CDs Sorted by Rating

How is Rachmaninoff not listed here yet? And not just because Rand mentioned his 2nd piano concerto in The Fountainhead. I loved, *loved* Rachmaninoff long before I'd even heard of Ayn Rand. I guess I assumed he would be a shoo-in with the Tchaikovsky crowd. In any case, this is a 3 CD set containing his four piano concertos, the impossibly ... (See the whole review)

No other composer has put as powerful a spell on me, or as enduring a spell, as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovksy. Tchaikovsky is my favorite of all composers, and his 4th and 6th Symphonies, are my most beloved of all his compositions. In this CD set you will hear 3 of the greatest symphonies ever written, with Conductor Yevgeny Mravinsky and the Leningrad... (See the whole review)

What a magical album. There have been many recordings of Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne, but all fall short of emulating Anna Moffo's creamily seductive interpretations. Moffo in her prime had everything that one could wish for in a lyric soprano - warmth, power, thrilling high notes, and a beguiling sense of phrasing. (Not for nothing was she ... (See the whole review)

I'm recommending this listening experience because in order to live life to its fullest, you have to be willing to try new things.  As an alternative to orchestral music, I offer Metallica's "Master of Puppets."  The musicianship and lyricism presented in this work is fantastic.  The instrumental song "Orion" was almost entirely composed by late ba... (See the whole review)

This is an attractive 2CD set of the complete music for solo violin by J.S. Bach. Performed by Objectivist violinst Garrett Fischbach, a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in New York City. The Sonatas and Partitas are technical wonders, seamlessly combining the intellectual and emotional, the craft and art, as one inseparable expres... (See the whole review)

This is the definitive Les Mis. In 1990, the best singers from Les Miserables productions from around the world got together and recorded this wonderful 3 CD version of the musical. It has the whole thing, all the way through. The lyrics are great, the music is great, and the passion is great. I originally had the cassette version, but I wore the t... (See the whole review)

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What a pleasure to find two great Lanza LPs on one CD. The compilation album You Do Something To Me, first released in 1958, was arguably the best sampling of Lanza's versatility that RCA ever put together. Whether by accident or design, the album offered stunning examples of Lanza's prowess in different genres: popular ballads, operetta, opera, an... (See the whole review)

Now aged 58, and very much in the twilight of his career, Jose Carreras is often dismissed by arbiters of public taste as the least accomplished of The Three Tenors. Yet to many who heard him in his heyday during the 1970s, there was no greater contemporary tenor. Possessed of one of the most ravishing timbres on record, the young Carreras was also... (See the whole review)

For the neebs that think 21st century new wave-synth-rock noveau is the real deal, get a grip on this bad boy from '78. When I was 15, this was the shit & deservedly so. The wandering synths, declinated power-pop riffing & rock sensibilities of The Cars awakened my generation to a whole new sound. This was 1978, long before the... (See the whole review)

Of all the recordings of the 9th that I've listened to, this version, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, is my favorite.  He really attacks the music, yielding an intense and epic result.  It was recorded using period instruments, so supposedly sounds much more like Beethoven originally intended.  The fifth movement seems to me to be especially pass... (See the whole review)

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This is definitely one of my favorites.  This double-cd collection is compiled of songs from Syd Barrett, the original singer of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, and David Gilmour.  The cds have a nice mixture of music dating back from the late 60s to the late 80s.  The songs Astronomy Domine and Bike are from the album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn rele... (See the whole review)

Art songs, written by Alexander Feht, classical composer from Siberia and long-time citizen of the U.S., were recorded in Moscow in P. K. Kondrashin’s studio by distinguished tenor Nikolay Dorozhkin and pianist Sergey Chechyotko. " ... Excellent songs deserving to be known in the grand line of Russian melodies, and sung by a Russian tenor w... (See the whole review)

The Ring Cycle is 'music-drama' as it could be and should be. Laden with drama; teeming with endless melodic richness; oozing with romantic heroism and thunderous power - love, death, desire, justice, sex, fire, gold, lust - all appear here; all drenched in music! We begin in the Rhine - "In it!" as Anna Russell reinforces - with three naked... (See the whole review)

There's been way too much headbanging caterwauling promoted here lately (btw, did y'all realise that you can post CD recommendations under the "headbanging caterwauling" category now?) so I thought I'd recommend the sublime music-making I've just been listening to: Anne-Sophie Mutter playing the Bruch Violin Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic. M... (See the whole review)

