Balligomingo

I purchased this as a gift and it arrived in a very timely manner and the person loved the gift.

It took me til the 4th one to finally break down and by a pure moods cd but i'm glad i did. there are only 1 or 2 songs that i'm not thrilled with but sometimes i'm even in a mood to hear them. i'm more inclined to buy others from the series now. My favorite songs are "november" and "shadows in silence"

You got to hand it to Virgin Records. The PURE MOODS sreies of discs has been extremely sucsessful. They have been able to allow mood music gain a very wide audience without being too Way Out New Age or too commercial. This is the fourth disc in the series and it scores big like the others ( although #2 is my favourite). This disc has eighteen tracks, and a lot of them are under four minutes in length. But that does not mean they are filler.

A lot of reviewers gripe that the series is losing its edge and is catering to public appeal. Any compilation will never satisfy everybody. Criticisms range from "heard these songs before" to "too much piano" to "the same old artists". Remember this is music to put you in a certain mood of relaxation or peace or whatever. It is not to be taken too seriously. I for one enjoy having this music playing whether I am resting, working or enjoying company with friends.

There are some stunning tracks. I love the first four songs which set a great mood. I know SILENCE by Delerium and Sarah McLachlan is on many chillout albums but it is still an amazing performance and her vocal is overwhelming! If I do have a mild criticism of the album, it is that from Track 5 onwards the music does seem stripped down apart from one or two exceptions. Maybe a different playing order would have helped. Tracks 5-9 are pleasant to listen to but do tend to be similar in arrangement and tempo. Track 10 livens things up with Yann Tiersen's LA VALSE d'AMELIE but it is a short track. The Moby track on the other hand is too long and monotonous and sems very out of place here. The next track, however is a gem. Rachel Portman's theme from Chocolat is very beautiful and delicate. This and SILENCE are the two tracks I listen to the most. The album does sag until near the end. McLachlan's ANGEL is a little dull. Seems like it has been on the radio a lot but I do not listen to radio so it is new to me. B-Tribe's version of SHE MOVED THROUGH THE FAIR is just wrong. Coming from Ireland, I have heard so many wonderful versions of this song that could have been included. This track has a vocal that seems to drag the whole song down and the music seems to merge different musical elements without sucsess. THIS LOVE and RIVER OF STARS could be the same song. However the former is too long. Thankfully the last track lifts the spirits. WHEN YOU'RE FALLING has the Afro-Celt Soundsystem perfoming with guest vocalist Peter Gabriel and it adds a much needed oomph to close the album. This great song had the worst possible luck in succeeding because the very original video had to be pulled soon after it was released in August 2001 on account of the horrific events on 9/11. I will not go into any detail but you will find the video on You Tube and you will understand why it is rarely shown after watching it.

Hope to review the other mood albums soon. Times are listed below with song title listed first:

1. November - Mythos 4.58
2. Purify - Balligomingo 4.14
3. Shadows in silence - Enigma 4.19
4. Silence - Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan 6.34
5. Song from a secret garden - secret Garden 3.31
6. One man's dream - Yanni 2.45
7. Devotion - Jim Brickman 3.36
8. Fields of gold - Eva Cassidy 4.42
9. Garden of eden - Govi 2.54
10. La valse d,Amelie - Yann Tiersen 2.00
11. Sea - George winston 2.41
12. God moving over the face of the waters - Moby 5.45
13. Main titles from Chocolat - Rachel Portman 3.08
14. Angel - Sarah McLachlan 4.28
15. She moved through the fair - B-tribe 5.00
16. This love - Craig Armstrong feat. Elizabeth Fraser 6.18
17. River of stars - Paul schwartz 4.03
18. When you're falling- Afro-celt soundsystem feat. Peter Gabriel 5.14

P.S. Check out some British Chillout compilattion albums if you can. There are some amazing artists that you do not hear about in the USA like The Beloved, Kinobe, Groove Armada, The Chemical Brothers, Royksapp, Everything But The Girl, Goldfrapp, Zero 7 and many others.

I use this cd for my yoga practice, it's wonderful.
Highly recommend.

