scene like so much hospital-vanilla pudding, amazingly and amusingly enough (and ostensibly as a kind of "sop to Cerberus" to their "hard core" audience): Ambrosia posted a full-page, full-color, heavy-text "disclaimer" in the industry-standard rag, defending their new album and insisting vehemently that "Ambrosia still rocks!" All humor aside, most implicit in this defense was, "please, please don't judge us by our hit songs; buy our new album and you'll hear for yourself - all the REALLY GOOD HEAVY stuff WHICH YOU LOVE and which the radio ISN'T playing! It's in here TOO!!" So I bought "One Eighty."

And I kind of had to agree with the guys. I love the thickly-layered, power-rock opening track, "Ready" (reminiscent of their equally power-driven "Can't Let a Woman" off "Somewhere I've Never Travelled"), and I also thought "Kamikaze" jammed effectively enough. But the rest of the album?

Hmmmmm ...

In any case, I had purchased the LP. And when the CD of "One Eighty" finally made it to market, yup - I bought that as well. So, like it or not, if I was upset with the way Ambrosia had declined artistically, I still feel, even to this day, that the band's definitive oeuvre just isn't complete unless all four of their albums (up until "Rock Island" which, although I do own it, confessedly, I couldn't tell you any of the names, let alone hum any of the tunes, of a single one of the songs from this album off the top of my head).

Thus, "four" seems to be a kind of "magic number" for Ambrosia, which is why, albeit semi-reluctantly, I give "One Eighty" four stars, even though (intellectually) I might wish to assign it merely two, or two-and-a-half. Maybe I give "One Eighty" 4 stars because their opening song "Ready" redeems the rest of the album. That and "Kamikaze." Or perhaps because ... ummmm ... "je ne sais quoi" (*sigh*) as the French say - I just don't know why.

Call it a "lifetime achievement award" to a band I once loved to pieces, and still do - for their aboriginal, brilliant work early on. Fortunately, you can still hear vestiges of that work here on "One Eighty."

Even with the two hit songs on this CD...It is still pretty good. It's obvious that this isn't progressive rock. The band Ambrosia slowly abandoned that genre music and chose to write and play pop music. Perhaps, it was contractual obligations or maybe, they just needed to eat??? The opening track Ready, makes references in the lyrics...to Somewhere I Never Travelled and Getting On Out Of L.A. Clearly, these words are chosen to refer back to their earlier albums. This song is one of the better one's on this CD. Shape I'm In is an okay pop-style song. Kamikaze rates as one of the worst songs that Ambrosia has ever made. I enjoy the music, but the lyrics stink! It's just stupid and dated. Like they would know anything about being a Kamikaze pilot. You're The Only Woman is a lesser known hit, but still recieves quite a lot of airplay. It's heard more often than not here lately in it's new jazzed-up remix by David Pack on his CD called The Secret Of Movin' On. I think that I like the original version better. Rock N' A Hard Place....is another good song. Definitely some shades of prog-rock here! Livin' On My Own is also one of the standout songs on this CD. It features the singing of Royce Jones. Great voice!!! Cryin' In The Rain is a pretty good tune, but definitely a "girlie rock" song. No Big Deal is a fast-paced, up-tempo song...The lyrics are kind of silly, but the song is catchy and has some hints of progressive rock. The final track is Ambrosia's well-known hit, Biggest Part Of Me. It's a nice song, but definitely overplayed. This is and adequate CD, but certainly not Ambrosia's best. It features some different musicians and a different sound.

Ambrosia began as a brilliantly original progressive rock band. Their first album "Ambrosia" is genius, one of the best albums of the 70's I'd say. This album is their 4th release, not their third. If you enjoy the early progressive sound of Ambrosia and were disappointed to hear them slipping more and more toward typical uninspired commercial-oriented music (um, selling out) with each album, then this is the album you might not want to buy. 180 indeed, it is almost unrecognizable in style from their brilliant first album. Not that anything these talented guys put out is bad, it's just so far below what they produced when they were playing with a sense of artistry rather than chasing the buck. As to the album cover, it's hard to believe that some folks haven't noticed how playing around with homoeroticism is a staple of the rebelliousness at the heart of rock and roll. This cover could have only caused controversy among the sappy mainstream audience it was directed at. More importantly, who cares what the sexual orientation of an artist is? It's the new millenium. Wake up and smell the diversity. Those of you insisting that the hug on the cover is not evidence of homosexuality are probably as homophobic as those who think it is. I have no idea if these guys are gay and don't care. Do you?

