Search - Blackmore's Night :: Secret Voyage

A refreshing blend of what has come before...

Kathryn Sinclair | UK | 07/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a Blackmore's Night fan, you will not want to miss this album.



Firstly, the sound of this album seems to be a combination of the previous ones ~ I can hear elements of all 5 other studio albums, and I mean that in a very good way. There is a 'darkness' to it ~ a mix of "Shadow of the Moon" and "Village Lanterne" (especially a flavour of 'Child In Time').



Some of the songs on this album seem more introspective and 'deep' in places ~ Candice has come back to earlier themes with her lyrics, but it is as though she is looking at these subjects from a different perspective.





God Bless the Keg :

It starts off with a harpsichord sound, and seems rather 'French Revolution' in tone, and then the rest of the orchestration comes in. Just when you think it is finished, you are left with this beautiful, dark, deep organ (reminds me of Bach), and there's also what appears to be Gregorian chanting right at the end. Track 1 runs straight into track 2 ~



Locked Within the Crystal Ball :

A wonderfully powerful song {just over 8 minutes long} ~ I can almost picture that ship from the front cover being tossed on the waves, hear the thunder and see the lightning! The sound is rather like 'Just Call My Name' and 'I Guess It Doesn't Matter Anymore', because of the drums. There are two slightly lighter instrumental breaks, the first one reminds me rather of 1980's era Clannad... until Ritchie's guitar comes back in! And the second one is much more renaissance in style ~ *very* nice. Another nice little touch is that the lyrics very briefly reference track 7 : 'The Circle'.



Gilded Cage :

Similar in style to both 'No Second Chance', 'Castles and Dreams', and, slightly, 'Ghost of a Rose'. Lots of lovely violin on this one :)



Toast to Tomorrow :

A cross between Mary Hopkin's 'Those Were the Days', and a Jewish wedding! Oh, and 'Home Again'! Very much like a German drinking song ~ the sort of thing to get everyone clapping and singing along. Thankfully, it's much more 'All For One' than 'Olde Mill Inn' {I'm afraid I just couldn't stand 'Olde Mill Inn'}.



Prince Waldecks Galliard :

A lovely instrumental. I can only describe it as a blend of these previous pieces, but also with something unique about it : 'Minstrel Hall', 'Memmingen', 'Fayre Thee Well', 'Village Dance'.



Rainbow Eyes :

I hadn't gotten around to listening to the original, but because of the let-down I felt when I heard the original of 'Sixteenth Century Greensleeves' AFTER hearing BN's amazing live cover {on "Past Times with Good Company"}, I thought I'd better hear it first.

Okay. The original is *GLORIOUS*! That guitar work! That vocal! That flute! You can clearly see {hear?!} the direction Ritchie was destined to head in...

Now, the BN version...

Well, they've given it a more 'rock' sound, but they are using a nice renaissance style drum for the beat, so it is more in their 'folky' style.

Another one with a hint of 'No Second Chance', and a dash of 'Way to Mandalay'. It is beautiful (though the original is still outstanding) ~ I'm sure Rainbow fans won't be disappointed with it :)



The Circle :

The lyrics to this are very inspiring. A very nice bass-line, lots of chanter and {possibly} hurdy-gurdy. There's a hint of 'Under A Violet Moon' and '25 Years' in there, and 'Way to Mandalay' and 'Cartouche'. And maybe a little hint of that 'sway' from 'Village on the Sand'!

This is one of those 'introspective' songs I was refering to...



Sister Gypsy :

Slightly similar to 'Ocean Gypsy' {which was a cover of a Renaissance [Annie Haslam's band] song}, and rather like 'Renaissance Fair'. The drum-beat and tambourine is rather like in their version of 'The Times They Are A'Changin''.



Can't Help Falling In Love :

Despite what some other reviewers have said, I think Elvis would approve!

Very much a 'rock' interpretation, but it sounds so good! Though I can't think of any of their previous songs that this reminds me of...

