Customer Reviews

All Songs Considered 2

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Volume two of "All Songs Considered" delivers an intelligent collection of musical ambience. Those who enjoy the musical snippets or 'buttons' from National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" will find immediate gratification. As a musical journey, it was fun to have so many "so that's how the entire song plays" moments. The musical choices are very eclectic as the selections range from jazz, orchestral and rock to electronica and various shades of Americana. Most tracks feature instrumentals with a few vocal selections thrown in for variety. Highlights include Marc Ribot's 'Aqui Como Alla,' and music by The Be Good Tanyas, Tuatara and Tortoise. Beyond these songs, what would a collection of N.P.R. music be without a tune by Bill Frisell? His 'Cold, Cold Heart' doesn't disappoint. Reading customer reviews for these discs, it seems that some listeners have been disappointed by of the low-key mood of "All Songs Considered." A relaxed journey is the intent. Bob Boilen did an exemplary job of putting together a compilation of music that can be difficult to come by. The problem is that most ambient, background type music tends to get infused with pop and new age, so the quality wanes. While usually working in the background, this music maintains substance and integrity. Thus compelling ambience is a difficult formula to capture. I found the song choices to be strong; this opinion is not a coincidence given that I already owned five of the original CDs that lent tracks to this collection. In addition, I went out and purchased a pile of CDs after hearing the songs by Tortoise and The Be Good Tanyas. Given this experience, I can write that in addition to being a means to an end, "All Songs Considered" is a great launch pad that can lead to further musical journeys. Volume two of "All Songs Considered" walks in the footsteps of the previous disc in delivering light but substantial music.