ONE EIGHTY was inspired by the month and year this album was finished,January 1980. Burleigh Drummond's arms around Joe Puerta is not a sign of homosexuality,as some people might think. This album was re-released in February 2000 on compact disc in America. This album is Ambrosia's fourth with their last biggest hits YOU'RE THE ONLY WOMAN and BIGGEST PART OF ME written by Ambrosia member David Pack. They're both jazz-flavored. LIVIN' ON MY OWN is also jazz-flavored. Those three songs appear on 1997's ANTHOLOGY. READY,also written by Pack, is a hard-rocker just like ROCK 'N A HARD PLACE(not to be confused with the Rolling Stones recording of almost the same title with different words and music). Drummer Drummond takes the lead on his personally penned CRYIN' IN THE RAIN. NO BIG DEAL,SHAPE I'M IN and KAMIKAZE are all cool. Ambrosia would record one more album after this,ROAD ISLAND,released in 1982 and disband thereafter.

I gave this album a full listen to the other day after I picked it up from the bargain bins at Streetlight in Santa Cruz.

It's better than those God awful sellout records of the 80's,but not up to the same freshness of the first two.

I think the drums are mixed way too much up front and the material just doesn't push the envelope enough to get any more than a listenable,but not memorable from me.

Many Ambrosia critics would say "One Eighty" is the best album because of the several hits that made the Billboard charts. I say...WHO CARES? Even though "Road Island" is the least known of Ambrosia's 5 albums, I think that it's the best one they ever did. It has a little bit harder feel than the previous 4, but that's what makes it so great. It still retains that old Ambrosia sound throughout the whole album. My favorite track is "Endings..." because it's sooooo beautiful (for an Ambrosia song.) I think it was fitting for the last song of the last album. I'm sure that many other fans could agree and say "Why in the heck did they break up after 'Road Island'?" I've heard it was because "Road Island" wasn't as successful as "One Eighty", but I say...who cares? I'm sure there was more going on than any of us know. Overall, I'd say that "Road Island", regardless of critic reviews or its popularity, is a great album to finish your Ambrosia collection. I just hope that one day Pack, Puerta, Drummond, and North can set aside their differences and release another album together.

Prior to buying this CD I had only heard one song from it... Still Not Satisfied. This appears on the Ambrosia Anthology CD release in 1997. It's a great song! I was a BIG fan of Ambrosia when they first came out, but felt abandoned when they turned to pop rock. I never bought anymore of their records after Life Beyond L.A. It was a disappointment too! The first song For Openers (Welcome Home) has drums in it that remind me of the Eagles song Those Shoes. Overall, it's a good song. It also has guitar sounds and special effects that remind me of many bands in the 80's. Kid No More is a catchy rock n' roll style song. I could have done without the screaming in the middle of it. Feelin' Alive Again...a pop love ballad sang by David Pack. How Can You Love Me is another lively pop song, but may be one of the best songs on this one. Fool Like Me appears to be an attempt that borders on a Contemporary Christian song. It has some odd lyrics..that even kind of reminds me of early Kansas. Ice Age is definitely a progressive-rock song with strange electronics and sounds in it. Try listening to this one with headphones. Endings is a beautiful song and is probably my favorite on this CD. This really is a good CD that is virtually unknown to many Ambrosia fans. I was glad to see that the price had dropped down to $13.99. But, I must ask myself was this recording too little, too late for most fans who were alienated by previous albums???

In the ROAD ISLAND recording (1982), Ambrosia really shows a compositional maturity (music & lyrics) that express an artistic emotional peak, different from their previous efforts. Passing through the Hard & Jazzy Rock formats to Progressive relative tracks: the performed songs are arranged with great vocal textures and amazing hypnotic fast rhythms like the fantastic "Still Not Satisfied" or the Oriental percussive "Kid No More", both tracks sang by the bass player Joe Puerta. Into another songs, we can listen the talented guitarist singer David Pack, singing great tracks like the heavy-Prog relative "For Openers", or the rhythmic Pop single "How Can You Love Me", the Progressive relative theme "Ice Age" and the romantic ballad "Endings", as the sucesor theme for "How Much I feel" (from the LIFE BEYOND L.A. album). Without a doubt, ROAD ISLAND and ONE EIGHTY, are the best recordings of the band ever, so don't lose this new opportunity to listen this underrated recording. A must for the Ambrosia fans...Good Luck!

After their first two albums, Ambrosia seemed to shift gear and move towards soft R&B and pop fluff. Life Beyond LA, apart from its singles, seemed morose and bland. One Eighty was a bit more energetic but still lightweight and starting to get silly. Buying this CD, I was expecting to hear more of the same, and find a just a few tracks that I liked on this album. But they actually gave it their all for this! Every song is good, and most are EXCELLENT! The lyrics give away the fact the band knew they were recording their last album.