The band say this cover came about when they were having a sing-song in the pub!



Peasants Promise :

This opens with a beautiful acoustic guitar, and a vocal that reminds me a

little of 'Faerie Queen'. It's an acoustic song, but quite busy ~ it's very renaissance / medieval in sound. If you've got {and I hope you have!} the b-side track 'Sake of Song' {from the 'The Times They Are A'Changin'' single}, it's a *little* like that. They've used a renaissance drum (which sounds a bit like good bodhran playing), violin, chanters, mandolin, shawms, tambourine, and various other similar instruments. It's very addictive, and very much a song to lift the spirits and get everyone dancing :)



Far Far Away :

A similar sound to 'Be Mine Tonight', crossed with 'Castles and Dreams'. This is one of those songs to just lay-back and drift-away with...



Empty Words :

This one has a slight similarity to 'Waiting Just For You', and 'Once in a Million Years'. A very nice song to end with...





Although a few of the tracks on this album could certainly be described as 'weaker' (particularly the last two), they are still good, and for me this is the only BN album other than "Ghost of a Rose" where I can honestly say I like (though not 'love') every song. I will be critical and admit that it is not their best album, but there are 5 excellent tracks (1, 2, 6, 7, 10) which make it well worth buying (and merit the 5 stars!).



I only hope Candice and Ritchie will soon be giving us a few b-sides or live performances {or both} to go with it..."

Take an Amazing Secret Voyage with Blackmore's Night

John J. Toutant | Southern New Jersey, USA | 08/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Secret Voyage is the latest from "Renaissance Rockers" Ritchie Blackmore and his lovely wife Candice Night, who lead the merry band otherwise known as Blackmore's Night. For those unfamiliar with this band, Blackmore's Night dons medieval garb, picks up a wide range of instruments from the last thousand years or so, and then proceeds to knock our socks (hose?) off, with their historically-inspired music.



For over ten years, BN has been wildly popular with New Agers and Renaissance Faire Enthusiasts, in the Americas, Japan, and in Europe. I have no doubt that Secret Voyage will make inroads for new BN listeners, and can satisfy BN's long-time fans, like myself.



Secret Voyage does not disappoint in its musical quest, a voyage through time and space, alluded to by the iconic ship on the cover. Some great musical escapism is at work here. The first track, God Save The Keg, is a stately overture, formally inviting us along on this voyage. It is echoed later on the CD in the haunting song, Empty Words. Locked Within the Crystal Ball reminds us that "No one can stop us, we're one with the stars". And so it goes; the melodies of Secret Voyage draw inspiration from east and west, old and new, the joyful and the melancholy. Rainbow Eyes, the sixth track, features a Blackmore guitar solo that will stand up to any performance from his vast earlier repertoire with Deep Purple and Rainbow.



Line-up changes for this disc have not dampened any of BN's earlier musical fire. The fiddler Gypsy Rose has integrated seamlessly into this fine assembly. Likewise, Earl Grey of Chamay brings his talent as a backing player of multiple stringed instruments, and sounds like he's been here a jolly long time.



A bonus video, The Village Lanterne, is included on the disc (it was the title track on BN's 2006 album of the same name). Candice is a lovely Lady of the Lake in the video, calling to mind tales of King Arthur; her unequalled vocals, along with Ritchie's masterful guitar riffs, are not to be missed.



Not too surprisingly, I give Secret Voyage five stars. I believe this CD can proudly claim its place with the rest of BN's fine earlier works. I invite you to take this Secret Voyage to far-away places and times... your uplifted spirits will thank you for it.

"

Title? for review? why title? *confused*

C. S. Peterson | Florida | 12/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Blackmore's Night is one of my favorites. They deliver vivid imagery, beautiful vocals, and soulful music to create a purely unique vision. From gypsies and queens to highwaymen and magicians, they also offer wonderful folklore. Secret Voyage is their best cd yet and I'm very pleased with it."