Search - Various Artists, MYTHOS, Balligomingo :: Pure Moods, Vol. IV

The Moods Are Still Pure

William Holmes | Portland, OR USA | 10/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've been a fan of the Pure Moods series since a friend played the first album for me in 1997, and Pure Moods IV is at least as good as the three that came before it. If you haven't listened to any of the other "Pure Moods" CDs, be warned that the emphasis is on "moods" in the plural--if your favorite artist contributed to Pure Moods IV, you'll be disappointed if you expect the rest of the CD to sound like that artist's work. Instead, the "moods" are very eclectic, ranging from pure New Age to classical piano pieces to hits like Sarah McLachlan's "Angel."Although I enjoyed almost everything on this CD, my favorite piece so far is the late Eva Cassidy's performance of Sting's "Fields of Gold." Her beautiful voice and the song's striking imagery combine to produce a truly haunting piece of music, made all the more poignant by her untimely death--"you'll remember me/When the west wind moves/among the fields of barley . . . ." (If you love "Fields of Gold" as much as I do, Mary Black's marvelous "Speaking With the Angel" features yet another elegant version.)The Pure Moods series has proved to be a wonderful "sampler"--it's introduced me to many new artists whose work I admire, thus leading me to spend even more money at Amazon.com. My guess is that this is what Virgin Records had in mind when it put these collections together.Speaking of which, if you like this series, you might not want to limit yourself to Pure Moods I-IV. Amazon.com sells an import version called "New Pure Moods"--it's a two disc set that includes several of the pieces from Pure Moods I, but adds numerous works that are not a part of the original collection. There is also a "Celtic Moods" that is quite enjoyable, as well as an "Instrumental Moods." I hope you enjoy listening to these CDs as much as I have!"

Now That's What I Call New Age 4!

Mars Velvet | Green Tree, Blue Earth...Deep Space | 10/06/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Pure Moods Vol. 1 was so good all the way through. The selection seemed carefully made to create an atmosphere, in short, a mood.But the last two in this series remind me more of the NOW series of current and past pop tunes. Just a hodgepodge, no theme or through line, just a collection of songs that can loosely be described as relaxing. Some songs stand out, Mythos "November" ( though personally if you want November Music you will buy George Winston's FOREST which about the Montana November period). B-Tribe, AfroCelt, Enigma, Eva Cassidy's sweet rendition of "Fields of Gold", George Winston's "Sea" which is so tranquil....truly a pure mood.But why is there ambient techno? It's good but shouldn't that be put on a CHILLED SPIRIT CD? And Sarah McLaughlin's "Angel" is pretty and sweet but really....that song has been out a long time now. And Sarah's music is so wonderful to hear as a whole album anyway! In whole the music isn't all bad but you might catch yourself skipping through tracks instead of letting it play all the way.I am not knocking this album or this series after it does introduce a lot of people to jazz, new age and other fascinating genres of music. If it is new age instrumental peace you want check out:NARADA: "WILDERNESS COLLECTION"
GEORGE WINSTON: "FOREST" or "AUTUMN"
DAVID ARKENSTONE: "IN THE WAKE OF THE WIND"
WINDHAM HILL: "PASSAGES"These albums truly evoke tranquility without boring the mind or overpowering the senses!And for the Ambient Techno listener try these:CHILLED SPIRIT (Various artists)
ULTRA CHILL (Various artists)These great compilations are an example of the new movement to use ambient to stir up the senses!"

A must have if you like the Pure Moods series

Erica Anderson | 10/02/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have been a fan of the pure moods albums since the first Pure Moods came out. I like Pure moods 2 and 3, but not as much as the first, and now that the fourth one is out and I listened to it, I would have to say that the fourth addidion is ranked right along with the first. The music on this album is very mellow, There are maybe 3 songs that could be considered "techno" or something along the lines of what the second and third album had on it. This one is smooth, relaxing, and defintly sensual. some of the songs are deep, and some are uplifting. If you are a fan of the other Pure Moods albums, then you should definatly buy this one."