I come from a part of the world where Christmas means sunshine & summer holidays so it's hard not to have a sense of irony about the yuletide season when you see signwriters painting snowy graphics on shop windows while wearing shorts, Serengetis & SPF 30+. Indeed, an ambulance always follows Santa's float in the Christmas parade just in case the j... (See the whole review)

Okay, enough with the Mario Lanza love feast and the continuing praises of classical music; I'm sure there are other Objectivists who love good old American rock, besides me (and I'm sorry, Jake Moore, but heavy metal doesn't do it for me). Rock doesn't get any better than the Pretenders with the amazing vocal stylings of Chrissie Hynde. And... (See the whole review)

This album can be summed up in one word: sharp! The word-play of Cole Porter lovingly entwined around his wonderful melodies by this superb songstress. For me, the best collection of songs that both artists would ever do - even Vol. 2 never scaled the same heights. An absolutely essential album.

I'm going to take the unusual step here of directing people to someone else's review, here. This is because the review, like the music itself, is outstanding, and has certainly enhanced my enjoyment of it, and of one piece in particular, the Appassionata. ... (See the whole review)

Fritz who? You may well ask, for the great Fritz Wunderlich died before he'd ever achieved true international stardom. But to my ears, at least, he possessed the most beautiful lyric tenor voice on record. He had it all - superb musicality, power, warmth, and a gorgeous and immediately recognisable timbre. He could also be exciting when he wanted t... (See the whole review)

I was very surprised to have just discovered there was a soundtrack to the movie!!! ... (See the whole review)

There was very little good pop in the eighties... but Huey Lewis and the News is one band that was actually pretty good!  Plus, there's the coolness factor of being on the soundtrack to Back to the Future.  (Yes, this greatest hits CD does include "The Power of Love.") At any rate, Huey Lewis has been around long enough now to move f... (See the whole review)

A great album from a great American band. It sounds like it's been aged in an oak barrel since '68. The Black Crowes rescued blues-rock-boogie in the '90s. Shake Your Money Maker was a fine, fine debut but this album was another kettle of fish. Imagine a girl with the eyes of an angel & the switchback curves of a mountain highway dres... (See the whole review)

Thosquanta can hardly be described as "headbanging caterwauling", but I had to pick something! ... (See the whole review)

This CD is a moving expression of the feeling of disgust that many of us have with the mainstream/normal herd mentality.  It's definitely more of a "downer," but, while it is another in a long line of requiems for American culture, it's a particularly good one. My personal favorite lyric: dont say im out of touch with this rampan... (See the whole review)

Steve Vai got his start when he attracted Frank Zappa's interest by being able to accurately transcribe his work, an extremely difficult task. Vai is arguably the top guitar gun on the planet, if there really is such a thing. The new Vai release is a stunning tour-de-force, as always- ranging from flat out guitar madness to lush, sensitive o... (See the whole review)

Rush is back with a brand new album coming out in May!

Rock group Queen's music always did have a touch of the operatic. Some of their best known tracks have now been arranged as a classical symphony, and it works brilliantly! I'd heard Freddy Mercury was a big opera fan. Coincidence? (See the whole review)

Concerto of Deliverance ... (See the whole review)

Sevendust's latest effort, Seasons, is an amalgum of beautiful harmony and thundering power. In true Sevendust style, the main riffs from one guitarist are simple and chunky, with overlaying harmonies and accents from the other. The two take turns making the listening musician feel hopeless concerning his own talent. The bass has that familiar ratt... (See the whole review)

Its Time.  I couldn't agree more.  Michael Buble pronounced Boo-blay not Bub-al is a youthful face in a long line of swing-jazz singers who include such joyous voices as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sanatra dateing back over fifty years.   Buble steps into the place left many years ago by his forebearers and man does this kid swing!  For those who thi... (See the whole review)

Beautiful woman, unflinchingly self-assured male, soaring voices and terrific music. Pretty hard to beat for Sense Of Life

I truly love this album... Its ominous dirge gives vent to something essential in me, like no other piece of music has ever been able to.  Here are some more explanatory reviews from the Amazon.com website: ... (See the whole review)

This exciting string quintet brings new life to chamber music (though to keep it confined to mere chambers would be a crime). I just recently purchased this album through the iTunes music store and have thoroughly enjoyed all of it. All of the music on this CD was composed by the ensemble's violist , Mark Landson. All of the members of this group h... (See the whole review)