The opening song sounds very much like Pink Floyd (probably because the album is produced by Pink Floyd engineer James Guthrie). A tiny bit bland compared to the rest of the album, but it's an acceptable opener to this album. Very heavy song.

Still Not Satisfied is a very good song, just prog rock enough to make it interesting. Good harmonies and awesome groove.

Not A Kid Anymore is a bit 80s huey lewis style cheesey, but the manic marimba solo (and top notch playing) redeems it. If they had made this a bit heavier or something it might have sounded better. It's still better than most of the stuff off the previous two albums. The screaming parts in the middle would work better if the whole thing was more heartfelt, instead it just comes off as silly.

Feeling Alive Again is a beautiful McCartneyish ballad. Outstanding vocals by David Pack. When this song is fading out it sounds absolutely majestic. This is what music is about.

How Can You Love Me is an good song, not particularly original but with good harmonies and playing. A bit dated sounding, the 80s crept into this track too.

Fool Like Me is an achingly beautiful song that sounds vaguely like Genesis on Then There Were Three, with a soaring guitar and a wistful, noodling keyboard solo, and some of the most reflective lyrics Joe Puerta has written.

Ice Age is a very creative prog rock song with innovative (for the time) use of technology. Synchronized echoing vocal lines and a very heavy drum sound, and of course time signature changes.

Endings is a good song to close the album with, a bit of a Beach Boys sound to the vocals and a haunting electric piano break.

If you liked their first few albums but wondered what happened after that, you'll definitely like this album!

If this is not a reprint of "Live at the Galaxy" it is so similar as to be indistinguishable; except that it excludes some songs. I'm a big fan of Ambrosia, and I was REALLY looking forward to a live album. I bought this album in hopes it would be an improvement over "...Galaxy"; I am bitterly disappointed with both prints. If you are going to take a chance, then get "Live at the Galaxy" but I don't really endorse either.

Amborsia - Standing Room Only

This CD is a product of being recorded from a concert at Santa Anna, CA in 2002. There are 10 tracks and no linear notes on the inside of the front cover. If listing this CD, there should be an indication if these are original tracks, live recordings, etc. The tracks are:

1 - Nice, Nice, Very Nice
2 - Livin' On My Own
3 - You're The Only Woman (You & I)
4 - And ... Somewhere I've Never Traveled
5 - Time Waits For No One
6 - How Much I Feel
7 - Magical Mystery Tour
8 - Drink Of Water
9 - Holdin' On To Yesterday
10 - Biggest Part Of Me

I just love the storm cloud cantata from Hitchcocks Man Who Knew Too Much and have been after it ever since I first saw the film. As a Lover of Movie Scores I highly recommend the entire album.

Milan Records presents Elmer Bernstein conducting The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with this digitally remastered "Bernard Herrmann Film Scores ", from "CITIZEN KANE" [1942], "THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER" [1942], "THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH" [1956], "PSYCHO" [1959], "THE WRONG MAN" [1957], "VERTIGO" [1958], "NORTH BY NORTHWEST" [1959], "THE BRIDE WORE BLACK" [1967], "FAHRENHEIT 451" [1966], "TAXI DRIVER" [1973]...and the final track is "BERNARD HERRMANN ON FILM MUSIC" [recorded early 1970s]...which clearly states why music is an additional character to any film, without it the film would be incomplete...during the silent film era, the piano player kept the audience tuned into what was happening, whether it was a love scene or danger lurking around every corner.

Herrmann completely mesmerizes us with his themes, blending variations with eloquent and subtle cues...depicting each character in the film, and fine tuned to the story-line ~ he was a genius and knew his craft well...relies heavily on strings, usually with lyrical solos for the winds...absolute in capturing the essence of each scene, musically letting the audience in through his score ~ the result is colors come shining through with wonderful arrangements...many of the classic film scores have become cult favorites among "film-score-buffs" like me and collectors alike.

Each film score is superb and very strong...the balance of the instruments and experimental touches of Bernard Herrmann are all just brilliant ~ working with directors like Welles, Dieterle, Hitchcock, Truffaut and Scorsese all were very conscious of classic film music and and Herrmann's cues really came through...each outing was nothing less than a bravo performance...those who ignored Herrmann during his career, really missed out...cause all the diehard collectors of film music knew he was a WINNER! ~ Bernard Herrmann [1911-1975].

Total Time: 69:35 on 11 Tracks ~ Milan Records 36095 ~ (10/26/2004)