Accidental Memory in the Case of Death

Eluvium | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 4, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Temporary Residence
• ASIN: B0001ZMX7W
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,902 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #98 in Music > Dance & DJ > IDM

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars soundtrack to your transcendence, May 10, 2004

By 

analog.explosions! "vehicleforward" (Murfreesboro, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Accidental Memory in the Case of Death (Audio CD)

This album is nothing short of awe inpiring bliss. Upon opening the plastic and peeling the seal off, the magic starts. The artwork is stark and beautiful. Very Tim Burton-esque. The listening experience is breathtaking. It is a half hour of the most beautiful piano peices ever composed. This album will be the soundtrack for many experiences in my life. Experience this masterpiece.

10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great music, but $15 is too much for 26 minutes, January 29, 2006

By 

The Pete (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Accidental Memory in the Case of Death (Audio CD)

I really enjoyed the piano solos on this CD. There is a thoughtful tone and peaceful ambience to the pieces that is perfect for listening, contemplation, or background music, but the music completely avoids any stench of "new age." Beautiful piano pieces.

My only criticism of Cooper's performance is his (mis)use of pedals. He must keep his foot planted on the pedals too long or something because there is often an echoey hum in the music that sometimes muddles the beauty of sound.

Although I really like this CD and can see myself listening to it for a long time to come, I have to knock the rating down because to sell a 26 minute CD at $15 is highway robbery.

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing to fawn over, September 21, 2011

By 

Trevor - See all my reviews

This review is from: Accidental Memory in the Case of Death (Audio CD)

I first heard "Perfect Neglect in a Field of Statues" while listening to solo piano music on Pandora. I was immediately struck by the poor tone of the piano - muddy in the bass, plunky in the treble, and generally out of tune in the mid-range. I felt compelled to comment about it on Amazon. The Amazon reviews, however, all love the album. So to be fair and to find out what all the fawning was about, I listened to the whole album in its entirety.

My original impression stood firm. The piano used in this recording sounds terrible. Yes, the artist's pedal work leaves much to be desired but that's only a fraction of the problem. I realize not everyone has access to meticulously regulated Steinway concert grands, but this sounds like the neglected piano in grandma's basement. The issue is not either that only a single microphone was used and that the music wasn't extensively edited in the studio. I've heard better live recordings from a high school gymnasium with a cheap mic.

Moreover, the album just isn't very interesting. This is a classic example of, "Let's record two hours of piano playing and see what happens." In this case, the two hours only yielded 27 barely tolerable minutes for a record. I can only wonder how terrible the remaining hour and a half were that got left on the cutting room floor. A little preparation around the fundamentals of music - melody, harmony, rhythm, etc. - would go a long way to improving this album.