Myra S's Reviews

After listening to the CD only once, I knew I liked it. The songs are distinctive, and all ones I hadn't heard before. If you like Mary Black I recommend getting this CD. If you are just starting, I recommend either this CD (more folkish) or No Frontiers (more a pop feel).
Review Date: 5/14/2010

I found the music uninteresting and a bit jarring. Very strange.
Review Date: 5/17/2010

I wouldn't call this selection the 'best' of Altan, but it certainly holds great tunes. A Bhean Udai Thall is much fun. Moll Dubh A' Ghleanna is definitely one of my favorites. The Flower Of Magherally is very pretty, Altan does one of the best versions of that song. I love Dulaman. I also like 'Si Do Mhaimeo I.
Others are pretty, but not favorites. There are a lot of jigs/reels, which can be fun, but also can all start to blend together. As far as jigs/reels go, Altan has some of the most fun, but even then I would rather have the vocal tracks.

If you are looking for an introduction to Altan, you might try this CD, but I would recommend Blue Idol or Another Sky, or Red Crow.
Review Date: 6/21/2011

I found the music to be unexciting, some songs even annoying. A couple songs had catchy sections but failed in their potential with the rest of the music and lyrics. Nondescript pop-ish rock.
Review Date: 4/18/2011

The songs Bushes & Briars and In London So Fair are some of my favorite Irish pieces, Susan McKeown's voice is incredibly strong and lovely. From this CD I also enjoyed Seoladh Na Ngamhna and her version of Banks of Claudy. I enjoy the strong mix of instruments in pieces such as In London So Fair, which is why I am not as partial to the tracks such as 'Bonny Boy' that are pure or mainly a cappella. Some of the tracks on this CD are a little dull. As far as the whole CD goes, I liked more songs off her CD Lowlands, but if you have not heard Susan McKeown before, this CD is a good place to start, especially for those 2 particular tracks.
Review Date: 9/27/2010

In my opinion, Callings is the least interesting of Winter's music. I recommend instead Celtic Solstice, Common Ground, Earthbeat, and Canyon.
Review Date: 7/19/2011

The Celtic Book of Days is a favorite Arkenstone album. The exciting, beautiful instrumental music of songs like the Festival and the Quest of Culwich offer Celtic-touched music to listen to over and over. The Boats has words, a fun song with a pretty melody. Behind Walls of Stone is sad and lovely, with strong chanting. A recommended album.
Review Date: 11/14/2010

Lorraine's Waltz, Dulaman, and Culloden's Harvest have long been favorites of mine, and it's worth it to try this CD for those songs alone. I have come to like the rest of the CD, and songs such as The Tree and Inini.

There are a lot of instrumental pieces, as is typical with these kinds of Irish music CDs, but in this collection I actually really enjoyed the instrumentals along with the vocal pieces.

This is a good collection of beautiful music. If you like music in the Celtic tradition you will enjoy this CD as well.
Review Date: 9/2/2011

I was pleasantly surprised by this CD. It's an unusual selection -- aside from Loch Lomond and Danny Boy, of course. It seems impossible to find a 'Celtic' labelled CD without a version of Danny Boy. I didn't like either of those songs, I already have much better versions.

However, the rest of the CD was excellent. I think some of the songs could be a bit better, like the artists are a little untried, but I liked them anyhow.

The most interesting musically, my favorite on the disk, is Ancient Souls, which sounds like what you might get if Within Temptation did Irish Celtic. The lyrics are a bit lacking but they are pretty, and the music is very lovely and catchy. There are several different prominent melodies.

Circle Of Stone is perhaps a more solid song, and it's really pretty. Her voice is lovely high and light, low and dark.

The Heather, She Grows/Island - don't give up after the first 10 seconds! The first minute is bagpipes that are rather squeaky (as bagpipes tend to be), then it turns into a deep, misty, meditation-like sound, morphs into strings, then at three minutes through it goes to fun, catchy vocals.

On Heaven's Shore is lovely, it reminds me a lot of the music of Kate Price.

Macian Of Glencoe is a very pretty, reminds me a bit of Mary McLaughlin with clearer vocals.

Homes of Donegal and Bird of Paradise are also nice.

