Best Traditional Folk
The trio's passionate commitment to peace and social justice made them the conscience of an era as they soulfully communicated political concerns through music in an unprecedented way.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I prefer the newer version of "The best of..." But I'm sure there are many who prefer this older version of the songs."
"To that end, this must be a part of your classic collection of songs by Peter, Paul & Mary."
"I am so used to hearing Peter, Paul and Mary as older performers on their Christmas and 25th Anniversary DVDs that are regularly broadcast on PBS that I had forgotten how haunting their music was when they were at their best."
"I have their vinyl records, going back many years, but I now play CD's, so it was time to update."
"Love listening to the best of any group, but Peter, Paul and Mary transport me back to the sixties."
"This is the music that my generation (born late 60s) grew up with - listening to the songs that our parents loved as well."
"My favorite find on this album was the last song "Don't Laugh at Me"."
"So disappointed in the sound quality."
Bluegrass became pop music for a while when the soundtrack to this 2000 Coen Brothers film became one of the 10 top-selling soundtracks ever.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"His eyes rolled upwards in pure delight and he handed out ten dollar bills to the boys. Chris Thomas King singing "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues," at the campfire mesmerized me."
"Many people bought this excellent soundtrack album because they appreciate the excellent movie. And then there are those folks who bought the album, and then told themselves, "I gotta get the movie.""
"We wore out our original copy--or scratched it, at least--so were glad to find a replacement."
"I love this movie and love the soundtrack even more when I bought my record player this was one of the first one records I bought because the sound on there is beautiful package came on time and in perfect condition but it did also come with an extra vinyl so instead of two I got three if that makes sense."
"What I like most about this album is the way it shook up the music industry _ Ricky Skaggs is said to have overheard some Nashville music execs say on the way back from the Grammys: "We can't let that happen again.''. Her most recent album (the Grammy winner) is a mix of a lot of things _ bluegrass, folk, pop, country and a little rock _ and she's included drums on her recordings for a decade or more. Nor will Krauss and Union Station's three Grammys for country recordings over albums that probably sold five times or ten times as much."
"Sometimes you just gotta get a little hillbilly!"
"If you love the movie, you'll love the music that's on this CD."
"To me this soundtrack from the movie is annoying but my husband loves this music."
3 Songbird
Sting's "Fields of Gold" finally lives up to its title through the alchemy of Cassidy's transcendent rendition, while other tracks on this anthology showcase her ease in the realms of pop (Christine McVie's "Songbird"), soul ("People Get Ready"), gospel ("Wade on the Water"), and traditional standards ("Autumn Leaves" and "Over the Rainbow"). Framed by understated jazz and pop arrangements, Cassidy's clear, soulful voice and exquisite phrasing make her that rarest of vocalists whose interpretations are a complement to any song.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Heard of Eva Cassidy on NPR and thought she would sound great on phono."
"Voice of an angel."
"I was happy to find this CD."
"I needed music to illustrate a power point I was making as a gift. Immediately I thought of Eva Cassidy so I needed her CD."
"While I love Sting's version of 'Fields of Gold', I find Eva's compelling as well."
"It was this beautiful song and voice and I googled the artist and came up with Eva Cassidy."
"Hauntingly beautiful!"
"Because music is so personal, I hesitate to write a review of this one."
Best Contemporary Folk
The album also topped many critics' "albums of the year" lists and gathered major music awards in the process, including eight Grammy Awards.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I like to play her music at home, while having a glass of wine and cooking and it's a good end to the day or to start a weekend."
"Her voice sounds even better than ever in this format. The combination of her voice and this music, along with the spaciousness of the sound, make for a great SACD."
"I highly recommend this CD if you love female vocalists - jazz, pop, country western - and to be introduced to a singer who will certainly make her mark on the music scene for years to come."
"Very talented, great voice and great songwriting as well."
"If I feel crappy, I put her on, and she can make me smile just about every time."
"This record is perfect for laying on the floor on a warm afternoon with the sun shing through the window."
"A must have SACD for every Jazz collection!"
"Listened to this CD 50 times minimum."
Best British & Celtic Folk
Though critically well received at the time, commercial success did not arrive till nearly 30 years later, when 30 seconds of 'Pink Moon' was used in a Volkswagen commercial.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Songs cut deep, The album has an almost trans meditation effect and can cause deep introspection at times....So much talent so much potential and so much loss... but I guess that is part of what makes Nick Drake so special....If he was living the high life, living in a mansion raking in the bucks; Vacationing in the Bahamas and just living a really good life......You might think hummm does this guy really know what he's talking about ?"
"for whatever reason i didnt really listen to nick himself. until 2007 when i was working at night by myself. listening to a playlist of hundreds of songs made by other coworkers, and this record came on the speakers."
"Nick Drake's soothing guitar and simple lyrics make life in a hectic world seem a little bit more clear."
"Modern folk singers aspire to this..."
"Woah baby, take it easy."
"Pink Moon, Road and Parasite are terrific songs, but I really enjoyed the whole album."
"I find it very interesting, a lot of details that would bug me about another artist's work (the insubstantial voice, the inconsistency of the lyrics, the limited dynamic range), absolutely don't cross my mind when I listen to this album."
Best Jewish & Yiddish
The epic sweep of Ragtime is captured in its opening prologue, a nine-minute kaleidoscope of fictional characters mingling with historical figures from the early 20th century as originally captured in E.L. Doctorow's sprawling novel . Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens ( Once on This Island ) mix marches, cakewalks, and of course ragtime to create a rich, compelling score, including Sarah's song to her baby, "Your Daddy's Son," her soaring duet with Coalhouse, "Wheels of a Dream," Mother's self-revealing "Back to Before," and numerous set pieces, all performed by a perfect cast.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This was supposed to be the later full cast recording, when I went to download the MP3 it was the earlier version that eliminated much of the dialog, e.g., the opening number is only 3 minutes rather than the 5 to 8 minutes it should be for a full version."
"Marin Mazzie sings the remarkable "Back To Before" and Audra MacDonald "Your Daddy's Hands" making them songs that will stand as monuments to theatre the way that "People" does for Streisand, "Rose's Turn" For Merman, "Hello Dolly" for Carol Channing. The songs themselves are spectacular; each piece develops and we do hear character development themes; each repeated motif in a song has thickened and developed along with the character, so we never ever feel as though the score was written hastily."
"This great work would have made it on the music alone, but when you factor in some of the best voices in the business, it's incredible. The musical focuses more strongly on the black-and-white race relationships than the original novel, and this works to the advantage. The juxtaposition of cultures makes for not only great storytelling, but variety in musical numbers, keeping the boredom factor at bay. An example of this occurs when the Irish Fireman--after a blatant display or racism--claims, "They'll get used to it the way we had to," pointing out the fact that at one time the Irish were not treated so well in this country. The cons: This is not a short musical."
"An excellent cast performs an excellent musical."
"I forgot how good the show was and how great the voices of the cast are on the recording."
"THIS 2 DISC CD BRINGS IT TO LIFE...."
"This music is incredible."
"great Broadway musical play sound track about the immigration from europe to US at the turn of the 1900 century----. they made a dramatic movie starring James Cagney in his later years .....BUT THE MOVIE MUSICAL DOES NOT EXIST....ITS STRICTLY. BROADWAY STAGE PROPERTY......"