Unpretentious and Beguiling in its Simplicity
Scott Gallup | Omaha, NE USA | 11/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this album at a time in my life when I was trying to start a daily meditation routine. Living in the city, I kept getting distracted by traffic, the boom box blasting as the neighbor teens played hoops, the creaking of floorboards (I meditate in my basement) and the hundred-odd other "jangly" noises of modern life. I needed something to listen to that would mask these disruptions, but not draw my focus outward with vocals or a "catchy" rhythm. I tried some of Dan Gibson's "Solitudes" series (which I really like and recommend for relaxing but not meditation) but just as I was starting to go deep a bird call or other nature sound would 'snap me back." I tried music by Fumio (showcased solo instrumentation was pleasant but distracting), Inward Harmony by Marcey (had a "vibration" that didn't suit me) and Enya (great for relaxation, too rhythmic for meditation). I even tried just pure nature recordings of babbling brooks and seashores but, although they weren't distracting, they didn't do much to mask the noise of my surroundings.I really just needed something simple yet inspiring. I was happy to find it in Rainbows and Waterfalls. You know, it's not really a descriptive name as there are no waterfall sounds or nature recordings in it. Instead, the sounds of a harp reverberate gently to the accompaniment of soft whistling, seeming to echo off distance hills. The whistling has a mystical quality to it that seems to re-awaken a distant memory of an inward joyousness and makes me smile softly to myself as I go into meditation. I've owned Rainbows & Waterfalls for seven years now. I find it beguiling in its simplicity and more deeply soothing than other "meditation" albums I have bought. As the years pass spending time in meditation with this unpretentious album, it has grown to become an old friend of mine, ready to rekindle the memories of past joy-filled meditations. May it do the same for you!(Note: as I write this on 11/22/2002 the graphic Amazon[.com] shows for this album is incorrect. There are no sitar and no vocals in Rainbows and Waterfalls.)"
Track Listings (1) - Disc #1