Aqua

I love this album. When I first bought it a few years ago I couldn't put it down. Although with the title song Barbie Girl it was a little embarrassing to purchase. But I love the Scandinavian sound reminiscent of Army of Lovers, Doctor Alban, and Ace of Base. And the play between the two vocalists hasn't been this good since the Sugarcubes, of course in a different way. But most of the songs are good there are a couple that fall a little flat but this album comes highly recommended.

Easy selection, hassle free purchase, international delivery faster than local one. Will continue to buy this way.

I first got this product in 1997 in audio cassette form. Only now has the cassette mal-functioned so I bought the CD. I was amazed at the difference in the quality. The songs sound so much better and alot more vibrant. If you have the cassette version I recommend buying the CD version very highly.

This product got here promptly in good condition. The CD was not scratched or anything. The CD case was broken, but it looked as though it broke during shipping. Overall it was a great price, and came quickly.

Aqua is a Danish dance group, best known for their 1997 breakthrough single "Barbie Girl". The group formed in 1989, and achieved huge success across the world in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although often criticised by the media, the group managed to top the UK Singles Chart with their first three singles, few artists have achieved that. The group released two albums, Aquarium in 1997 and Aquarius in 2000, they split up in July 2001. The group sold an estimated 28.7 million albums and singles.

In their prime, Aqua made singles chart top ten in a number of countries where European Dance acts would not normally succeed, including the USA, Australia and Japan. The group also caused controversy with the double entendres in their song "Barbie Girl", with the Barbie doll company Mattel filing a lawsuit against the group. The lawsuit was rejected in 2002.

The group consisted of Lene Nystrøm, René Dif, Søren Rasted, and Claus Norreen. All the members were Danish except Lene, who was Norwegian. Since their 2001 split, Lene, René and Søren have all achieved solo chart success, and Claus has continued to work in the music industry remixing other artists' material. Aqua's album Aquarium is very upbeat and very fun Dance Music.

As a Ventures fan since the early sixties (yeah, they're getting up there), I'm always on the lookout for great surf instrumental bands. Here's a short list: Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Huevos Rancheros, Los Straitjackets, etc. This is the first album to have grabbed me in a long time, although it's from the mid-nineties. Above all, the Aquas write great melodies. A lot of surf bands just riff with plenty of bass and drums. Nothing wrong with that, but in the end - can you hum it? Most of these songs have a moonlit, slightly menacing sound (with a touch of lounge). The album cover image captures it perfectly. The guitar work is sterling, very clean and simple as surf rock should be. Just enough reverb to give it that edge. My suggestion? Pour yourself a scotch, turn out the lights, put on your shades and crank it. Doesn't get any better. Meanwhile, spare a thought for Bob Bogle (Ventures co-founder), who apparently is quite ill. Rock on, Bob!

Another beautiful-sounding guitar instrumental disc from the "Aquas". This one is fairly laid back, and didn't knock me out like "Nomad", but I think it's one of those discs that will "grow" on me. I think "Day in the Life of a Private Eye" summarizes the concept here--"Guitar Noir" could be good music for "Film Noir".
As a Shadows fan for over 40 years, I can see their influence at work here--clean, distinctive, melodic playing--if Miles Corbin isn't a Hank Marvin disciple, I would be very surprised.
Nice one !

Of course, the cover art is striking. Palm trees framing a cat's eye moon over the golden gate bridge. A view only obtainable from Treasure Island. Its easy to forget that San Franscisco was the home of Sam Spade--a place where Vertigo could be made--Mort Sahl could tell topical jokes between jazz sets, or people would pass around a jug of wine at a poetry reading. This music has all the ambience of the cool, old, San Fransciso of pulp detective novels, beats and cool jazz. I absolutely totally do not understand the remarks of those reviewers who were disappointed in this cd. Comparisons with previous Aqua Velvets releases is unfair. This collection of tunes stands on its own merits. Those you you who don't get it--read the Maltese Falcon or The Big Sleep while you listen--it will start to make more sense to you.

