A tough call for some great music
Pharoah S. Wail | Inner Space | 01/14/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Musically I am a big fan of this cd, but my main complaint would have to be that when listened to in headphones the instruments are not spaced well so overall, the cd comes off as sounding a bit "small".I do love the music though. The female who sings on a couple of the tracks is the main focus of my fascination with this cd. This is the only Thai cd I own (so far! ), so I'm not an expert, but the female vocalist has what I could only describe as a "backwards" style of singing. I don't mean "backwards" as a cultural slur. I mean that sometimes her voice sounds like she is singing in reverse, and it is mesmerizing.Actually I am torn. My first instinct was four stars, but I have decided on three, but I give it three stars with the disclaimer that I am a big fan of this cd and me and my music collection are better for owning it. So far I have only reviewed one cd that I gave two stars to, but this cd is head-and-shoulders more worth the money than that one is."
Enjoyably unique
03/26/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This music, the product of centuries of royal tradition, is some of the most bizarre I've ever heard. Personally I actually enjoyed it -- it's not everyday you hear something as interesting as this. I can't comment on the vocals, but the climactic instrumental finales of each song were breathtakingly otherworldly. They possess a detached, alien beauty that I really can't describe. Sophisticated, refined, and interesting. Just amazing stuff.
However, xylophone-haters beware. Asian-style xylophones seem to be a staple of this kind of music."
Classic Thai music
Andrea Turner | Menlo Park, CA | 03/08/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have never owned a cd with Thai music so this is a new experience for me. I like the recordings (the sound quality is very good) and the music is very interesting. I would recommend it.The only downside is that there are really only 3 songs, though they each are fairly lengthy."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1
