Search - Ruth Happel :: Loons of Echo Pond - Wild Sanctuary

This CD is one of the best I've heard!

04/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a huge fan of natural environment CDs, and have been buying them for a few years to transform my city apartment and my workplace into the wild.It's hard to find good, quality CDs that really capture the sound and feel of the outdoors, and Loons of Echo Pond does this very admirably.I grew up in Maine and enjoy recordings from the Northeast in particular, and this CD captures my summer evenings as a child perfectly. I feel as if I am instantly transported back to the woods of my youth.The CD is a great mix in two tracks, yet the two tracks are not so different that it is disruptive when it switches from one to the other. There is the general background sound of peeper frogs (my favorite sound, which I was all too delighted was featured on this album), wild birds, and other animals. Then the haunting song of the loon echoes out over the lake and the effect is captivating. After a time there is a light rainshower, and the listener is not overpowered by the sound of plinking water droplets. (It seems that all too often nature recordings feature running water as the main focus, which is distracting.) The light rain patters on the leaves and the animals rejoice.I assure you that if you obtain this album, you will feel as if you are transported to a shady glade near a pond, and you will truly enjoy it. I play it at work during the day to keep me focused and lift my spirits, my coworkers are always stopping by to see what the wonderful noise is about."

Remarkable sound portrait of the northern wilderness

James Remsen, Jr. | Lindenhurst, NY USA | 03/24/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, this natural soundscape is special in many ways. Unlike some other CDs which have featured loon sounds, the loons here do not dominate the soundscape, but are featured within the context of other sounds of the north woods.Be aware that this is not a "relaxation" CD (although, depending on your mood, you may find it relaxing). There is a lot happening here, and you may be surprised upon repeated playings how many new voices emerge from the chorus. Frogs, woodpeckers, and even the low-pitched drumming of a ruffed grouse (a sound you will probably feel more than hear, when you first do sense it) are just a few of the other sounds included. Happel is not simply striving to recreate a soundscape as it actually occurred, but more accurately wishes to suggest the mood of the place. This disc accomplishes that admirably.Although the disc is about an hour long, the actual soundscape apparently runs about 30 minutes, and is repeated on the CD to give the full hour-long running time. It's too bad there isn't more material included so this repetition could have been avoided...you can never have too much of a good thing.If you enjoy this disc, you can hear more of Happel's work on "Desert Solitudes" (soundscapes from the American southwest) and "A Month in the Brazilian Rainforest" (a series of four separate CDs on the Rykodisc label, documenting the sounds of Brazilian Amazonia). As of this writing, these titles are also available from amazon.com.Trivia note for birders: the most recent pressings of this disc show a red-throated loon on the cover, but the loons heard on the CD are common loons, a different species."

My cat goes nuts!

James Remsen, Jr. | 05/09/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Played it tonight during the dinner hour. The loons and other lakeside friends filled the room. Bart, my cvat, was especially interested. A real treat in stereo, but even better in surround sound on the home theater unit."