I was disappointed in this CD. I have a copy of their earlier collection, Nomad, which is one of the best New Surf releases ever. This doesn't compare. I got this CD expecting a more subdued atmosphere with a little mystery and espionage thrown in. Unfortunately, they sound like a bad Vegas Lounge act. I should know, I live in Vegas. My advice would be to skip this CD and pick up Nomad instead. I hate to say that because I really do like The Aqua Velvets. Maybe next time.

Nothing relaxes me like this disk after a hectic day at work! Just kick back with a dry Vodka Martini and fall into the trace the AV's induce. Also great background for a low-key and laidback party...

Not for those with a closed mind or serious attitude. This music is made to dance around to in your kitchen at 12 AM when you're all by yourself. Extremely entertaining. And I LOOOOOOVE the ballads. They're absolutely gorgeous. And I'm a guy who doesn't like ballads at all. And of course the upbeat songs are perfect.

I love how many songs have sound themes. Halloween of course has a Halloween/horror movie theme.. Freaky Friday has this country western theme.. Goodbye To The Circus has a circus/carnival theme... Back From Mars has a space theme.. Cuba Libre has a samba/latino theme.. etc. Really fun. One of my favorite CDs ever.

Overall, much better than their first album which I also adore. But Aquarius just blows eurodance out of the water.

Aqua has usually been fun, and this is a good album. They apparently decided to experiment a bit, and for the most part they did a pretty good job. There are 12 songs on this album.

Cartoon Heroes was a big hit in Europe, and is very much in the vein of Aqua's album Aquarium.

Around the World is the first song that lets you know that Aqua was trying different things in music. René Dif was not using his well-known raspy voice and it was something of a slower song.

Freaky Friday is a tongue and cheek satire of country music, I mean how else could you classify a song with the chorus "Everything is wrong, my life is a country song." This is truly a fun song,taking many common country themes bundling them together.

We Belong to the Sea is the first truly soft or slow song on the album. It is one of my favorite songs on the album. This song showcases the talent of all of the singers. It is the first time that I realized that Lene Nystrøm has a very good voice.

An Apple a Day is a bit faster than We Belong to the Sea. It does not seem to be anything new or experimental.

Halloween appears to be another satire, only this time of the horror movie genre. There may be a little synthesized harpsichord in it to provide a light spooky feel. There is a reference to Candyman which is a lyric from Aquarium, and a acharacter from horror.

Good Guys is the most forgettable song on the album. It's not bad, but it does well as background noise.

Back from Mars was not a bad song. It sort of mixed the softer style used in Around the World with the signature Aqua music. Throw in a dash of dance music and bit of René Dif vocals, and you have an adequate hybrid. It is still Euro-pop music though not as definitive.

Aquarius was another slow song and is in my opinion second best slow song on the album.

Cuba Libre is an upbeat song in the style of the steel drum. It has an unusual beat, relative to other Aqua songs. This song reminds me a bit of Ricky Martin.

Bumble Bees is one of my favorite songs on the album. It harkens back to Aquarium, mixing fun with an upbeat Euro-style, and seasoning it with somewhat risqué lyrics.

Goodbye to the Circus is a farewell song, which is always nice on an album. One wonders if Aqua may have been looking ahead to a breakup. Actually I liked it as a conclusion to the album.

If you like the usual flare of Aqua's music, this will not disappoint. The techno beat is great for dancing, cleaning the house, or just having fun. My kids love it!

I am glad Aqua made a album "Aquarius" and a song "Aquarius" because I am a Aquarian as well. My birthday is in January.

Well since i was a kid, the only song that i heard of aqua was her classic "Barbie Girl", but i was always curious about this group; I thought they were just one hit wonder group, but i found out that they are great musicians,with lots of great songs, and touching lyrics.
My favorite songs of this albums are cartoon heroes, freaky friday, but above all, aquarius!!! this song it's simply fantastic.
If you wanna have some fun, and then, to have some fantastic memories you must have this album!

I am a fan of Savage Garden, The Eurythmics, and George Michael - all of them did a great job with and without Pavarotti....

