Editorial Product Review: :Big Blue Ball is the long-awaited, much-anticipated collection of stand-out tracks culled from the all-star, pan-global collaborations that took place over three years of Peter Gabriel s legendary Recording Week gatherings at his state-of-the-art Real World Studios in the English countryside. Produced by Peter Gabriel, Karl Wallinger (of World Party, Waterboys) and Stephen Hague (Pet Shop Boys, OMD), it s a nonstop stream of poignant, sterling performances by a truly stellar lineup of artists-- including Gabriel, ...
Editorial Product Review: essential recording:New Age diva Enya first became widely known when her 1988 album Watermark sold 4 million copies and launched the single 'Orinoco Flow.' Her follow-up, Shepherd Moons, was even more successful, selling over 10 million copies despite its slightly lower grade of ethereal enchantment. In 1997 she released Paint the Sky with Stars, an assortment of her best work from these two early albums plus gems from 1995's The Memory of Trees and the soundtrack ...
Editorial Product Review: :It has now been over a decade since Gaelic Storm's career lifted off with their appearance in the blockbuster film Titanic. Since their big-screen debut 10 years ago, the band's fan base continues to multiply with each new album, turning the one time-pub-band into one of the premier touring acts in the Celtic/World music genre. Musically, Gaelic Storm's compelling originals and fresh arrangements steeped in Celtic traditional melody combined with their unique blend of world rhythms ...
Editorial Product Review:Album Description:An Ancient Muse is 'eclectic celtic' - singer/composer Loreena McKennitt's highly-anticipated first new studio recording in nine years. Taking up where her previous work left off, McKennitt fuses the melodic sensibility of Celtic Balladry with musical traditions from Greece, Turkey, Spain, and beyond. Once heard, never forgotten, Loreena MacKennitt leads the listener on a timeless journey from the Scottish borders to the caravanserais of the Silk Road to the wine-dark seas of Homer's Odyssey. McKennitt's worldwide ...
Editorial Product Review: : Second only to Riverdance as an international Irish showbiz phenomenon, previous installments of this Platinum-selling extravaganza have become beloved PBS standards. The original buxom quartet of female singers, Lisa, Maev, Orla, and Chloe, have duly been joined by Hayley and are, as usual, backed by a full symphony orchestra and choir, plus enough traditional instruments (the house fiddler, Mairead, is a powerhouse) to keep things legit. The material ranges from folkloric ('Dúlaman' is best known from ...
Editorial Product Review: :As each new Enya release has washed over all who have ears to hear, as each heaven-touched work leaves admirers sitting speechless in slack-jawed wonder, questions eventually come to mind: Might her layered, choral-like approach gradually become predictable or stale? Will she ever exhaust her deep reservoir of soul-stirring ideas? Remarkably, A Day Without Rain, Enya's fourth release since her 1988 breakthrough, Watermark, establishes new artistic heights for the gifted Irish vocalist and keyboardist. The project, polished ...
Editorial Product Review: essential recording:Enya's 1988 recording Watermark achieved landmark success with her groundbreaking use of multi-tracking technology to fuse new age and Celtic themes and instrumentation. The meticulous production defines her sound and achieves continuity even while weaving together tender ballads, piano pieces, massively layered vocal harmonies, and symphonic synthesizer movements. Although Enya's pristine voice isn't especially strong, her lead vocals possess a vulnerability that reflects the lyrics' sense of personal searching. From the ubiquitous, frothy single 'Orinoco ...
Editorial Product Review: essential recording:The success of her first international hit, Watermark, confirmed Enya as less a singer or songwriter than a sonic architect: working with producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan, the classically-trained pianist built vaulting cathedrals of sound, framed by luminous piano, shimmering synthesizer orchestrations, and, above all, the seemingly infinite layers of vocal harmonies she plied on every song. The deeply romantic Celtic pop on its 1991 successor, Shepherd Moons, sustains the same ...
Editorial Product Review:Album Description:An enchanting musical performance, set beneath the stars in the breathtaking Moorish heart of medieval Spain. Captured in concert in September 2006, singer/composer Loreena McKennitt leads viewers through the multi-textured landscapes of her catalog, from traditional Celtic ballads to literary narratives and highlights from her latest recording, An Ancient Muse. Filmed in rich HDTV, Nights from the Alhambra evokes the otherworldly magic of Granada's palace of dreams, the fiery and inspired performances of a stellar cast ...
Editorial Product Review: :To many people, Enya has become synonymous with new age music. Her haunting voice, clear and crisp above richly woven musical arrangements and adaptations, represents some of the best in the genre. Her performances on The Memory of Trees justify the Celtic songster's reputation. Songs like 'China Roses' and 'Hope Has a Place' complement the simple elegance of traditional folk music with luxuriantly layered instrumentation and highly crafted studio production. The ultimate effect is dazzling, to be ...
On paper, the Mio DigiWalker P550 looks to be an attractive gadget for the mobile professional, combining the capabilities of a PDA and GPS into one device. However, its poor battery life and subpar navigation skills tell a different story.
Though it won't appeal to the masses quite yet, the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet is a nice, portable device for on-the-go Web browsing, and it has some worthy upgrades.
Though it's expensive, the Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P delivers a great combination of business and entertainment features, long battery life, and unparalleled connectivity in an incredibly ultraportable package.