"Apparently the only mood that matters is one of pensive melancholy. Nearly every track on this addition to the series is set in a minor key. Some are played solo, like George Winston's new age relic 'Sea.' Some are crammed with odd instrumentation, as in the briefly startling last section of Yann Tiersen's 'La Valse d'Amélie.' Some have entire orchestras sawing away. There are ambitious works like Moby's 'God Moving Over the Face of the Waters,' whose attempts to marry grandeur and minimalism are somewhat undercut by the monotony of a cymbal sample repeated too predictably. There are vocals, the best being the late Eva Cassidy's breathtaking treatment of Sting's 'Fields of Gold.' And there are yawners, such as Yanni's 'One Man's Dream,' which he may, in fact, have recorded while asleep, or 'This Love,' sung by Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins over a groove that suggests the tread of a drugged somnambulist, and Govi's 'Garden of Eden,' which sounds way too much like 'Chim Chim Cheree' to take seriously. And yet, all of it creates the same gray impression -- which, of course, is the point, in which case credit must be paid to those who selected and sequenced these performances. Will upcoming installments offer some variety -- a hap-hap-happy compilation, for instance, set in major keys, with handclap rhythms and smiley vocals? ~ Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide

This is a fantastic CD if you like ethereal vocals with electronica similar to Delerium and Sleepthief. There are some downright steamy vocals from Kristy Thirsk, Jody Quine, Beverley Staunton, and others. These songs are knockouts! Try Heat, Falling, and Beyond, for starters, but there are at least 7 great tracks here. I hope we see another Balligomingo release soon!

Being a long-time fan of Rhys Fulbar's "group" Conjure One, I caught wind of Balligomingo via a Conjure One station on Pandora.com. While Conjure One's self-titled album (also 2002) is one of my all-time favorites, Beneath The Surface comes close to matching it, which is no small feat. If you like one, you'll probably like the other; if you haven't heard either, check out one or more song samples on Amazon.com.

I guess Balligomingo has been around for a few years, but I was lucky enough to stumble upon them just a year ago through a VA album. I'm really glad I got Balligomingo. It's a great ethereal sound, with some great vocals. It's great for some background music while I'm working, as it's upbeat enough to keep me going at a good pace, but not so much that it makes me feel like I'm slower than the music, if that makes any sense. If you like the genre, chances are you'll love Balligomingo. If you don't like trance, electronica, or ambient music, though, you might not enjoy it so much. Still, there's probably a reason there are 70 5-star reviews at the time of posting this, and less than ten of lower ratings.

I have been a fan of Enigma, Delerium, and groups in the genre since "1990 AD" came out and this album took me by surprise and what a great one! I am not much for writing and most definitely not a critic but I do know that I am a new fan of Balligomingo. I was able to download the tracks on Rhapsody without having to buy them until I felt like it. I cannot recommend this fantastic album strongly enough!

Possibly one of the best albums ever made, Beneath The Surface is a masterful combination of sensuality, relaxation, and absolute genius in music making!

Marooned is in my top 5 erotic songs of all times. The tempo, the instrumentation, the subtle vocalization - this is perfect song making!

Purify, Sweet Allure, Lust and Heat . . .I cannot say enough good things about this album. Buy it, you will DEFINITELY not be disappointed!

I think they picked the worst of the various artists.

I still remember how excited I was when I browsed Amazon.com and finding out that a third Elevation CD was coming out and it was worth the excitement. While this CD is my least favorite of the Elevation series it still is beyond five stars. Unlike the wintery Celtic sound of the first Elevation CD or the more world pop sound of the second Elevation CD this album has a more DJ with a brighter and more pop sound that some rave fans could enjoy.

