Search - Various Artists :: Musical Massage 3

As background music goes, this third volume in the Musical Massage series (from the Relaxation Company, a Roslyn, NY-based outfit) is pleasant audio diversion that offers some attractive moments, as well as a few tedious ones. The 58-minute program, which is divided into four parts (and performed by four obscure musicians), unfolds this way: a gentle, keyboard-based floater (Vangelis-like in its best places); an attractive, softly repeating melody that's performed on electric piano (later a traditional piano) and, like a good music box, gradually achieves a mesmerizing hold on its listeners; a tour through an enchanted virtual forest that's filled with bird samples and water sounds (which are faintly guided by a shakuhachi flute); and a spare assortment of overly delicate interpretations of works by Satie, Bach, etc., for flute and acoustic guitar. Only the concluding segment, which is performed with what seems like exaggerated fragility, is a mild disappointment. The first three tracks serve their intended purpose--to render listeners contentedly comatose--with a modest degree of flair. --Terry Wood