Ahh, Marilyn, sweet, loveable, and oh, so sexy Marilyn... I bought this CD as a novelty a few years ago but was pleasantly surprised at just how good it is. Marilyn could really sing and the music on this CD is great. Most of the songs featured here are from her movies and include "I Wanna Be Loved by You", "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best... (See the whole review)

Allan Sherman is best known for his hit "Hello, Muddah, Hello Fadduh" but he was no "one hit wonder". He produced a healthy body of work in the sixties and early seventies before his death. A precursor to Weird Al Yankovic, Sherman was the master of song parody. This collection contains much of his best work including my favorites "Good Advi... (See the whole review)

I had the pleasure of seeing the lovely Cyndi Lauper in concert earlier this year. And it was a pleasure. For two hours, Cyndi sang, danced, played instruments, told stories, joked and entertained the sold out crowd. ... (See the whole review)

When I was 16 years old in 1969, I was looking through record albums in a local store and came across the following: . Of course, being a 16 year old male, I fell in love immediately and bought this album in spite of never having heard of Melanie or her music before. Upon arriving home, I put the record on my turntable, listened, and was then in lo... (See the whole review)

Easily the most profound and interesting release by this band, 1930 consists of an unrelenting maelstrom of stimulating, mind expanding electronics, ready to release upon its listeners all manner of new thoughts. This particular CD has been a fixture of mine since I was 17, and still maintains in my cd player to this day. Viva distortion.

There are Bach-worshippers in their millions, to be sure. Normally, I'm not one of them. But, via Stokowski, Bach acquires KASS. These are transcriptions for orchestra by Stokowski of various compositions (or borrowings) by Bach for organ. They will scatter your toupee, blow your mind, quicken your pulse (dangerously), inflame your belly, stir your... (See the whole review)

I would write a long epic review of this CD, but words would not do it justice (plus I'm to lazy). Just listen to it. It's not "Headbanging Caterwauling"...it goes under the "Post Rock" category, short for Post-Modern Rock ( I realize those are rather evil words). This category or "kind" of music can be relatively strange sometimes to say the least... (See the whole review)

Composed by the great Nigel Hess. Hess and Bell worked closely together on the creation of this soundtrack. I haven't even seen the movie yet, but as a huge fan of Joshua Bell I had to get the CD as soon as possible. And it was a great decision. Each peice is a melodic joy. Bell plays with his usual precsion, feeling, and beauty. ... (See the whole review)

This album is by far Type O Negative’s best.  While some reviewers and fans claimed that it was also their “sell-out” album, due to both the shorter song lengths (in comparison to earlier albums) and the cutesy intro and “goodbye” tracks, this album is the most lyrical and displays the most appreciation of, shall we say, “the human spirit” of all o... (See the whole review)

The Cruxshadows are a great example of GOOD goth techno.  (And we all know there sure is a lot of bad goth techno out there...)  Their lyrics have the appropriate e.a.poe-ish tint, and their sound has that haunting, mournful aspect, whichout which goth techno just wouldn't be goth techno.  ... (See the whole review)

French opera had its moments... and this was definitely one of them.  One of the most haunting, beautiful instrumental pieces in all of classical music is at the end of the first act of Thais... the "Meditation."  ... (See the whole review)

If you've ever lived near the ocean then you know that it has a personality; it almost has a soul of its own.  Brightman tells an eloquent story which could only be told by one familiar with the "spirit of the sea." ... (See the whole review)

The rocker with the flute still rocks.  (...and always will?)  This was Jethro Tull's last album before Ian Anderson went solo (not counting their Christmas album).  ... (See the whole review)

Reiner at the helm, Gilels on the piano, and the CSO: nothing comes close to this one. This is an old recording, so you will easily find clearer modern CDs of this piece; but you will NOT find a better performance. This CD may be a hard find new (Amazon list it as 'out of stock'), but its worth it; used copies can be ordered from Amazon.com. Perhap... (See the whole review)

Story of purity versus change part 2: A haunting album mixing pop with operatic vocals, classical snippets and folk rock. The first time I heard this was in a Barned and Noble, at first it reminded me of the Beach Boys, then John Denver, then Radiohead...at first, I was annoyed, then intrigued. I couldn't place it musically, and I didn't like i... (See the whole review)