Highlands is a beautiful instrumental/humming piece, I recommend Darby DeVon's CD Highlands, which I had found right before I got Celtic Mystique.

So all in all it's a great CD, introducing you to new sounds and new artists. If you love Celtic, Irish, or New Age music in general, you will probably enjoy what this CD has to offer.
Review Date: 6/21/2011

Some really pretty music, especially the title song. Soothing and inspiring. A couple of the songs are rather repetitive, but overall it's an excellent album.
Review Date: 12/14/2010

I came across the CD Lightdance (by Nightingale) by accident, really liked it, and from there recently came across this CD by accident. The songs are all instrumental, I would call it New Age, with an upbeat laid-back feel. I wouldn't use it for meditation, as background music or easy listening it's perfect. Some songs were a bit boring, but overall I enjoyed the CD. It's a nice mix of artists in the same type of style, so if I end up really enjoying any song I can follow up by looking at that artist's music. Recommended.
Review Date: 4/28/2010

Pete Morton has a good voice for Folk music, and a lot of good emotion, but I didn't find the music that interesting. I guess I prefer a larger ensemble of instruments and more variety in the sounds of the songs.
I did like the song 'On Your Side', the vocals were good and the instrumental bits catchy. 'Eternity' has a nice string addition in the background.

I was led to try this CD because I came across one of his songs, Another Train, in the Acoustic Folk Box (a great sampling of folk music). Other artists I preferred from there: Dervish, Fernhill, Maddy Prior, House Band, and Pentangle.
Review Date: 7/19/2011

Jazzy instrumental, with a little vocals here and there. I didn't expect to like the CD so much, but it's really easy to listen to. A pretty selection.
Review Date: 6/21/2011

A very pretty collection. I love The Banks of the Sweet Viledee (House Carpenter) and the Gaelic numbers especially. Molly and Johnny is fun, though I prefer the non-live version. A high-spirited, beautiful cd.
Review Date: 12/28/2011

Deep Within a Faerie Forest has some of the most enchanting music I've ever encountered. The Faerie legends held in this music are beautiful, made more so by the chosen instruments and the powerful voice of Wendy Rule. For those who love Celtic or World music, or everything Fae, this CD is highly recommended.

(Note: The booklet is essential, it has all the lyrics!)
Review Date: 8/23/2010

This is an excellent collection of beautiful songs. The tracks by Altan and Capercaillie are some old favorites, but I was impressed with almost the entire album. It could do without 'He Moved Through the Fair', and without Mary McLaughlin's version of A Woman's Heart, both a little lackluster compared to the rest of the album.

The Voice is a lovely song, Can You See The Border is haunting, Ferry Me Across The Water is gorgeous, Erin Gra mo Chroi so sweet.

An excellent choice!
Review Date: 4/26/2011

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars for this CD. Why? Well, her voice is absolutely beautiful. The arrangements are pretty. It's very pleasant to listen to.

However, it's just 'another one' of these kinds of CDs, where the artist with the pretty voice turns out songs that have been done a gazillion times before. I don't need more than a 5 versions of Ave Maria, or Amazing Grace, really. Faryl's versions of the songs are not new or special or different.

But -- I absolutely love Annie's Song. I sampled the CD and thought 'oh well, pretty but boring.' I was disappointed. When I first actually listened to Annie's Song, though, I immediately liked it, and within a couple weeks the play count jumped to 50 plays. I can listen to this song again and again, on repeat (and I just don't listen to songs on repeat). It's not really complicated or fantastic or dramatic, it's just pretty. Very pleasant. It goes on like an endless waltz, and I can imagine sand in the desert, waves in the ocean.

Other than that, I like Brahm's Lullaby, which I only have 1 other version of, and Blue Danube, which is just pretty. Other than that the songs are ordinary and lackluster. If you have other versions of the songs there is no reason to get this CD.
Well, except for Annie's Song. I'm going to listen to it again now....
Review Date: 11/16/2011

I prefer the more recent releases of Sixpence, but I enjoy listening to this CD on occasion. The songs of note are Meaningless and Trust (both the song and the Reprise).
Review Date: 7/19/2011

