Mims

I had not heard this album until this year (2008) when my local NPR station played about half of it at one go while I was driving down the highway. Like all the previous reviewers (but one), I think it's absolutely lovely. My only complaint was that my eyes kept tearing up while I needed to see the road. I simply can't imagine a more beautiful voice, or more beautiful delivery of these songs. (A little later I heard the great Jessye Norman singing some of the same material, and my feeling was that her versions are very impressive to the ears -- but Kathleen's strike right to the heart.)

Sometimes lovely but marred by an overall sense of caution. Kathleen Battle, who sang with such warmth on "Pleasures of Their Company"(her "Ave Maria" on that recording is miraculous)reins her voice in on every song. Incredibly, she shies away from the vowel 'e', turning Maria into Mariah. As pretty and brittle as a glass ball.

This is a glorious Christmas CD that everyone who loves the season should have. What a joyful noise spills from the throat of this lady! If you have this album along with Maureen Mcgovern's Christmas CD...believe me you will be set for Christmas with Kathleen providing the Classical and Maureen providing a Pop/Jazzy feel. You won't be able to help playing these albums year round!

Kathleen Battle has a crisp,clear voice that is un-equaled. This cd is a joy to listen too all year round not just during the Christmas season.

(Review by Minionette)
I rarely buy Christmas music, but I came across this CD at a garage sale & went for it because of the performer. For pennies, it was worth trying out. Oh my. This album dropped down from heaven. Battle's voice is soaring yet sweet, & great care is evident in her impeccable styling & phrasing of even the foreign language carols. You may feel, as I have, that one is finally hearing each song as it was meant to sound.

I HATE THIS ALBUM SO MUCH "F" THIS CD IT IS A WAIST OF GWOCK. I HATE HIM HE SUCKS VERY BAD HE NEEDS TO STEP HIS LYRICS UP A LOT. A VERY BAD ALBUM DO NOT GET THIS EVER DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.

Okay - all the people reviewing this are wrong! Is this some great piece of rap "art" that will live in infamy? No! Is it a really great CD with a lot of songs that get your butt on the dance floor and stick in your head all day long? YES!

Love it all!

MIMS - Music is My Savior (Capitol, 2007)

Earlier this year, there was speculation on who would bring hip-hop back to New York where it all began. Then Shawn Mims came with the single, "This is Why I'm Hot", which although contains the worst lyric of 2007 ("I'm hot cuz I'm fly/You ain't cuz you not"), was catchy enough to have the streets buzzin'. But once Music is My Savior dropped, so did the buzz. This album ain't hot and this is why, this is why:

MIMS goes through every song with played out thug-isms like pushing nice whips, pulling easy honeys, and challenging wack rappers in his spare time. It also doesn't help matters that on occasion he sounds like Jay-Z. But once he starts quipping medicore metaphors like on "Just Like That" ("I'm looking for that sunshine/But I ain't Lil Flipper/Yeah I'm a star/But I ain't the lil dipper") it's a wrap. Junior Reid and Cham barely save "This is Why I'm Hot (Blackout Remix)" but this album is still a bust. So much for the New York revival as this album proves that wack rappers don't just reside in the south, they're all around us. -EJR

Mims is straight up garbage! You dont have to take my word for it but take time to look at these verses and judge for yourselves. Hip Hop Laughables from Mims: Superman:"Some say Im fly/ they say Im the best/ catch me in the sky with the S on my chest/ chicks call me Superman/ super duper lover/ Just in case it rains keep the Coupe De Ville for covers"
Chorus for Big Black Train: "Shorty wanna ride/ dont worry bout a car/ Cause you can take a ride on My Big Black Train/and we gone be rollin rollin rollin/ choo choo chooin/ NY ATL LA Houston"
Cop It: "Yes its me/ the underestimated MC, So ill with the flow/ that I need a MD"/ "Somebody call a doctor/ I make em all sick/when I hop out the phantom of the opera"(???)". "Now gimme my space/ Im out of this world/ N***** tryna get a nut/ but Im a very big squirrel"(Oh come on! That doesnt even make sense! But then again he does kind of resemble Dale from Chip and Dale) Im Microsoft Mims/ I rock with Bill Gates/first week shipped a mill out the gate"(that remains to be seen)" You bulls*****n / Im talking what I could do/ Mims is hotter than cooked food" /"Wow thats real/ Ya'll ice grilled/ Im laughing all the way to the bank with a nice meal". Need I write more? As you can see he has the most corniest rhymes since Jibbs and most of his rhymes dont make any sense. There's nothing I could say about this album that Chandler, Anthony Rupert and Norfeest havent said so I wont go into detail. There's at least 3 decent tracks on this album, Doctor Doctor, Where I Belong and They Dont Wanna Play(the saving graces of that song was Bun B). The rest of this album is unwashed crusty booty. The first single, This Is Why Im Hot sounds like a track Yung Joc would make and while Like This has a catchy club beat, that track is beyond cheesy. Superman is easily the worst song on this album and tracks like Girlfriend's Fav MC, Cop It and Big Black Train are so wack they make me laugh till my ribs ache.
Bottom Line: Misery Is My Soulmate oops I meant to say Music Is My Savior is a shoe in for one of the worst releases of 2007 by a rapper who set New York back a thousand years with this album. Corny rhymes, decent beats, just a waste of good cd space period. I seriously question your sanity if you give this album more than two stars. If music is Mims's savior then he needs to convert to atheism because music has forsaken him.

