Silverstein

The concept of time is defined throughout this wonderful classical CD. The Four Seasons reflects the inward reflections of time that revolves around the type of world we live in. Antonio Vivaldi expresses his music with plenty of intuition and imagination. Would definitely recommend to individuals who need to understand the concept of time.

I am not sure if it is the best Vivaldi recording ever but it must definately place high on the list. It is a pleasure to listen to!!!

This is my favorite CD. In fact, I own two. (one in the car and one in the house). If you are starting your classical music collection, or adding to it, this is one CD that is essential.

Right after I load in to CD player. Oh my god! I thought I play my old old LP with my turn table.... there's needle scratch noise. right after finished song before it start next music play shocking needle scratches. somebody made this CD from old LP Wow!!!

The Four Seasons by Vivaldi always provides for 'easy listening'. Hearing it when conducted by Seiji Ozawa makes it even better. I have it on another CD which I now keep in the car, but the CD on which Ozaza conducts the BSO is the one I keep at my computer for near-daily listening.

By the way, your quick, efficient service was noted and is appreciated.

regards,
P.A Mancini

I received the product in a very timely matter and in good condition. However my search in amazon returned audio books for my selection when I searched under books and so I ended up ordering the audio version instead of the book that I actually wanted. I've been too busy to figure out how to get in touch with the seller to return/exchange so...needless to say I'm not happy about that. But if I had meant to order this - I'd probably be very happy!

this audio format is a great way for toddlers to be introduced to the magic of silverstein's poetry. (no pesky pages to rip and tear) a very entertaining cd.

I use this with my fourth grade students and they want to listen to Shel Silverstein 24/7! He is a master at reading his poetry - and the CD is worth owning if you have kids of any age. I love it too.

I had heard Shel Silverstein's spoken rendition of "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout" before, and loved his books of poetry. The rest of the album met every expectation I had. Any fan of Silverstein will love this.

My children and I would spend many a night listening to the creative genius of Mr Silverstein. My son's favorite was "Sister for Sale". I saved the tape for when I had grandchildren. My grandson arrived in 2006. My children remember those wonderful moments we shared even today. I hope you and your special little ones enjoy it as much as our family has. I was ecstatic to find it in a CD.

I have enjoyed all of Silverstein's music they have made, especially their second album 'Discovering the Waterfront.' I like them because they are so original, but this album is getting more into a mainstream style, where you can't tell that it is distinctively Siverstein, but nevertheless this CD is still AMAZING. You should definitely buy it. I listen to music like So They Say, Emarosa, Breaking Benjamin, A Skylit Drive, and Scary Kids Scaring Kids and this fits in perfectly... so if you like any of these bands it would be worth your money to pick this up.

This is the other one and am still waiting for a new one to come out

I selected 3 stars, although I feel the album deserves three and a half. Silverstein burrowed their way into my heart with their almost perfect embodiment of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde in their album 'Discovering the Waterfront'. Not only in the vocals, but in the tone and tempo of the music as the album progressed. I hoped for more of the same with 'Arrivals & Departures', however I was surprised to find that Silverstein has moved back toward 'When Broken is Easily Fixed' in their style.

The band we know and love surely isn't absent though - thrilling standouts such as 'If You Could See Into My Soul' and 'My Disaster' still grab me by the belt and drag me to the pit when Shane Told lets loose his scream over perfect breakdowns. Many of the other tracks find a sort of driving rythm which Silverstein hasn't really much used before. The reason is quite clear - if you've caught the band on their current tour, you know that the songs from Arrivals & Departure are crazy fun live bits.

I will say that 'Discovering the Waterfront' is a better album. I won't say this one is bad. The music suffers from a kind of muddiness on the CD (blame the studio, which was a different one for this album) but is still lovely. Silverstein has departed the style they hit so well on Discovering the Waterfront but it still echoes in the background. But as of yet, they haven't arrived at a style which truly showcases their talent. I trust them though, and I'm sure whatever's next will be fantastic.