Love Song by Ronan Hardiman is a beautiful new age pop hit that has a danceable drum loop, pianos, and voices that Enya fans could enjoy. Moby's Rushing is a jazzy haunting groove with a haunting chant with a sort of DJ oriented beat. Truly a marvelous song. Moby is very talented and I might get his Play CD in the near future. Lost by Balligomingo is spectacular. It's a very haunting song with enchanting echoing vocals, a slight Asian sound and a very rich mournful atmosphere. Lunch With The King by Thomas Newman is taken from the American Beauty soundtrack. It's a short but stunning instrumental with pianos and cool bass hooks. Throught The Seas Of Life by Pilgrimage is the winner on this CD. It's a jazzy ambient song with beautiful airy sounds and what I guess are female Gregorian Chants. This is what makes me love new age music. Aspetta by Govinda is a strongly Middle Eastern track with haunting chants and a danceable beat. The Garden by Faithless is a DJ oriented song with a rave beat and is like New Age and Rave music intertwining. A truly must hear. Blueskies by Soma Sonic is a jazzy song with a hip hop beat and it works. I love this song a lot. Bassment by Ikarus is a funky song with danceable and some chants. I must admit I first hated this song but now it's one of my favorites. Peaceful Village by Yasue is a cheerful song with Japanese chanting. I don't like the vocals very much and it kind of detracts from the song. Soul Of Desire is incredible. It starts off with haunting chants and chimes. Then at about a minute into the track the actual song begins and is a wonderful song with amazing chants, and sensual spoken words. This is one sexy track. A must hear. The Sun & The Moon & The Stars by Spirit Of Eden is a strongly Celtic groovy with a cool drum loop and some chants here and there. Shades Of The Otherworld by Dagda is a strongly Celtic song with a misty grey feel. Celtic Groove by Clair Marlo is a Celtic pop song with amazing vocals and enchanting harps. Enchantment by Alkaemy is what the title says. It's a very sad song with a jazzy laid back feel. A very sad but beautiful closer to this disc that will make you want to play this entire CD all over again.

As like the first two Elevation CDs this is a great New Age compilation.

This CD is very unique compared to most New Age compilation CDs because it has a more DJ oriented sound that maybe even people who don't like new age could enjoy. Some of the songs could,ve even made a dent on the pop charts. I strongly recommend this CD to all fans of music.

And although the next Elevation CD is quite different it has some of the DJ influence of this CD on it.

Go out and buy this CD as well as the other Elevation CDs.

I hope I didn't use too many words.

Tee!Hee!

I bought this CD after the dynamite Elevations 1 and 2 and I once again am impressed with the sheer quality of the music. This CD focuses on more DJish material. Examples are Mobys 'Rushing', the funk jazz vibe of Soma Sonics 'Blue Skies' and the pure jazz funk of Ikarus ' Bassment'. The real treat on here is Balligomingos 'Lost'. The chants are like echoes of your best dreams. Go and get this CD. You'll be amazed by this CD series. Get and get Elevation 4 too. It's even better.

I purchased this album a few weeks ago and I must say that there was some surprise listening to it. With names like Faithless, Soma Sonic and Moby I expected entirely cool downtempo vibes, but found the CD moreso had a very mellow, contemporary New Age sound. What a pleasant surprise!! So if you are a fan of New Age / World Music then this is for you. My favorite downtempo tracks are Moby "Rushing", Soma Sonic "Blueskies" and Faithless "The Garden". On the New Age / World tip I'm digging almost everything on the CD....Ronan Hardiman "Love Song", Thomas Newman "Lunch With The King", Phobos "Soul Of Desire", Balligomingo "Lost", Govinda "Aspetta", Yasue "Peaceful Village" and Ikarus "Bassment"....Great!! Can't wait for the next volume!

This being my first of the Elevation series I found myself pleased by some but a little un-drawn from others. The charming, light spirited "Love Song" by Ronan Hardiman was a perfect way of starting off the compilation, giving the album a playful, warm-hearted spray of mysticism, as does the Japanese pop hit "Peaceful Village" by Yasue, while others leave their seductive mark with slow rhythmic electronic numbers such as the Delerium-like "Lost" by Balligomingo, the passionate ambient grooves of Phobos' "Soul Of Desire" and female choir singing with Pilgrimages' "Through The Seas Of Time." The eloquence of Moby's piano playing on "Rushing" and the ethereal feel on Alkaemy's "Enchanted" will do just that. On the down side, though, there are some bumps and turns on this digital soundscape of moods. The jazzy "Blueskies" from Soma Sonic is too predictable and boring while the unadorned callings on Ikarus' "Bassment" are like a bad replication of Govinda's Shane O' Madden and at times annoying. More on the positive side, though, the Celtic dance tune "Aspetta" by Govinda and "The Garden" by Faithless are just more additions to make this a truly enlightening experience. Elevation may not be as good as the "Moods" series but is nothing short of a spectacule.