I'm just reviewing now due to his second album coming out soon, entitled "Music Is My Savior II". I don't get how people like UGK and hate this guy, what is the difference really? You guys are being hypocrites. Of course MIMS isn't on the same level as legends like UGK, but he isn't really bad. When this came out, I wasn't really a fan because of the party songs. I'm not very big on east coast party rappers, I expect lyrically talent from them. Despite this, there are some real nice cuts. Doctor, Doctor includes a story of his past. I don't know this guy's life, but if he's had a troubled past, he did a wonderful job telling it by his single standard because I didn't expect this. There are about 6 out of the 15 tracks that are very well done, which does bring the album down. Too much skipping for me. I request MIMS to create a character or make a biography by extending the story within Doctor, Doctor. That would be a great album. 2.5/5 -- not worth buying but give Doctor,Doctor a listen.

oh. What could have been. This Ring cycle could have been the standard modern set. The playing from the Met is utterly breathtaking-James Morris as Wotan is the finest[along with John Tomlinson with Barenboim among modern sets], but Reiner Goldberg as Siegfried has no business sharing the stage with this cast. Hildegarde Behrens is good, much better than in this sets DVD counterpart[which has Siegfried Jerusalem as Siegfried].
First off, James Morris is a revelation as Wotan. Surely he must be regarded as the most lyrical portrayal, though overall I prefer John Tomlinson who almost matches Morris for beauty, but far exceeds him in the presence one would acquaint with the sheriff of the gods.
The Die Walkure and the Das Rheingold are excellent-the Siegfried has its moments, and the Gotterdammerung also is quite good. The playing from the Met throughout is basically as good as can possibly be. When Morris and the Met are the focus, this is a magnificent Ring cycle-when the focus is elsewhere it tends to reveal its flaws and unfortunately, that 'elsewhere' accounts for about 11 hours.
If you are looking for a modern sounding set-I would recommend the Barenboim as the top choice. John Tomlinson, as I have already stated, is absolutely dominating. Anne Evans is very convincing as Brunnhilde, and Siegfried Jerusalem is in peak form as Siegfried[and his peak form is akin to K2.]
The sound in the Met version is better than Barenboim's[which was recorded live] but that is about the only plus.
Among stereo versions I would rank them
1.Keilberth
2.Barenboim
3.Bohm
4.Solti

Overall
1.Keilberth['55 stereo]
2.Krauss[mono]
3.Furtwangler[mono]
4.Barenboim[live-stereo]
5.Bohm\Solti[stereo]
DVD-
1.Levine
2.Barenboim
3.Boulez

There are over 20 complete recordings of Richard Wagner's "Der Ring Des Nibelungen". This, with James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera, is one of them.

This conductor has his own fair share of Herbert von Karajan's lyricism, Only, his lyricism is softer and much slower than Karajan's. Sometimes you'll be annoyed at his plodding tempi in parts such as "Wotan confronts Siegfried" or "Loge confronts Alberich", but you'll be amazed by the stunning splendor of "Annunciation of Death" and "Forest Murmurs". Be on the sharp lookout, also, for Levine's perfect "Erda's Warning".

The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra is the real star on this set. The woodwinds and brass have been refined and taken with great care for the score. The strings sound majestic and heavenly, though they sound a bit too tired to continue on in Gotterdammerung. The Finale to Rheingold is absolutely stunning (the trumpets and trombones will not disappoint), and the Second Act of Walkure is the most impressive, the most refined.

For aside from the fantastic orchestra that this recording is famous for, this set could've improved with better singers. James Morris is a notch below Hotter, Adam, and Bailey, but he overpowers Fischer-Dieskau and McIntyre pretty much throughout both Rings. His multi-dimensional performances are compelling in Walkure. "Wotan's Farewell" should not be missed.

Hildegard Behrens is just like Birgitt Nilsson and Regine Crespin. While she's not the best, she is definitely another perfect Brunnhilde of choice. She's at her most dazzling when she performs Walkure (Levine) and Siegfried (Sawallisch). The one problem I had with Behrens is her singing the low notes; she sounds too gruff and gagged.

Gary Lakes and Jessye Norman as Siegmund and Sieglinde don't seem to hit their marks in Walkure. Lakes does have that heroic quality to it, but he sounds tired when he's performing in Acts One and Two. Norman can truly sing, but she doesn't fit as Sieglinde: she doesn't sound young and innocent enough. I would've loved to hear her as Brunnhilde.

Oh, Reiner Goldberg. At least you tried. Seriously, he sounds too tedious (especially in Gotterdammerung Act Three Scene Two) and too old. Levine should've chose Rene Kollo or Siegfried Jerusalem when he recorded his studio Ring.

Ekkehard Wlaschiha is one hell of a vigorous Alberich. I praise him in Rheingold Scene One and Three. His performance in Siegfried could've improved with more distrustfulness towards Mime and the Wanderer.

Heinz Zednik is an excellent Mime, VERY fun to listen to. There is much humor and eccentricity in his voice, and that's what makes his dwarf much more compelling than Gregory Dempsey's dwarf. His performance in Rheingold Scene Three is pure gold, while his performance in Siegfried (particularly "Willkommen, Siegfried!") is a stunning achievement.

Siegfried Jerusalem doesn't seem like a good choice for Loge. He's better off playing Siegmund or Siegfried, but not a demi-god.

As for the rest of the cast, they're good in their own way. The Valkries have the same majestic force that's found in the Karajan recording. Siegfried Lorenz isn't a very good Donner, and his "Hammer Song" sounds forced. Birgitta Svenden is a fine Erda, and I love every minute of her singing. Christ Ludwig is the most believable Fricka around, but she does sound a bit past her prime here (her performance in Karl Bohm's live recording is much better). Matti Salminen is the one-and-only Hagen, his voice is has the perfect blackness that fits the character. The Three Norns somewhat fail in bringing the Gotterdammerung Prologue to life; Marek Janowski and Karajan have brilliant norns.