A final note - While listening to this, I kept thinking Arrivals & Departures = 'When Broken is Easily Fixed' + 'Say Hello to Sunshine' + 'Watch Out!!!'. Not a bad pedigree.

so i'm gonna start of by saying that silverstein is my fav band, so if you wanna stop reading this go ahead but im gonna be straight with you guys about this album. no bias here.

the music: it isn't quite as good as their first 2 full lengths. silverstein as a band are huge fans of bands like the get up kids, hot water music, lifetime, etc. and many other genres too but for a band who loves bands like the three i listed, this album is incredible musically. you can hear their influence so well. they are really honing in on what those kind of bands started. the drumming is better than on previous albums. the guitars and bass aren't as good.

the vocals: shanes singing is much better than on previous albums. his screaming is just the same, but there is much less screaming on this album then on the other 2 full lengths. the lyrics arent as metaphoric as they used to be, but they overall themes in the songs are great. this band has been through alot in recent years and shanes lyrics really reflect that, especially in here today gone tomorrow, which is about john beatz the drummer from bayside who was killed whiile on tour with silverstein.

the production: the sound on this album is not good. discoving the waterfront was much much better and even when broken is easily fixed was better. for a band like coheed and cambria production is super important but for a post hardcore band like silverstein, not so much.

overall, this album is better than i expected and they are my fav band so i had high hopes. so should you buy this album? if you like this band, yes. if you like emo music in general, yes. if you like other forms of punk rock but not emo, yes. if you like bands like rush, dream theater or coheed, no. if you hate victory records like i do, yes. and if you dont like music, no.

so if your reading this and even considering buying it then you probably should buy it!

This album is so bad, that I'm going to have to review something I love next just to get the thought of it out of my mind. This is a silly little record from a silly little band. One positive note: the musicianship is solid. Here's the rest of it. The songs are unimaginative, the lyrics cliche and silly, the vocals whiny and grating. Now, I do not typically like this style of post punk kid-style speak singing anyway, but the vocals are particularly bad here. In terms of the songwrituing, this sounds like a bunch of leftovers from previous better efforts. It sounds like very little effort went into this album here and the band simply takes their new found success for granted. Its a shame. I also agree with the High School Band analogy, but would add that there are many high school bands more talented and hungrier than these guys. Do not spend your money on this.

It is so funny to read the reviews on this album. So many reviewers talk about how Shel is "best known for his children's books". When you see this, know two things, these folks are under 40 and/or grew up very sheltered! As someone who does not fit that profile, by barely a few years, let me give the another perspective.

Do you remember hearing "On the cover of the Rolling Stone" on the radio? Then you heard "Sylvia's Mother", "A boy named Sue", and/or "Marie Lavaux". Such bawdy fun songs, but different artists. Then the thread became clear, Shel Silverstein wrote all of these.

It is hard not to search for Shel Silverstein lyrics after visiting Amazon. While this collection has some of the better known, he has well over well over 70 songs to his credit in this genre. THEN there are the children's songs, poems, and books.

As a parent of young children who read "A light in the Attic" and other books by Shel, I enjoy them with my children. When I mention these books with another parent I'm looking them straight in the eye with a wry smile searching for that glimmer that they too understand so much more. I'm a good conservative parent, but don't forget my wild days. Look deep inside of you and appreciate some of these many facets of Shel Silverstein.

Next time you hear someone called a "Renaissance Man", compare that individual to Shel Silverstein. Shel is the measure of renaissance man all others can be judged against.

Born on September 25, 1930, Sheldon Alan "Shel" Silverstein, aka "Uncle Shelby" when writing books for children, was all of those - and more. His children's books, most of which he also illustrated himself (he once worked as a cartoonist for the U.S. military's publication Stars And Stripes), remain among the most favoured of the genre, especially A Light In The Attic, Where The Sidewalk Ends, Falling Up, A Giraffe And A Half, The Missing Piece and The Missing Piece Meets The Big O.