This is an amazing collection of Irish music, with artists such as the Dubliners and the Golden Bough. Many of the songs are ones I've heard before by other artists, but there were many new songs as well. Some of the artists I recognized, some I was unfamiliar with. The quality on some of the songs is only so-so, but for the most part it's good. If you are unfamiliar with Irish music, or are familiar and want a lot of selection, I recommend this collection. Like me, you may be pleasantly surprised!
Review Date: 5/10/2010

I'd heard some of Kitaro's music from a different album and wanted to test more, but I didn't care for this CD. It's more a techno-relax type of music, probably all right for background music. I'd rather go with Sheila Chandra or David Arkenstone for my soothing or new age choice.
Review Date: 9/27/2010

The Cocks Are Crowing and A Fond Kiss are enough to make the album worth it. I also like Down In Yon Forest, and the other songs are beautiful. The Voice Squad all have good strong voices with no need for instrumentals, the harmony is excellent.
Review Date: 5/5/2011

If you're looking for the 'spacey' kind of electronic vibe this is a good place to start. The songs are long and fairly monotonous, it's easy to imagine no time passes when listening.
Just don't expect more than that.

For soft and mellow background or meditation music, you could consider this CD, but I prefer more interesting sounds, perhaps Sheila Chandra or David Lanz. I'd also recommend 'Pure Moods', Mamer, Krishna Das, 'Hotel Tara', or 'The Most Relaxing New Age Music in the Universe' in lieu of Sugar Plant.
Review Date: 4/4/2011

A delightful set of songs, each one with its own beauty. It's a CD you can play over and over again.
Review Date: 5/1/2011

Cara Dillon has a beautiful voice, and this is a nice collection of folk songs. I especially like the title song (Hill of Thieves) and the song with Seth Lakeman. This was my first CD of Cara Dillon and I wasn't disappointed. I look forward to more of her music.
Review Date: 9/22/2010

Movin' On and When I'm Up I Can't Get Down are catchy pieces, but none of the rest of the songs have caught my interest so far. If you like Oysterband, don't miss this selection. For newcomers, I'm not sure, it's probably a good introduction to this British folk-rock band.
Review Date: 4/18/2011

While the instrumental version of Danny Boy was actually quite pretty, the CD wasn't that exciting. If you want some familiar tunes to play in the background, it would serve that purpose.
Review Date: 5/16/2011

Angela's unique voice and style make for easy listening. After having heard some of her music (such as Shangri-La from Fafnir) I hoped this CD would hold just as good music, and I wasn't disappointed.
Review Date: 5/3/2010

This is great! I love Triona's voice and the band has an interesting sound. Favorites so far are Jealousy and Invisible Wings.
Review Date: 4/23/2015

Love Before Time has been a long-time favorite of mine, versions both Mandarin and English, so I thought I'd try some of CoCo Lee's other music. This CD is not the way to go, however, if you are looking for something original. Her music isn't terrible, but it sounds like standard pop, a little boring. She has a nice voice. All the songs on this CD are in English. I'm still planning on trying one of her Chinese CDs, but I will not get any more of her English pop.
Review Date: 4/28/2010

I found out about Shonen Knife through the (newer) Parent Trap soundtrack, where they did a mix of Top of the World (it was cute). I wasn't impressed with this CD, however, I found the songs a little boring. A couple were kind of cute, the rest nothing special (pop kind of style). Their accents are a bit fun, though I wish they had more songs in Japanese. If you haven't tried them, this CD is probably a good place to start.
Review Date: 5/5/2010

If you are looking for something different, I do recommend this CD. He has a smooth, deep voice, that can change to high and sharp very quickly. Some of the songs, such as Raisins and Almonds, are really beautiful, while others are rather silly (in a fun way).
This was my first time hearing Mandy Patinkin's music. I was curious, knowing him only as the character in the Princess Bride.
I enjoyed the CD overall.
Review Date: 6/21/2011

Cruachan has an interesting style. I wanted to try them out because I like Celtic folklore and music. I was looking for something more of a Celtic/new age style, and I found it a bit too much like Metal for my liking. Funnily enough, my sister, who's big into metal, listened to them and found it too much like 'just a bunch of Celtic music'. Some of their songs were well done, I still like the stories, but I'm only about half-and-half on the album. I recommend trying them because they have a unique type of music.
Review Date: 5/5/2010

This is one of my favorite CDs to listen to. Sinead Lohan's style in her second CD is more pop-ish, but still a mellow, easy listening kinda feel. I find each song new and interesting, and catchy. The lyrics are sometimes a bit odd but catchy anyway. I can listen to her music on repeat and not get tired of it (which would normally happen).