Overall, James Levine's slow tempi may be distracting at times, but they work well if you want to focus more on Wagner's music than on the drama itself.

First of all, I want to say that I am simply amazed with what James Levine did with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. What he did is tantamount with what Karajan did with his Berlin Philharmonic and Solti with the Chicago Symphony. It is so beautifully articulated in orchestral terms that the score just sings. Some people say that Levine has plodding tempos. Perhaps his tempi are slower than many a conductor, but they are dramatically rich and beautifully played. Saying that, I have to say that this has to be one of the best conducted Rings, coming only below those of Solti, Karajan, Bohm, Krauss, and Janowski.

The cast is on a whole very good, with special mention going to James Morris' Wotan. Morris did a Wotan for Haitink, which in my opinion, was captured in a bigger tone than was in this recording, but his interpretation here is one of the jewels of modern day Wagnerian singing. His way with declamations, the quality of his voice, the Rheingold narration, the Abschied at the end of Walkure, the riddle scene with Mime, and the Siegfried confrontation are all magnificent, and perhaps constitute some of the best excerpts of the Ring. This has to be one of the greatest Wotans ever.

Christa Ludwig repeated the part of Fricka that she had sung with Solti about twenty years earlier, but her voice is surprisingly fresh here for her age. One can detect the lack of firmness and creaminess, but it is still the work of a supreme artist. Kurt Moll, as usually is with this great artists, makes great roles out of Hunding, Fafner, and Fasolt. He is partnered in Rheingold by Jan-Hendrik Rootering, who makes a very good Rheingold Fafner. Siegfried Jerusalem's heroic character tenor reminds us of Set Svanholm's magnificent portrayal with Solti, only better. He is probably one of the best sung Loge's on disc. Birgitta Svenden's amazing alto voice floods Erda's music beautifully, albeit sounding slightly young for the portrayal of mother earth. The Rhinemaidens on this recording, even if they don't reach the youthful musicality of Karajan's Rhinemaidens (with special mention going to Helen Donath as Woglinde), sound youthful and playful compared to other Rhinemaidens. The Valkyries are very well tuned in this recording, sounding robust, lusty, and young, and the Norns are simply sensational, with former Brunnhilde Helga Dernesch, Tatiana Troyanos, and today's Turandot of choice, Andrea Gruber. Another asset to this recording is Cheryl Studer's radiant Gutrune. It is perhaps the best portrayal of the role next to Janowitz's version with Karajan. I am also a fan of Bernd Weikl's Gunther and Hanna Schwarz's Waltraute. Both artists do amazing things with these secondary characters, especially Schwarz. Th

One of the merits of this recording is the singing of Heinz Zednik as Mime. I have never heard such a witty, funny, annoying little dwarf who sang the part (unlike Stolze's acid-voiced interpretation) with Zednik's combination of character-like vocalization. He is probably one of my favorite Mime's on disc. Another great singer in this recording is Mime's brother, Alberich played by Ekkehard Wlaschiha. In my opinion, his performance is on par with Gustav Neidlinger's portrayal of Alberich, even surpassing him in some instances. His curse in Rheingold has to be heard, and his confrontation with Mime and Wanderer are such funny moments in Siegfried. Of course, one of his most revealing moments happens in the beginning of Gotterdammerung's second act. His interaction with Hagen in the watch is simply brilliant. Speaking of Hagen, I believe the best singer after Morris in this recording is Matti Salminen in the role of Hagen. I have never heard a more malevolent, more sinister, yet conniving singer to the part of Hagen with an almost inhuman touch of evil due to his lack of vibrato. It is an amazing portrayal. He is probably the best Hagen in the discography, the equal of Gottlob Frick's evil interpretation on Solti's ring. He had recorded the part a few years earlier with Marek Janowski before he transformed the part into the diabolical role that we hear in this recording. Salminen would probably be another reason to buy this set after Morris' Wotan.

The Walsungen pair in this recording is well sung by two American artists, Gary Lakes and Jessye Norman. On paper, they offer very voluptuous, luxurious vocal performances, but they could have hyped the scenes they are in by adding a bit more drama. This could be said of Norman, but Gary Lakes' Siegmund is so beautifully vocalized that I can't help but love his performance.

Of course, a Ring would not be complete without a Brunnhilde or a Siegfried, and that is where this set fails. Hildegard Behrens has a most radiant upper extension that is only matched by Nilsson's, but the rest of her voice takes a weaker, more guttural quality once things get lower. Her immolation scene is amazing, and her hojotohos are brilliant. The love duet is gorgeous when she gets to top notes, but when expressing Brunnhilde's angst and anger, things get to get underplayed. She is a very interesting and youthful Brunnhilde though, and she is quite riveting to watch on stage.

Reiner Goldberg as Siegfried though, is much more problematic. Solti once called him as the ideal heldentenor voice, and the instrument is a very ideal one for this kind of repertoire, but he isn't as a great a singer as his vocal specifications would like us to think. I find it a very uneven performance. There are moments where you would find a true Siegfried, but a few moments later he gets into his ugly vocal mannerisms, of which there are many. His vocalizing is very rough, and the performance as a whole does not please the ear. He can also be a bore in the repertoire, and while this is acceptable with vocally nice Siegfried's, he could have made it better by using a better technique.