Adults could appreciate his zany sense of humour too in books such as Different Dances, a collection of very adult-themed wordless cartoons, as well as the highly satirical Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book and his stab at rap, using Hamlet, which appeared in Playboy the year before he passed away on May 10, 1999. As a screenwriter, working with David Mamet they came up with 1988's Things Change, a tour-de-force for Don Ameche as an Italian shoemaker convinced to take the rap for a Chicago mob murder.

His material continues to surface, including the 2005 book of spoonerisms titled Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook. And here, in this wonderful 2005 CD with 2 pages of liner notes contributed by his nephew, Mitch Myers, and an eloquent tribute by his good friend Kris Kristofferson, you can hear for yourself his unique brand of humour on 15 of the 25 generous tracks, some of which are indeed suitable for children. Just review it yourself, first, before deciding which tracks they can hear.

He is, of course, also the writer/composer of some of the biggest hit singles ever, several of which are included here, starting with his first smash, The Unicorn, In early 1968 the Canadian-based group, The Irish Rovers, took it to # 2 Adult Contemporary (AC) and # 7 Billboard Pop Hot 100. Then, just over a year later, his friend the late, great Johnny Cash introduced A Boy Named Sue in a live performance at San Quentin Prison and, when released as a single, it shot to # 1 Country (where it stayed 6 weeks), # 1 AC (2 weeks), and # 2 Hot 100 in late summer 1969.

Another Country star, Bobby Bare, had back-to-back hits with Shel's material, first taking Daddy, What If to # 2 Country, # 14 AC and # 41 Hot 100 in late 1973/early 1974 in a delightful duet with 5-year-old son Bobby, Jr., and in the summer of 1974 had a # 1 Country with his "live" recording of the hilarious Marie Laveau, a take-off on the renowned 19th Century New Orleans VooDoo queen.

The New Jersey pop-rock group, Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, also benefited from Shel's compositions as their first hit, Sylvia's Mother, rose to # 5 Hot 100 in spring 1972, and late that year the comical The Cover Of "Rolling Stone" began its climb to # 6 Hot 100 in January 1973 b/w the melancholy Queen Of The Silver Dollar, the Doyle Holly version of which made it to # 29 Country that year, and in 1976 Dave & Sugar would take it to # 25 Country.

And although the version of A Couple More Years heard here by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson never became a hit, Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show had a # 51 Country with it in 1976, while King Edward IV & The Knights took it to # 89 Country in 1979.

A most talented man who is sorely missed.

Shel Silverstein is one of the most underappreciated poets of the twentieth century. If you grew up reading his books of poetry, it is a whole other experience to her him read his poetry out loud (unlike anything else!!! give them a whole new dimension and breaths vitality into his words). His other songs and performances are also a real treat but the gems of this album are the recitations of his own poetry.

This is a great compilation CD illistrating some of Shel's best work from spoken poetry to songs sung by some of the best.

The guest artists on this collection are what make it stand out. I was delighted to see Dr. Hook, the Irish Rovers, and Johnny Cash on the credits list among others.

The ironic "A front seat to hear Johnny Sing" was one I hadn't heard til now. Thelyrics had me laughing and how plausible was the situation!

"Marie Lavaeu" had me laughing, too. This one would be a great selection for Halloween coming up.

There's also some of Silverstein's children's music here, "The Unicorn," "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout", and "The Homework Machine" are the ones I remember best from my own childhood. The only caveat is parents probably should get a kids' only CD by Shel. While Silverstein is most noted for his poems for kids, but he's got a twisted, dark side, too that's represented on this CD.

By profession, Shel Silverstein was a cartoonist and his work has appeared in several American magazines; he has also written poetry, plays, short stories and a number of children's books. His prowess as a song writer came to the attention of the record buying public via the music of a bunch of loonies collectively known as Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Shel wrote many songs for this band - the best known ones include : 'Sylvia's Mother', 'The Cover of The Rolling Stone', and 'The Ballad of Lucy Jordan'; Dr. Hook have also also covered a number of the songs to be found on this album. The album was originally released in 1969 and it was re-issued on CD (with 3 bonus tracks) in 1999, following Shel's death.

