Search - Paul Galbraith :: In Every Lake the Moon Shines Full

Pretty, lightweight travelog

Richard B. Schuchman | Orlando, FL United States | 08/21/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

""There are few things more evocative than a beautiful folk song," states Mr. Galbraith in the liner notes. While there are some lovely impressionistic moments, none of them seem to last long enough to, well, make an impression. There are 52 some odd songs, but the cd is only 60 minutes long. You do the math. I prefer pieces with development sections; these are more like little postcards; melodic fragments. They're arranged in suites so I guess it develops in as far as there are several snapshots to give the impression of the country, but it's a whirlwind tour, the equivalent of taking a 200 mph bullet train through 5 countries in an hour. Little remains of the trip to remember. His musicianship can not be faulted, however, as he does some wonderful things with the songs in the time allotted. It's more a matter of program choice; the standard Aires de la Mancha by Torroba is usually included in a set of more substantial works as a respite instead of a centerpiece as it is here. Many other classical guitarists (and classical artists in general) have been delving into the "world music" genre lately, such as the LAGQ's self-titled cd and David Russell, with varied degrees of success. This is about par with most of them; well-executed, but ultimately lacking in the substance that would make it good classical music and in the authentic instrumentation and passion that would make it good folk music."

Absolutely incredible

River Man | Studio City, CA | 04/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is far too rare that a guitarist of Galbraith's ability applies his skills to folk music, and the results here are breathtaking. The selections are folk tunes from about six countries. Another reviewer was distracted by the fact of 52 tracks. A better way to listen is to think of them as suites from the various sources, such as Spain, Scotland's Hebrides Islands, Greece, etc.The sonic range he gets from his 8-string guitar is unique in the musical world.Galbraith is a true artist. The title sets the mood -- I suggest that you go with it."

Some nice work, but a disappointing recording

M. Lilliquist | Bellingham, Washington USA | 01/19/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Mr. Galbraith is an accomplished musician and displays some fine work on this CD, but the over all product is not as satisfying as I had hoped. One reason, as touched upon by other reviewers, is that this is a collection of 52 short songs, most of which are less than a minute long. The result, from a listener's position, is that one does not have time to get in to a song, to enjoy what it has to offer, before it is over and the mood shifts again. The second problem, at least on my recording, is the presence of distracting noise artifacts in the background. To me they sound like the rustling of Mr. Galbraith's clothing, or maybe his breathing. It's hard to say, but it is definitley there in the quiet moments between notes - of which there are many on this unaccompanied guitar album. To reduce the distraction from this noise, I need to play the CD at low volume, like background music."