Overall, this Ring is an amazing account of Wagner operas in the 1980's. It is not going to be one of the essentials like Solti or Karajan's, owing that to the lack of a Siegfried and a Brunnhilde, but it has several interesting points that would make it a very well-balanced Ring.

Both Haitink's and Levine's ring cycles, with the passing of time, can only be seen as failures. Major casting issues in both (Levine's Goldberg and Lakes, Haitink's Marton and Goldberg again) as well as underwhelming direction from their respective conductors, compromise them too much for a general recommendation.
Solti's has always been seen as a safe bet -- I personally find myself troubled by the vocal distortions and other effects used, and Hotter was well, well past his prime by the time of this recording. Also, Solti's initially exciting direction becomes annoying with time.
A safer bet for a modern, studio-recorded ring cycle in my view would be either the Karajan on DG, or perhaps even better, Janowski on RCA/Eurodisc, which is more consistently cast. Otherwise, the mono greats include Knappertsbusch's live 1956 Bayreuth cycle in a brand-spanking new transfer on Orfeo, and a personal favourite, Keilberth 52 on Archipel -- great for lovers of old-school Wagner singing. The Barenboim/Teldec was also recorded live at Bayreuth, and is far superior in this category to Sawallisch on EMI, and indeed easily surpasses Haitink and Levine also.
All in all, in terms of both value-for-money and quality of performance you won't have to look far to find a better deal than this.

Levine's cycle certainly has excellent points that can be staccked up against other Ring cycles. It s far better conducted and played than the contemporaneous Haitink cycle for EMI. The individual singers are world class, and some, like the Wotan of James Morris, the Loge of Siegfried Jerusalem, the Sieglinde of Jessye Norman, would be glories on any set ever recorded.

Some listeners, myself included, are dismayed by Levin'es often slow, even ponderous tempos. But one can adjust to them. What one can't adjust to is the gargly, weak Siegfried of Reiner Goldberg, who isn't remotely a Heldentenor. Unfortunately, he also got the job under Haitink, so scarce were viable Siegfrieds at this time, the late Eighties. Levine has a very musical and appealing Brunnhilde in Hildegard Behrens, but despite her gleaming top notes she doesn't have a true Brunnhilde voice for power and impact. To compae her to supreme Brunnhildes like Leider, Flagstad or Nilsson would be pointless, but Behrens isn't up to Astrid Varnay or Martha Modl, either, both wonderful Brunnhildes during the Fifties at Bayreuth. (The best way to experience Behrens was live on stage, since she had great dramatic appeal and a good figure.)

The Levine Ring is a reminder, that the only way to build up a truly great Ring cycle on CD is to pick and choose among all the available choices. You have to weigh lots of pluses and minues before making a selection. In Levine's case, I don't find that any single opera would be my first or second chhoice, except perhaps his Rheingold--buy the DVDs instead and enjoy the Met's impressive naturalistic staging.

I confess that I hadn't ocunted James Levine among my favorite conductors, in part becasue I've heard some faceless performances from him, in part because his mentor, George Szel, was such a meanie. But this celebration of his quarter century at the Met, which one can pick up very cheaply, shows Levine off at his best. It includes snippets from both his oepratic and orchestral work on Dg. Altogether there are lots of gems that lead me to want the complete sets from which they were extracted. But on its on this is a very enjoyable Two-fer.

I am not a fan of the recent Behrens. Her voice, in the DVD of the ring cycle,( different from the CD's by several years!) is far drier than on disc. On disc, she is tolerable, even good most of the time, though as one reviewer so cleverly put it, Norman's Siegliende sounds like she could eat the Valkyries alive. I would give anything to switch the roles having Behrnes as Siegliende and Norman as Brunnhilde. Why couldnt the met think of that-the Valkyrie is a strong noble woman-Norman would be perfect-
The star of the show is James Morris' Wotan. His voice is like liquid gold, pure butter. OF all the Wotan's I have heard, his is the most effective, even moreso on the DVD set. Some may complain about his legato ladden singing, but this adds an immense beauty to the performance which truly makes you yearn for his every word. In the group I watched the whole cycle with, every time he sang, everyone shut up and was in awe of his performance. The only performance I believe is comparable is KNA's 56 Hotter. It is the only perforamcen by Hotter I think is successful, though his Solti Walkure Wotan may be the worst performance of disc. IT sounds like he is singing, or was recorded in a cave. Stray from that horrid performance. Also Karajan's is pretty good, one of the best. Barenboim;s is decent, tomlinson is strong with a great voice, but he tends to overemphasize certain phrases
For a wonderful comparison of what makes Morris great, I compared his lines in
"Der Alt Sturm' to Fricka regarding Siegliende and Siegmunde to
KNA, KRauss, Solti, Barenboim, Morris DVD, and CD and Haitink
Morris is the best.