Shel's vocal style is an acquired taste and this album typifies that style - he can be heard growling, wheezing and cackling his way through the songs (he also manages to sing on the odd occasion). Instrumental and vocal accompaniment are provided by Dr. Hook (amongst others) - including Dennis Locorriere (or is it Ray Sawyer?) joining in with spasms of maniacal laughter from time to time.

With this album, you get a taste of Shel's personal worldview as he turns his attention to popular counterculture of the late 1960s. With some of the songs, by using a combination of parody, satire and innuendo, he proffers a tongue in cheek challenge to the (then) received wisdom of liberal attitudes towards sex and drugs. I say 'tongue in cheek' because I get the distinct impression that he doesn't exactly disapprove either; he is simply being a realist by pointing out that over-indulgence does have its downside - with the tacit implication that anyone who thinks otherwise is ever so slightly delusional. Not all of the songs deal with the themes of sex and/or drugs - there are a good few others that are just plain weird.


Some cogitations upon the meaning of life :

I GOT STONED AND I MISSED IT - A song which exemplifies the classic dichotomy presented by drug induced oblivion, i.e. on the one hand, by removing inhibitions, you are encouraged to do it; whilst on the other, it means you can't remember what it was you did (or who you did it with).

FREAKIN' AT THE FREAKERS BALL - The song revolves around a gaggle of sado-masochists, necrophiliacs and others with esoteric recreational interests; ordinary folks just trying to loosen up a bit after a hard day at the office - with friends like this, who needs enemas?

DON'T GIVE A DOSE TO THE ONE YOU LOVE MOST - A cautionary tale of life, love and sexually transmitted diseases; an ode to the man who has been given everything (except penicillin).

LIBERATED LADY - A celebration of the dubious benefits of 'role reversal' - misogynists may have some difficulty coming to terms with the song's ethos.

EVERYONE'S MAKIN' IT BIG BUT ME - Not, as the song's title might imply, a lament from a guy who is experiencing an episode of hydraulic dysfunction. The song is merely an expression of puzzlement - about why the trappings of superstardom should be so elusive.


I rarely play this album now but, at the same time, I would never bin it. It's a memento of a period in my life when things were so very different - those were the days (or were they?). There are various Shel Silverstein compilations, and these cover a broader range of his song writing styles. However, if you are looking for sardonic humour, then you can't get much better than 'Freakers' - but seriously folks, not recommended listening for those who are excessively prim, proper, prissy, priggish, prudish or puritanical (perm any 2 from 6).

At the moment I am unhappy as the item purchased, over a month ago, has not arrived. Even though we have suffered some postal strikes, I still think that this item should have arrived by now.

This is not the style of Shel Silverstein many people are familiar with. This is the very funny, slightly raunchy, grown-up side of Shel Silverstein. I've been a fan of Shel Silverstein and Freakin' at the Freakers Ball since the early 70's and have purchased it in vinyl at least 3 times over the years. Finding it on CD is such a happy thing! My vinyl copy is worn out! If you like funny stuff that's just a little twisted, this is for you. How can you resist "I Got Stoned and I Missed It"?

A true classic in the field of albums of humorous songs. All the songs here are very funny (with the sole exception of "The Man Who Got No Sign"). Many of these songs will be familiar to listeners of The Dr. Demento Show, especially the legendary "Sahra Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out". The lyrics to that particular song were later included in one of Silverstein's books of poetry for children (as was "The Peace Proposal"), but this is not an album for children. Many of these songs are about sex and/or drugs. If you are one of Uncle Shelby's adult fans, you will probably love this album. The CD includes three bonus tracks, all of which are about the music industry, oddly enough.

Best. Lyric. Ever: "I spend each dime I can afford. I swear it's gonna win an academy award. I saw Polly in a porny with a pony, and the pony seemed a little bored."