And the man who sang O SOLE MIO - Darren Hayes (formerly of Savage Garden)... has the most beautiful- angelic- sultry and great voices I have ever heard - and to do it in Neapoliaton Italian (dialect) and in my opinion the best duet of ALL of them featured!!!!!

As always, Maestro Pavarotti's Modena concerts are highly entertaining and uplifting.
All artists sang two songs during the concert (one on their own and another with Maestro Pavarotti), but unfortunately not all of the songs are featured on this video. Another shortcoming is that there are no interviews or any extra footage.

It is funny to hear Pavarotti sing a pop tune as it is equally funny to see a pop singer with virtually no voice doing "O Sole Mio", but if it is all in good spirit and for charity, then it is enjoyable.

If you are intersted in European music scene or simply love Pavarotti, this tape will be a great treat for you.

Bravo showed this concert on New Years 2002 and it blew my mind. It is certainly the best of the War Child concerts, which started in 1996 as Pavarotti's effort to help the children of war-torn countries.
Like in the previous concerts, Pavarotti appears with international pop stars in the open-air piazza of his home town, Modena, Italy. (How do I get tickets for that?)
If you haven't heard any of these concerts, also available on CDs, you will be surprised how well Pavarotti's voice--a voice that makes the gods swoon--blends with the likes of Enrique Iglesias, George Michael, Tracy Chapman, and the Eurythmics. Previous concerts included B.B. King, Elton John, Ricky Martin, and Liza Minelli. Sometimes he sings along in English, sometimes in Italian counterpoint. The effect is stupdendous! These concerts display all the beauty of this great operatic voice while at the same time honoring the art of our greatest pop artists.
What makes this video the best is the children's chorus, the combined Ars Canto of Parmi, Italy, and the Children's Choir of Cambodia and Tibet. The video starts with this chorus joining Pavarotti and the totally sexy Enrique Iglesias in a rousing "Cielito Lindo."
Pavarotti really knows entertainment and in this one he pulls out all the stops! Best of all, part of the proceeds of this tape goes to benefit the children of Cambodia and Tibet. Pavarotti's efforts to help War Child have already built music centers for children in Kosovo, Liberia, and Guatemala. What great leadership!
He says on one of his jackets: "All too often, children are betrayed by the inhuman actions of adults, and become the innocent victims of war and cruelty. War Child is an energetic, and practical organization offering vital hope, working tirelessly for children to regain their rightful place in the world."

I am a HUGE Savage Garden fan so that was the main reason to buy this album. And I have to say Darren's voice is AWESOME in "O Sole Mio", the first time I listened to it it made me cry. So I bought the cd. I was glad to see that there are very enjoyable songs in the album not only the SG tracks. I loved Tracy Chapman's "Baby Can I Hold You Tonight" performance, now I am a Tracy fan too. You'll enjoy the performances by Aqua, Enrique Iglesias and Eurhytmics and of course the queen Tracy Chapman " ("Telling Stories" is superb!). I even discovered some new artists I had never heard of and I liked them. You won't be disappointed by this album.

This collection of music has given me great pleasure. Aqua's Around the World is a joy. Hearing the Eurythmics and Pavarotti perform together is fun and beautiful. I also especially liked Enrique Iglesias's Be with you. 20 tracks and 77 minutes of great music I will listen to again and again. And all for a good cause.

The Aqua velvets are simply amazing,I truly love their unique and very tropical and very mystic sound.Thank you to Miles and the guys.Put on the cd and be totally swept away by this very underrated band.Smart and wonderful riffs.Truly in a league of their own.Buy everything they record,support this wonderful and incredible group.

I first heard this group while listening to an internet radio station that was playing the track "Surf Nouveau". When I first heard that song I was blown away buy the sound and feel of the music. It made me feel like getting up and moving around. When I finally tracked down the CD and bought it, I was equally impressed by all of the tracks especially the one titled "Return to Paia". This track made me say "Whoa", this one makes you wish you were on a warm beach somewhere drinking somthing with one of those little umbrellas sticking out of it as you watch a beautiful island sunset. If you close your eyes and listen to this music it makes you feel really good.