People have criticized James Levine for his plodding tempos in his Wagner conducting. However, I believe that his conducting is most true to Wagner's score. I personally think that this Walkure is the best on disc, exceeding the recordings made by Sir Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan, Clemens Krauss, and to a certain extent, Karl Böhm. The clear, precise, yet transparent sounds he draws from the Met Orchestra is superb, and he displays the psychological drama of the epic tetralogy to a tee. Dare I say that no other orchestra captures the soundscape of the Ring so clearly and beautifully as the Met does in this recording? The cast is top notch too, with Brunhildde being played by the very youthful sounding Hildegard Behrens in her prime. From the magnificent opening Hojotohos to her farewell with Wotan, none of the dramatic qualities of the part were missed by this gifted German soprano. You have here the feminine qualities perfected by Regine Crespin in her Karajan recording, plus the clarion high notes of Birgit Nilsson, and you have a great Valkyrie. Wotan is played by none other than James Morris, a singer whose Wotan I believe exceeds that of Hans Hotter in the Solti recording. This isn't a Wotan to fear, although that is one of the attributed the great American bass baritone can bring to the music. You also have Wotan the father, the lover, the compassionate head god who is distraught because he no longer has the universe under his control. A reference performance indeed. Gary Lakes plays Siegmund, a part bettered only by James King and Jon Vickers. His Sieglinde is Jessye Norman, and despite this talk about her overmannered Sieglinde, I would say that this is one of her greatest Wagner performances...very touching and vocally magnificent. Christa Ludwig plays Fricka, and although the voice is no longer what it was years ago for Solti, the drama she exudes in the text simply cuts through everything like a knife. This is a reference Fricka that must be held beside the hallmark one she recorded decades earlier for Solti. Finally, Hunding is played by none other than Kurt Moll. I wonder why this singer is cast so sparsely in other recordings when he can command some of the greatest Wagner performances on disc. His Gurnemanz, in my opinion, is the most wonderful in the discography if Hotter were erased from history's annals. The Valkyries are a finely tuned octet of sisters.

This truly is a great recording, and the sound is a miracle beyond miracles. Highly recommended!

Let me first say that I'm relatively new to the Opera world; therefore, my opinion may not hold much weight. However, I must say this: I love this recording!! Hildegard's voice is exquisite, Jessye Norman has such a commanding voice in her last passage of the Opera, and James Morris does an AWESOME Wotan. I remember after I had read a lot of negative commentary on this opera, I began to have a negative opinion about Norman's performance; then a friend took me to the side and showed me Norman's last passage in this opera (on the DVD), then every doubt I had about her was destroyed!

My ear is not trained enough for particulars (like diction and such) so I can't comment on that.

Basically, if you're looking for an overall good recording taken at a good tempo, this is it. I have heard the infallible Solti recording of this opera and I quickly grew bored with how slow he had taken some passages, but Nilsson has such a beatiful voice on that recording, too. So, it it just depends on what you want out of the Opera, I suppose

Anyways, as a budding opera listener, I highly reccommend this Opera.

I like to listen to opera on my mp3 player. There are 4 CD's with different track information that make it extremely difficult to get them loaded in your mp3 library in the proper sequence. I have not yet been successful with either my Roxio or Music Match Jukebox software. The volume level is also very low compared to my other CD's. Very dissatisfied. Will probably buy another Die Walkure so I dont waist any more time. Age 66, former computer consultant.

Most people seem to dismiss this "Walkure" because Hildegard Behrens isn't Kirsten Flagstad, Gary Lakes isn't Lauritz Melchior, and James Levine isn't Hans Knappertsbusch. Maybe so. (Although remember the wise old adage: "The Golden Age of opera is always the one you just missed.") But Wagner, more than any other composer, is about the total experience - not just golden throats. And if the participants here aren't clear firsts in every category, their consistent and cumulative excellence make this an extremely competitive candidate.

Let's start with Behrens as everyone's favorite Valkyrie. It's true that she lacks power in the mid-range. But the crucial high notes are strong and shiny. And though they are not as magnificent as Birgit Nilsson's, the outstanding digital sound in which they are captured is a nice consolation. (Opera, like politics, is an art of compromises.)

And Gary Lakes as Siegmund? I'm sure this heresy will earn me a bushel of "unhelpful" votes from the moldy figs. But I have the legendary 1935 Vienna Melchior/Lehmann/List "Walkure" Act I, and I'll take Mr. Lakes, thank you. His instrument may not be the equal of Melchior's Stradivarius, but it's a sweet fiddle all the same (lotsa helden in his tenor) and he plays it far more affectingly, in my opinion.

I'm also prepared to stack up Jessye Norman's almost dementedly passionate Sieglinde against any other essayer of the role. As the mother of the World's Greatest Hero, she ought not to be sung as a swooning Bavarian wildflower. With La Norman's lashing torrents of vocal power, when the character longs to have her shame avenged, you'll know she means it. And when she climactically calls her brother by his true name, you'll want a cigarette afterwards.

If there is a better performance of Hunding than Kurt Moll's, seething with menace, let it be brought forward. I find James Levine an outstanding Wagner conductor - equally adept with the thunderous "Ride of the Valkyries" and the meltingly tender string playing at the end of Act III. And the recorded sound is demonstration class - if you like that sort of thing.

There will always be Solti die-hards and with Birgit Nilsson in his arsenal you can't blame them. But this will be my "Walkure" of choice from now on.

I disagree with the comment that she was not physically suitable to Wagnarian roles. With Norman, it was voice first and foremost and despite her size, she was wonderful as Kundry and Sieglinde. Both roles are highly physical. She excelled beautifully at the Met as Elizabeth in TANNHAUSER which is similar to Elsa in LOHENGRIN. Deborah Voigt was as large as Norman when she had a huge triumph at the Met as Elsa in LOHENGRIN. Jane Eaglen also had a success at the Met as Isolde and was just as large as Voigt and Norman.

Norman has not appeared in opera for a number of years now so I'm convinced she's retired that part of her career. This collection proves she was one of the most important Wagnarian singers of her generation. She was in the tradition of the grand vocal gesture capped with absolutely goregous sound.