Good price, good quality, and much earlier than I would buy it in any bookstore.

I have several versions of Sheherazade and this has become one of my favorites. First, it is beautifully recorded with refined balances of the orchestra's scale and nuance. Second, it captures something quite beyond the obvious well known composition; a magical sense of the story and imagery of the piece. Finally, it seems to embody all that I liked about my other recordings as far as the quality of the orchestration and sound but after several listenings, it sustains a visceral excitement in the experience.

Great CD. Real tight sound. Nice mix of screaming/singing. Probably only hardcore fans would enjoy the sound. Would have given it 5 stars but the guitars sometimes give it the feel of an 80's hair band!

Silverstein's one of a kind album, Discovering The Waterfront, has so many tracks that are so doggone good that it's just simply chilling. Very few albums touch me that way this one has. Everyone goes through the kind of things like these songs deal with. This album can be as relevant to your life just as it was mine. It helped me through some tough times and surprised me on how much I had in common with some of these songs. The famous tracks "Your Sword vs. My Dagger", "Fist Wrapped in Blood", and "Discovering the Waterfront" are all great songs full of meaningful lyrics. I can't praise this record enough.

This is one of my faviorite albums! It's a little on the sadder side of things but it's really great music.

I Have listened to both Discovering the Water Front and When Broken is Easily Fixed but i have to say DTWF is much much better. Unlike many modern bands who enhance their voices to make them sound better SIlverstein dosent do it and they sound great. I saw them live in pittsburgh in october and it was amazing. All of their songs are good to listen to unlike some bands who have boring terrible songs just to fill space on the album. Currently my favorite song on the album is Call it Karma but i still think all the other songs are great too. Overall if you like emo/scremo music buy it see how you like it u might be supprised.

I have to admit I never really liked Silverstein's first album "When Broken Is Easily Fixed", I found the music to be just like every other band except worst, and his voice sounded terrible, now I am quite lucky that there was nothing better in the shop for me to spend my money on, because this album is way way above the level of their old album, the first thing we notice is the lead singer's voice, it has definitely improved and I could honestly say I like it now, also there si much less screaming which helps their music sound better, the second thing you notice is the definite improvement in guitar works, there is not a single part of a song that just relies on chords, melody is omnipresent. The drumwork is also much better and the overall effect of these mark a definite improvement and help create a much more polished album than their last release. Silverstein composed a lot of different styles of songs, as much as the hardcore emo "my sword versus you dagger" or emo ballads like "Discovering the waterfront" and of course their hit "Smile In Your Sleep" which is a truly beautiful song, so if you didn't like the old Silverstein too much, I still advise you to give this one a try, and if you liked the old one, this one could become your album of the year. A must-have for anyone who wants a complete collection of emo, well done Silverstein, you have made me fall in love again.

This is a fantastic album....still a hilarious and stinging parody of folksongs and folksingers.

Just get it!

This is an album that I bought back in the 70's and was pleased to find it in cd format. Shel passed away in the 90's I beleive but his humor and talent lives on....
Thanks for the great service
Dale

Great album! I've always been a fan of Shel Silverstein, but for a long time I only knew him through his poetry, which I've enjoyed since I was a kid. Sometime last year I learned that he also made music during his lifetime, and I was eager to find out what it was like. Being that my favorite musicians tend to be the singer/songwriter type like Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, I took to Shel's music immediately. He makes equally personal music, but undertakes it with a level of humor and spirit that is rare. Listening to his albums, it sounds like he is having fun first and making music second. But that's the spirit that Shel approached all of his art with, and his music ended up just as inspired and enjoyable, not to mention as hilarious.