All I can say is you can't go wrong with this CD if you like modern surf inspired music. This is not straight Dick Dale or Ventures stuff for those of you who are only looking for that kind of music though.

This is an excellent album, though not quite the equal of "The Aqua Velvets", in my opinion.

The first song on the CD, and the one from which the album takes it's name, "Nomad", is a stunner . . . just beautiful, the CD is worth the price just for this one song. "Return to Paia" will make you imagine that you're a "ghost rider" on the set of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", definitely another keeper.

All in all . . . cool as ice.

The first tune Nomad gives me chills every time I hear it. The Aqua Velvets have the mysterious surf sound down to a science. This is where they shine. Sometimes the pace picks up and they loose me. But in the dreamy Lynch like moody tunes they are untouchable!

Being a long time instrumental surf music fan (Dick Dale, Ventures, Shadows), I was very pleasantly surprised by this album. This album not only stays true to the genre but takes it further than just a revival approach. Compositions and guitar of Miles Corbin is very melodic and lyrical. I would recommend it to any surf music fans out there, take a chance and you will also be delighted.

Aqua Velvets fans will be in Paradise with this new release Reaching Shangri-la. Including new original songs by guitarist Miles Corbin and instrumental renditions of some classic songs by one of Corbin's fave 60's groups the Shangri-Las. "Leader of the Pack" is astounding and cool, "Out in the Streets" is romantic and riveting.The title track "Reaching Shangrila" is pure magic. Corbin says this is the best AVs cd in a decade. Recorded in Corbins' mountain getaway Tiki Hut Studio in Paradise, Ca. The sound is a return to the very first Av release featuring melodic echoey guitars, drums, bass and an occasional Ennio Moricone keyboard. Beautiful and mysterious. The version of "Remember Walkin in the Sand" is absolutely gorgeous and in keeping with Aqua Velvet signature 'Guitar Noir' stylings. Five Stars!

If you like liner notes this is not the cd for you. The liner notes are printed on a home printer and whoever is cutting them out is chopping off part of the notes. It comes in a slimline case so you can't read it from the side like you can a regular jewel case. The disc is a cd-r that looks like a fake.The music is good surf instrumental. If you don't care about packaging this cd is worth buying.

This is the cd that really jump started the surf revival of the 90's. Perhaps the very 1st surf instrumental group to be signed to a major record deal, this cd is nonstop coolness. a must have for serious surf fans. Big Waves!!

Being both a surfer and a musician this album really speaks to me. It's one of those rare cds you can just put in your player and let run through the entire course. The driving lines in Swampabilly Hop really feel like what it is like to be out paddling through the surf. If you're into surf music at all this is definatly one for your collection.

i havn't had too much of a chance to delve deep into this album. but the songs i've listened so far have been great! fantastic insturmental surf music here.

I was browsing in the Virgin Megastore on Sunset one night when I heard this really great music playing on the store system, I asked the salesperson what it was and . . . you guessed it . . . it was "The Aqua Velvets" by the Aqua Velvets. I bought a copy and I'm glad I did. Don't take my word for it, just download the clips from Amazon and listen for yourself.

The CD is all instrumental "surf guitar" and it's really good, I particularly like "Blue Rhumba" and "Swampabilly Hop". This is a great CD to listen to when you are driving, especially the Ventura between Thousand Oaks and Studio City around three in the morning (speedy). The only problem is that I occasionally have flashbacks that I'm on the set of "Beach Blanket Bingo" with Annette and Frankie while I'm listening to it.

This is Pool Party music the Aqua Velvets way. Upbeat, grrooovy, backflipping good fun!! Shred Ready Betty is a beach boys spoof that is hilarious! Bamboo Torches is classis AV mysterioso surf mambo at its best, Out of the Sand, into the Swing..is The Ventures meets Benny Goodman, youve got to hear this! Highly reccommended if you need a break from this crazy world. Everybody in the Pool!!

This is a very unique work of art, even for the wonderful Aqua Velvets. Not for everybody, but i think fans of Guitar Noir especially will like this