Jessye Norman didn't have an extensive career on the stage in Wagner. She was physically unsuitable for a role like Elsa in Lohengrin, which she recorded quite successfully. Her main roles were Kundry in Parsifal and Sieglinde in Die Walkure. Here Philips has gathered excerpts from a few operas plus an early CD of the five Wessendonck Lieder and the Love-Death from Tristan under Colin Davis's direciton (she recorded the latter twice more, first with Tennstedt, then with Karajan in his last years on the podium).

For Jessye's fans, a lot of this material will overlap the complete operas: Lohengrin with Solti (Decca) and Parsifal with Levine (Philips), and the excerpts here are measger, anyway. Room was made for long stretches of sieglinde's music, derived from Levine's Ring cycle from the Met (DG). If you don't own these recordings, here is Norman as she was on stage, huge of voice, dramatically static, and always the grand diva. Wagner doesn't show her off in the best light, and yet se remains a unique artist whose like hasn't arrived on the scene yet.

First of all, I want to say that I am simply amazed with what James Levine did with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. What he did is tantamount with what Karajan did with his Berlin Philharmonic and Solti with the Chicago Symphony. It is so beautifully articulated in orchestral terms that the score just sings. Some people say that Levine has plodding tempos. Perhaps his tempi are slower than many a conductor, but they are dramatically rich and beautifully played. Saying that, I have to say that this has to be one of the best conducted Rings, coming only below those of Solti, Karajan, Bohm, Krauss, and Janowski.

The cast is on a whole very good, with special mention going to James Morris' Wotan. Morris did a Wotan for Haitink, which in my opinion, was captured in a bigger tone than was in this recording, but his interpretation here is one of the jewels of modern day Wagnerian singing. His way with declamations, the quality of his voice, the Rheingold narration, the Abschied at the end of Walkure, the riddle scene with Mime, and the Siegfried confrontation are all magnificent, and perhaps constitute some of the best excerpts of the Ring. This has to be one of the greatest Wotans ever.

Christa Ludwig repeated the part of Fricka that she had sung with Solti about twenty years earlier, but her voice is surprisingly fresh here for her age. One can detect the lack of firmness and creaminess, but it is still the work of a supreme artist. Kurt Moll, as usually is with this great artists, makes great roles out of Hunding, Fafner, and Fasolt. He is partnered in Rheingold by Jan-Hendrik Rootering, who makes a very good Rheingold Fafner. Siegfried Jerusalem's heroic character tenor reminds us of Set Svanholm's magnificent portrayal with Solti, only better. He is probably one of the best sung Loge's on disc. Birgitta Svenden's amazing alto voice floods Erda's music beautifully, albeit sounding slightly young for the portrayal of mother earth. The Rhinemaidens on this recording, even if they don't reach the youthful musicality of Karajan's Rhinemaidens (with special mention going to Helen Donath as Woglinde), sound youthful and playful compared to other Rhinemaidens. The Valkyries are very well tuned in this recording, sounding robust, lusty, and young, and the Norns are simply sensational, with former Brunnhilde Helga Dernesch, Tatiana Troyanos, and today's Turandot of choice, Andrea Gruber. Another asset to this recording is Cheryl Studer's radiant Gutrune. It is perhaps the best portrayal of the role next to Janowitz's version with Karajan. I am also a fan of Bernd Weikl's Gunther and Hanna Schwarz's Waltraute. Both artists do amazing things with these secondary characters, especially Schwarz. Th

One of the merits of this recording is the singing of Heinz Zednik as Mime. I have never heard such a witty, funny, annoying little dwarf who sang the part (unlike Stolze's acid-voiced interpretation) with Zednik's combination of character-like vocalization. He is probably one of my favorite Mime's on disc. Another great singer in this recording is Mime's brother, Alberich played by Ekkehard Wlaschiha. In my opinion, his performance is on par with Gustav Neidlinger's portrayal of Alberich, even surpassing him in some instances. His curse in Rheingold has to be heard, and his confrontation with Mime and Wanderer are such funny moments in Siegfried. Of course, one of his most revealing moments happens in the beginning of Gotterdammerung's second act. His interaction with Hagen in the watch is simply brilliant. Speaking of Hagen, I believe the best singer after Morris in this recording is Matti Salminen in the role of Hagen. I have never heard a more malevolent, more sinister, yet conniving singer to the part of Hagen with an almost inhuman touch of evil due to his lack of vibrato. It is an amazing portrayal. He is probably the best Hagen in the discography, the equal of Gottlob Frick's evil interpretation on Solti's ring. He had recorded the part a few years earlier with Marek Janowski before he transformed the part into the diabolical role that we hear in this recording. Salminen would probably be another reason to buy this set after Morris' Wotan.

The Walsungen pair in this recording is well sung by two American artists, Gary Lakes and Jessye Norman. On paper, they offer very voluptuous, luxurious vocal performances, but they could have hyped the scenes they are in by adding a bit more drama. This could be said of Norman, but Gary Lakes' Siegmund is so beautifully vocalized that I can't help but love his performance.

Of course, a Ring would not be complete without a Brunnhilde or a Siegfried, and that is where this set fails. Hildegard Behrens has a most radiant upper extension that is only matched by Nilsson's, but the rest of her voice takes a weaker, more guttural quality once things get lower. Her immolation scene is amazing, and her hojotohos are brilliant. The love duet is gorgeous when she gets to top notes, but when expressing Brunnhilde's angst and anger, things get to get underplayed. She is a very interesting and youthful Brunnhilde though, and she is quite riveting to watch on stage.