On Inside Folk Songs, Shel offers up a wide variety of material. There are straightforward songs such as "25 Minutes to Go" and "Folk Singer's Blues," which often deal with funny and whimsical subject matter. In the latter, Shel laments how he would love to sing about hard times and chain gangs, but "what do you do when you're young and White and Jewish?" There are shorter pieces such as "Boa Constrictor" and "The Slitheree-Dee;" these two would also be included in his books of poetry. Some of the material is especially satirical, most notably of the hipster lifestyle, such as "Have Another Espresso" and "It Does Not Pay to Be Hip." Though this material does date the album, the most general knowledge of the beat/hipster scene of the time will serve; I find the songs quite enjoyable. I also can't help but find added humor now, living in New York City where a new kind of hipster lifestyle is becoming prominent (of which I would loved to have heard Shel's satirical opinions).

All in all, it's a very enjoyable album for its humor and its lightheartedness. Whether you can find any musical charm in it probably depends on your ear. Shel's voice is deep and gravelly, but the rhythm that he injects into his songs with it is unmistakable. So if you're the type of music fan who "likes Bob Dylan's songs but can't stand listening to him sing them," you might feel the same about Shel. But if you like the sound of his voice, you'll enjoy his music all the more. Though he is only accompanied on this album by himself on acoustic guitar, he would go on to make much more musical albums, such as the country Boy Named Sue, the drug-addled Freakin' at the Freakers Ball (on which he is backed by Dr. Hook), and his last musical album, The Great Conch Train Robbery, which is also backed with a country-type sound.

Thank you! I guess that all of Uncle Shelby's fans have been waiting for this CD for years. I remember the joy I had when I found it on vinyl back in 1975, after having been lookin' for more than 5 years. Now my old vinyl copy is almost worn out, and I did buy a USB grammophone in order to put it on my iPod - that's not necessary anymore! Sometimes when we are partying, we sing them old songs, and now we can do it together with Shel through a clear recording. That's just great!

I've been hoping that this would show up on CD for years. My vinyl copy didn't make the cross-country trip and it's lack has been a cause for sadness. No more. Uncle Shelby's gentle madness and his spot-on skewering of the folk idiom -- of which I am still a fan -- is available. As soon as I learned of it, I placed my order. All of the material holds up but I was especially glad to have "Blue Eyes" available. I often misquote one of the lines in the song as, "And besides, there's a moat" when referring to objections that just go on. Now I can play the song that inspired it. Also wonderful are the snide shots at hipsters, among whom Shel certainly could be numbered, despite his comments to the contrary. This is a time capsule CD, a journey back to a simpler and happier time and it's a transport of delight.

In 1959 Elektra Records released Shel Silverstein's first album "Hairy Jazz". The label had previously issued genteel, traditional folk music - so it was surprising when they green-lighted a recording of boisterous ragtime jazz. Backed by the 7-piece Red Onion Jazz Band, Silverstein hollered and leered his way through 10 standards and 2 originals. But first, a little background...

Shel was a native Chicagoan who started drawing in his early teens, and continued to do so for the Army when he was stationed in Japan and Korea in the early 1950's. His comical cartoons of military life appeared in the newspaper "Stars And Stripes". In 1956 he started a long-time stint as a cartoonist for Playboy magazine. He became a resident of NYC's Greenwich Village and maintained an apartment there his whole life, in addition to later homes in Sausalito and Key West. In early 1959 he became involved with a "revue" in collaboration with radio personality and humorist Jean Shepherd. Called "Look, Charlie", the show played off-Off-Broadway and featured songs and monologues with musical accompaniment by the Red Onions. Later that year Elektra rented a midtown space for Shel and the Onions, and basically threw a 2-day party with the tape machine rolling. Elektra founder Jac Holzman edited the tapes himself.

The result is a rare glimpse into the New York "beat" scene circa 1959, and boy is it fun. With trumpet, clarinet, trombone, tuba, banjo, piano, bass and drums, the Red Onions raise holy hell - with Shel's raspy vocals clear above the fray. The band sounds great - swinging and cool. Every hipster in town showed up to watch the session and partake of the free food and booze, and Shel and the onlookers harangue each other with catcalls and ribaldry. A rowdy good time was had by all!