I've been listening to this CD for almost a decade now. It does not get old.
Review Date: 4/9/2013

I found this CD a good sampler of some interesting Metal music. The only artist I had heard before was Tarja (previously of Nightwish, she has great symphonic metal music). The style on this CD is mostly just Metal, not symphonic as much, but with a limit on the hard metal growling stuff (which I don't like). I like the variety, the wide range of artists; it's a good way to test out multiple artists and find more metal music you like.
Review Date: 9/17/2010

Yui Horie has a really cute voice that comes across in her singing like it does in her acting -- very well.

There are 13 tracks: (translations not all accurate)

Kuropa (クローバー)
A Girl In Love
Rainbow color * search (虹色☆サーチ)
Baby, I Love You !
Tutty Fruity
Your love time (恋ごころ)
Wave's twinkle (波のまばたき)
On My Way
Try Again
Heart openly opening also the night (心晴れて　夜も明けて)
Chain of smiling face (笑顔の連鎖)
Be Free
Invitation

They are all very cute. A Girl In Love may be a bit over the top. On My Way and Try Again are my favorites.

My other favorite songs by Yui Horie are not on this CD; Hikari, from Inukami, and Aosusuki, from Samurai Deeper Kyo, but it's a cute CD I've really liked so far.
Review Date: 2/17/2011

There are a few fun songs here. Of 11 tracks, I liked about 3, and didn't like about 3.
If you are a fan of L'arc-En-Ciel, you will probably enjoy most of this selection. If you have not heard this Japanese band before, but like Jpop, you may be better off starting with one of their other CDs, such a 'Smile', or even 'Awake'.
Review Date: 2/2/2011

Siuil A Run is a beautiful song, I love the Reeltime version. If you like reels/jigs, be sure to try Reeltime. If you aren't so much looking for reels, I recommend trying a different artist.
Review Date: 5/1/2011

An excellent selection. Some really catchy songs!
Review Date: 5/16/2011

There aren't many notable songs here. A Surfeit of Lampreys (instrumental) is rather good, and Set Me Up is a great song, but I recommend instead getting albums Red & Gold (which has the song Set Me Up), Liege And Lief, or Who Knows Where the Time Goes.
Review Date: 3/13/2011

This is a very pretty album filled with calming music. Nothing I would call a favorite, except her rendering of All the Pretty Little Horses (I believe it was), which is really beautiful. For background or lullaby music, I recommend this album. I wish she had sung some of the songs, as her voice is lovely, but I think all the songs on this album are instrumental.
Review Date: 5/10/2010

I first encountered Dolores Keane in a Woman's Heart CD, with her song Solid Ground (which I love). I also have the CD 'Dolores Keene', which is quite enjoyable. I was rather disappointed when I got this CD of hers... I'll try for some of her later work.

It's not bad, ordinary Irish folk with few instruments, a couple instrumental jig tracks, a couple a cappella pieces. Her voice is still lovely, but the style of the songs isn't that interesting. Her gypsy song, Seven Yellow Gypsies, was kind of fun, but I prefer the versions done by Custer LaRue, the Chieftains (w/ Nickel Creek), and Steeleye Span.

For simple traditional Irish folk, it's not a bad choice, but I would recommend instead something like The Clancy Brothers, Andy M. Stewart, or Custer LaRue.
Review Date: 9/23/2010

It's a good collection of Peggy Seeger songs, some of which are great. However, I found too many of the tracks to have an unfinished sound (because it's live, I suppose), and though there were some good accompanying artists their talents weren't used to the best ability. I was just looking for some more of Peggy's songs, though, and that I found, so I'm happy.
Review Date: 5/5/2010

'Within a Room Somewhere' is a good song, but really the only one of particular note on this disc. The Dance Mix is really out of place among my Sixpence music, I do not think their calling is with disco beats. If you are a solid fan of the band you'll want this to add to your collection, otherwise I advise requesting one of their other CDs (such as Divine Discontent or Sixpence None the Richer).
Review Date: 8/1/2011

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