Reiner Goldberg as Siegfried though, is much more problematic. Solti once called him as the ideal heldentenor voice, and the instrument is a very ideal one for this kind of repertoire, but he isn't as a great a singer as his vocal specifications would like us to think. I find it a very uneven performance. There are moments where you would find a true Siegfried, but a few moments later he gets into his ugly vocal mannerisms, of which there are many. His vocalizing is very rough, and the performance as a whole does not please the ear. He can also be a bore in the repertoire, and while this is acceptable with vocally nice Siegfried's, he could have made it better by using a better technique.

Overall, this Ring is an amazing account of Wagner operas in the 1980's. It is not going to be one of the essentials like Solti or Karajan's, owing that to the lack of a Siegfried and a Brunnhilde, but it has several interesting points that would make it a very well-balanced Ring.

I decided to add another Ring to my collection (I have Solti's and Bohm's recordings) and the choice was between a more historical recording or Levine's (I once had Karajan's desperate mess and sold it). I am not a digital whore, but I ultimately decided on Levine's because of what I've read about the superb orchestral playing! Now, on to my thoughts...

There's been a lot of talk about Levine's "plodding tempos" on here and reviews I've read through other sources. This morning, I did some research and compiled a timing list for some of the more popular Ring's. Levine's Ring is 90 minutes SHORTER than Goodall's. It is only 24 minutes longer than Karajan's, 34 minutes longer than Solti's, and 103 minutes longer than Bohm's. We're talking 24, 34, and 103 minutes over the course of 14 to 15 hours. Yes, the slower tempos are noticeable compared to Bohm, but they are certainly not noticeable compared to Karajan and Solti. 24 and 34 minutes over 14 to 15 hours amounts to seconds when it comes to each individual track. Not noticeable - a non-issue!

What is said about the orchestral playing is superb. I am absolutely floored by the stunning beauty with which the Met orchestra plays. It's breathtaking, from the first note of Rheingold until the last note of Gotterdammerung! The sound is clear, beautiful, and lush. Gorgeous!

The cast does have some issues. Solti provides the only near perfect cast IMO (save Hotter in Walkure). Bohm features the same two major players (Windgassen and Nilsson) as Solti. Of course Goldberg and Behrens don't measure up to these two giants, but they are both more than sufficent for their roles. Vocally, Goldberg is good, but something is missing. Behrens seems to struggle at moments, leaving me vocally disappointed during the finales of Siegfried and Gotterdammerung! However, it's nice to have another Brunnhilde and Siegfried on disc.

James Morris is a triumph as Wotan! The best I have ever heard, bar none! I literally listened to his final passage in Walkure about 15 times in a row. It will light your heart on fire. Norman is wonderful as Sieglinde! It's true her voice is perhaps a bit too large for the role, but what a treat it is to hear Sieglinde sung so powerfully and beautifully. It's a nice change, and the ACT I of Walkure is breathtaking. Studer is great as Gutrune and I love Zednik's Mime. Battle as the Woodbird and Moll as Fafner represent two other roles that are wonderfully sung.

All in all, the Walkure is the best I have heard, and the Gotterdammerung falls short of Solti's, however, it's definitely worth owning! Solti has the definite edge in Siegfried and Rheingold.

In short, would I recommend Levine's Ring to someone who is approaching the work for a first time? NO! I would certainly recommend Solti's, for many reasons. However, if someone already had Solti's and was looking for another (recent) Ring, I would absolutely recommend Levine's over both Bohm's and Karajan's, which is saying a lot, because while I loath Karajan's effort, I love and applaud Bohm's!

On a side note, Deutsch Grammophon has repackaged this Ring at mid-price (also found on Amazon), with no librettos. Although there are several used recordings for sale here, with librettos, you'd be better off buying the newly repackaged set and use the money you save to purchase Rudolph Sabors commentaries on the Ring as a whole and each of the four operas individually. Not only does he include the original text, with English translation side-by-side, he also includes a running commentary with loads of interesting information, including pointing out the motifs. These 5 volumes can be purchased used (on Amazon.com) very cheaply.

I became introduced to the Ring through this version. I did not think it bad at all at first. In fact, I thought it was unsurpassably beautiful, and that no other conductor could come close to Levine's achievement. I still do not think it a bad recording. Musically, it is nearly flawless. As a matter of fact, no member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra plays a single wrong note in the course of this fifteen-hour work. Some of the singers stand out above the rest and make this a worthwhile listen, namely Salminen, Studer, and Ludwig. However, now that I have managed to familiarize myself with the story of the Ring as well as with the music, I have many more criticisms of this rendition than I once did. Wagner was all about drama. One could even argue that he was more about drama than he was about music. The "whole tragedy of human history" is contained within the Ring Cycle, but one does not become convinced of this in listening to this version. As musically perfect as it is, one does not experience the effects that Wagner intended when he composed this grandiose epic. As pleased as one's ears may be with this rendition, one cannot possibly sense what one is supposed to sense--the world burning to ashes before him--nor can one become convinced of the feelings and emotions of the main characters, for nearly all of the voices lack the power necessary for an ideal Ring production. Hildegard Behrens, though always in tune, seems to be running out of steam in spots, and I was never once convinced of the pain that she was experiencing in Act II of "Gotterdammerung." Reiner Goldberg is not my first choice for the role of Siegfried. His voice is simply too weak, even though it provides the cheeriness that is one of the main aspects of Siegfried's personality. His intonation is off at times, usually in places where he cannot afford inaccuracy. Siegfried Jerusalem, though not a perfect singer, is better suited to this role. His voice is stronger and more dramatically convincing. The Immolation Scene does not build up as it should. Again, Behrens sounds like she is growing tired, and there are no tempo variations, dynamic changes, or sound effects. This scene, the climax, where Brunnhilde gives her life to redeem the world from the ring's curse, is treated no differently than any of the other scenes in the production. It is treated with the same smooth, mellow, dramatically unconvincing tone. When we consider Birgit Nilsson in this same role in Solti's rendition, we see a marked difference. Her voice brings drama and intensity to the work, and holds out till the very end, never once missing a note or sounding lethargic.