Silverstein fans shouldn't lament that he only wrote 2 of the songs ("Broken Down Mama" and "Pass Me By"). To hear his take on some of the "traditional" numbers, you would think he had written them. In fact, he takes so many liberties with their lyrics and arrangements that essentially they are original compositions. This is a terrific CD, and Water Records did a great job remastering. It also includes Jean Shepherd's liner notes.

Shel Silverstein released a good amount of albums, but only 4 of them are truly great. This is one, as is the follow-up "Inside Folk Songs" (1962), which contains all originals. Songs like "Have Another Espresso", "It Does Not Pay To Be Hip", and "Bury Me In My Shades" are hilarious and among the best he's written. Johnny Cash went on to record 2 songs from this album: "25 Minutes To Go" and "Boa Constrictor". It's also been re-issued on CD and shouldn't be missed. My favorite of all was his "live" album recorded in a small club - 1965's "I'm So Good That I Don't Have To Brag". "The Great Conch Train Robbery" (1980) was his last great one.

Beware the rest of his output. Shel's best when he's funny. Anytime he attempts serious or sentimental the results are a maudlin bore. Other records are marred by getting too lewd and crass, while others are ruined because he doesn't sing - but chooses to "narrate" them in a loud screechy talking style. Because they manage to avoid these pitfalls, the above 4 are the ones to get.

You probably know Shel Silverstein as the author of best-selling children's books, or as the writer of Cash's "A Boy Named Sue". Comparatively few people have heard him sing. With the exception of Dave Van Ronk, no one else sounds like him. Both were full-throttle guys with roaring vocals who lived life to the fullest, and both explored jazz and folk during the same era. They were friends, and Van Ronk recorded half of his 1963 classic "In The Tradition" with the Red Onions (now available only as the first 12 tracks of the 2002 re-issue "Two Sides Of Dave Van Ronk"). The main difference between the two is that Dave was a scholar of such artists as Bessie Smith and Jelly Roll Morton who told funny anecdotes in-between serious songs (in concert), while Shel wrote and sang mostly funny songs.

If you want to laugh and have a good time, there's no one more amusing and entertaining - and "Hairy Jazz" is a good place to start.

I bought that 2-CD set only for the extraordinary performance of Adele's "Laughing Song" ("Mein Herr Marquis") by Edita Gruberova. It is highly surprising (and inexcusable IMO) that a great label as Universal/Decca wrongly gives it to Kiri Te Kanawa, and that another great company (amazon) relays that big error on this site; the recording is quite recognizable (Gruberova can't be confused with anyone; and at her final, you can't confuse the particular audience of that live performance unable to refrain from blowing their stunning and applause before end), and you can check J. Strauss - Die Fledermaus / Te Kanawa, Gruberova, Fassbaender, Bär, Wiener Philharmoniker, Previn and search it, 1st for "Gruberova", 2nd for "Kanawa".

Another track is, alone, worth buying the CD: Königin der Nacht's "Der hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" by Sumi Jo. Lucia Popp despite her quite deserved immense reputation for this, is beaten (IMO) by Cheryl Studer (purer and more subtle - at least when with Neville Marriner), who is in turn by Sumi Jo: Jo brings the incredible energy and speed and emotion yet chirurgical precision required by that piece full of terrible wrath and grudge (I once attended the Flute where Königin was on her balcony, pointing her finger at her daughter, far away in the court, giving full life to the ultra-powerful music and lyrics "The hellish revenge burns in my heart! Death and destitution to the traitor I hate! Strike him with this deadly weapon! Or you are not my daughter! never more and forever! Go away, ungrateful! Ungrateful! Everything is broken between us until he gives back his villain soul!"), she sings with perfect pitch, tempo and power even up to the 4-repeated highest note (F), with score in hand you find exceptionally little and small flaws, and only in secondary passages. And she sings with "no emotion added" (or removed!), I mean, she is quite accurate emotionally - not everyone is, particularly when singing perfectly such a masterpiece.