To conclude, Levine's is not a bad recording of Wagner's Ring, but also nowhere near astounding. If one wants to hear an ideal Ring recording, I recommend Solti's. Solti's recording does everything Levine's does not--focuses much more heavily on drama and as a result convinces us that we are experiencing something far more than mere music.

Frankly, the performance disappoints in many aspects. I have great reservations on Levine's plodding tempo, and the singing is generally much below expectations. Above all, the entire performance never manages to take flight, and it sound all so earth-bound. I don't think this can be a good introductory to the Ring.

The Metropolitan Orchestra under the direction of James Levine gives an outstanding performance throughout the four 'Ring' cyle operas. The often slower tempi adopted by Levine in my opinion, brings out the beauty in Wagner's music because every note and all the harmonies can be heard. Note that tempi should not be at the detriment of the drama. Fortunately I find Levine's tempi undetrimental to the drama and for this, his interpretation gets a thumbs up from me. At times, I found that the brass section was down in the mix (e.g. the opening of Act 2 of 'Die Walkure'). Overall, the digital recording was superb: the strings sounded great and the low double bass sounds from the recording should scare anybody who's in a dark room!

I turn my attention now to the singing. Having gone through some other reviews to seek some alternative viewpoints before writing down my own, I was shocked at the complaints about the singing in this recording. But unfortunately, I must agree and may I also add that other 'Ring' recordings have singers who are also not up to the task or rather are overrated and don't sound as good as people describe them. The biggest dissapointment for me first up was Gary Lakes - listen to 'Wintersturme wichen dem Wonnemond' towards the end of Act 1 of the 'Die Walkure' - Gary Lakes is seemingly out of breath and unable to sing in tune (literally), there is no other way to describe it but a singer grasping for air and with this, the phrasing and dynamics go and ultimately, musically inadequate. Another thing, Jessye Norman is not a good Sieglinde, her singing is very good (in fact, the best out of the female cast) BUT, Sieglinde is not a Brunnhilde and thus, should not be sung like one. Norman's volume was just too loud and insensitive to the character of Sieglinde for me at times. Remember, Sieglinde is an innocent little girl, not a warrior. I think Norman is more suited to the role of Brunnhilde.

Hildegard Behrens, unlike other reviewers, I like quite a lot. At times, she struggles greatly with the part of Brunnhilde but fortunately, this negative aspect enhanced somewhat the drama of the opera (not all the time though!), I could feel the pain that Brunnhilde was going through in 'Gotterdammerung', literally!

Last comment is of James Morris, I think he is the perfect Wotan. His tone is authorative and unlike other reviewers, I think the drama that he injects into his singing is great. But once again, this is only my opinion.

Overall, the fantastic orchestral display cancels out all the negatives of the singing (I can already hear people beating me down for saying this!). For me, adequate singers I can stand but a bad orchestra, I can't, especially for a work like the 'Ring' which depends so much on the music. I would love to give 5 stars for the stunning orchestral playing but unfortunately, I can't because of the dissapointing singing. So I give it 4 because the orchestral playing alone takes it above a 3!

When I hear new singles that are considered "music" on the radio, I wonder what is happening to our taste in anything that is relevant or contributes to our culture and society. This steaming, pile of dog #*$# is one of the most ridiculous songs I've heard lately. Why can't rap or hip-hop music have interesting lyrics and say something? It hasn't always been like this! Rap/hip-hop can be great music generes but with crap like this popping up on the airwaves and people lapping it up like a thirsty cat, we'll never see music improve or become what it should be---enjoyable, fun and WORTH listening to.

The chorus to the song basically says:

I'm hot, cuz I'm fly
you ain't, cuz you not.

Yeah, he's a regular Shakespeare, this one. Do yourself and the rest of us a favor, bypass this shameful excuse for a song and find something better to listen to. If I could give ZERO stars I would....actually, if I could give a negative number I would. AVOID AT ALL COST!

Let Me Review This song

Lyrics: 1/10 He Got 1 point because he made an attempt.
Production: 3/10 Horrible Version Of An Ice Cream Truck Beat.
Single Cover: 1/10 horrible cover nothing special. No meaning.
Depth/Meaning: 0/10 Pointless Song Not Even Good To Dance To In My Opinion.

Overall 5/40
I Havent Heard His Album Yet But I Doubt It Would Be Any Better Than This Crap Excuse Of A Single.

Hip Hop Really Is Dead Thanks To People Like Mims, Mike Jones ,All the lils and youngs (except maybe a few cant think of any lils or youngs that are good) and all the other wack mainstream rappers (except a few like nas, lupe, jay z etc u get me the good mainstream rappers)

STOP SUPPORTING POP RAPPERS LIKE THIS.
Ps. I Couldnt Be Bothered Making An Account I just Wanted To Write A Quick Review.

The song is okay to me. I don't want to judge by this song alone, but it looks like Mims' rhymes are somewhat limited, and lack substance. But it's very catchy, as he says "This Is Why I'm Hot" in his hook. Also when I hear it at clubs and at house parties, people start dancing, so it's a good dance song. If you listen to the radio a lot, you probably already heard this song, and probably like it.