There are several more very good tracks (Casta Diva/Sutherland, Welche Wonne welche Lust/Kathleen Battle, O mio babbino caro/Fleming, Dôme épais le jasmin/Sutherland, Schubert's Ave Maria/Leontyne Price), each worth buying the disc, but I agree with previous reviewers that globally the selection is uneven.

Versailles, Sun 1 Jul 2007 01:55:40 +0200

As many reviewers have said before, there is a lot of incoherencies in the choices of singers on this double CD. In order to be a truly ultimate collection, the boundaries of recording companies and rights must not interfere, as must have been in this case. This said, it is up to the private collector to accumulate his/her ultimate soprano collection, BUT these CDs are an enormous contribution!

It starts out very strong with beautiful pieces of, and then some singers repeat OFTEN. Not that they are bad choices, it's just that a greater variety would have been nice. More importantly it would have been great to have the "definitive" version/singer of a given aria. Just one example, Sumi Jo's Der Holle Rache is just everywhere as a previous reviewer mentioned -- let's not forget that there is a pristine-perfect-beyond-comparison of Lucia Popp's Queen of the Night also out there somewhere...just NOT on this particular CD...

As far as aria choices are concerned, that is a bit strange to me, too. Of all of Mozart's arias, why those and leave out the magnificent soprano aria from Zaide, "Ruhe sanft"? Hmm...But anyway, the CDs are much better than any other compilation I have of the same type. Highly recommendable after all.

This CD is a delight from start to finish. It covers most of the most famous soprano arias and duets, featuring celebrated performances by such artists as Nillson and Sutherland, Te Kanawa, Fleming and Bonney. The booklet lists the information on each performance, but does not include the translations. As all are very familiar peices, finding the opera from which they are taken should not be much of a challenge. Not all are opera arias, either; we have "Sheep May Safely Graze" and "Let The Bright Seraphim" to mention a few of the sacred arias here. For opera collectors and those who are just starting to listen alike, this is a very enjoyable CD.

This is a great compilation to have. I understand that no Maria Callas recordings are not available on this CD because she was never part of the company. There, I set the record straight for any fans of the late opera singer who question it. There are, however, some sopranos and mezzos who are a part of the company that were left off as well, which is my reasoning for giving a 4-star rating rather than a five. Where are Cecilia Bartoli and Mirella Freni. I know that Freni is featured as Mimi on the recording of Musetta's Waltz, but it is minor on the recording, and there should be a recording of her singing an actual aria of her own. Also, recordings of "Dove Sono" (by Te Kanawa, for example), "Voi Che Sapete" (by Bartoli, let's say), "Signore Ascolta" by Caballe, and the Song to The Moon should all be on this compilation. Plus I think that Tatiana Troyanos' recording of the Habanera from Carmen should be featured rather that of Marylin Horne's. Other than that, the #1 Soprano Album is great.

The #1 soprano album, is a compilation of the most popular opera arias.
This album includes some of the best female voices in history, such as:
Joan Sutherland
Monserrat Caballé
Birgit Nilsson
Renée Fleming
Leontyne Price
Sumi Jo
Kiri Te Kanawa
singing excerpts from Gianni Schicchi, Madama Butterfly, La Bohéme, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Les contes du Hoffman, among many others.

Higlights:
O mio babbino caro/ Fleming
Dome epais le jasmin/ Sutherland & Berbié
Der hölle rache kocht in meinem herzen/ Jo
Un bel di vedremi/ Crespin
Let the bright seraphim/ Sutherland
La mamma morta/ Caballé
Mild und leise/Nilsson
among others.

This album is, in fact, a very good choice for the people who enjoys classical music. For the people that is not familiarized
with opera, this is a great oportunity to approach bel canto with some of the most beautiful voices in opera history.

Note: This compilation it's probably not complete (we miss many arias and some names as Flagstad and Callas) but it's a very good opera selection. Enjoy.