Customer Reviews

Ambient Collection, The

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

... and for a pre-90's ambient masterpiece. For the non-collector, this is a great disc to get in lieu of their last two 80's albums, "In No Sense? Nonsense!" and "Below the Waste." This collection cherry-picks much of the best tracks from those albums, and a few from their mid-80's and most popular album, "In Visible Silence." Furthermore, fabbo mixer Youth made this into not just an excellent collection, but a fully integrated mix; the tracks flow together wonderfully, and it's a real art of Youth.

This was the first of three rather opportunistic compilations released by Island Records, the label for the mid-late 80's version* of Art of Noise, and clearly the best. The other two compilations released without AON involvement are the hit and miss "FON Remixes" (remixed tracks by early rave acts, including Prodigy), followed by a horrible compilation of drum and bass remixes which I, a huge AON fan, refuse to even own.

* Just FYI, there have been many versions of the Art of Noise.

1) the original AON on ZTT Records in 1982-83, released "Into Battle" and the excellent "Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise?" - these two are compiled on "Daft" which is the one to get for early AON sound. Pioneering, wild, and blew minds all over the place in the 80's.

2) When AON members Anne Dudley and JJ Jeczalik moved to Island Records; they became less odd and more accessable. Their first release, "In Visible Silence," was a huge record which included their take on "Peter Gunn," the Max Headroom track "Paranoimia," and another great single "Legs." A perfect album and the one to get from this era. Their other albums were the above "In No Sense" and "Below the Waste."

3) After AON broke up in the late 80's, Island released three compilations over the next years - this one here, the "Ambient Collection," is the one to get; the other two are forgettable.

4) Finally, a new version of AON returned in 2000; Anne Dudley, and original ZTT members ace-producer Trevor Horn, psychonaut Paul Morley, and then, surprisingly, Lol Creme of Godley & Creme. Their release, "The Seduction of Claude Debussy" is an instant classic. There is simply nothing like it out there, and never will be again.

5) Then of course, they broke up again. Bugger!

If I were stranded on a desert island and allowed to take say, just 30 CDs, this could be one of them. It is, as other reviewers write, extremely relaxing, and it is a wonderful CD to unwind to, after a stressful working day.

American listeners may be unaware of the TV programme that is at the heart of much of this music. In the mid-1960s, an Anglo-French production team created a black-and-white 12-episode series based on the story of Robinson Crusoe. The series was just as notable for its theme music as for the adventure which it retells. It was also repeated seemingly every Summer vacation, from the mid-60s to the mid-70s.

The music must have worked its way into the subconscious of the Art of Noise's Anne Dudley. I remember her appearing on a GLR radio programme in the late 1980s, where she was asked to select her top ten favourite pop tunes. I remember just two of her selections: Joni Mitchell's exquisite 'Shades of Scarlett Conquering' and French composer Robert Mellin's main theme for 'Robinson Crusoe'.

That theme is re-worked on this album in the track 'Robinson Crusoe'. But it's hinted at in many of the other tracks, particularly 'Crusoe' and 'Island'.

This is not quite a greatest hits album -- there is no 'Moments in Love' or 'Close to the Edit', for instance. But it's a more cohesive collection, and there's none of the abrasive, thumping electronic drums that marred the earlier 'Who's Afraid of' LP. As this was not released by ZTT, Trevor Horn is entirely absent. The whole thing is remixed by Youth.

I still don't know what any of the members of the band look like. They chose to remain faceless, never appearing in a photo in any of the albums that I bought. Who knows how popular they might have begun if they had ever made a TV or concert appearance?

ART OF NOISE are a group of extraordinary musicians who created a sound which is difficult to describe, because it's simply unique.Imagine you come home from work after a hectic day and totally stressed. To relieve you from this, all you need is to put Art Of Noise on your CD player, turn off the lights, lay flat on the floor and then listen to the music. Soon you will find out that noises from the outside appear, wrapped in unusual music. It's difficult to say what appeals more to you, the spheric, sometimes out-of-this-world music, or the noise of birds, cars, raindrops, trains, planes or waterfalls. After a few minutes you begin to relax and you wonder why. But there is no scientific answer to that, so just accept it as it is. Whether they call it "chill-out music" or "ambient music", who cares as long as it helps to calm you completely. And indeed it does: you begin to enjoy everyday's noise, which usually you despise, when it goes with - let's say - spheric music.

That makes THE ART OF NOISE one of the most innovative and creative groups of our times.

My single favourite CD ever. Wow, I never thought I'd say that, but it's true.
This is a collection of the most beautiful music and immersive atmosphere. Very relaxing. Not for partying.
Put it on, kick off your shoes and close your eyes ... you will be transported to wondrous musical spaces.

It's so pleasant - kinda like a mental massage.

Recommend it? heck... I'd buy it for you if I could!

I have listened to this album a countles times, and every time it sounds better. It takes you into a world of total relaxation. If you want a chill out album, or to play in the background this album has to be very high on the list.

The second phase of Art of Noise ( everything after the album "Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise?" ) did not thrill me at all. The novelty duets and cover versions ( Tom Jones, Maxx Headroom, Duane Eddy, etc ) to me just ruined a formerly great artistic collective. Having said that, this ambient mix collection of some of Art of Noise's second phase material is one I cannot live without. I play it at night to relax, in the morning for something less abrasive, or after clubbing to chill out. All praise must go obviously to Youth, the mixing producer, and his DJ partner on this particular project, Alex Patterson of the Orb. They give life and wonder and a sense of astonishment to what had none of these things before. Five stars, gentlemen. Very well done.

If an album can be beautiful, this is a perfect example of it. I was just sort of washed away, encaptured fully by the sounds. Definitely can't miss for ambient enthusiasts. For others, this is probably be a kinda weird album. No climax, no anti-climax, and the last song (Art of Love) sounds strangely out of place, with their trance-like beats.

There are no words for how much I enjoy this CD. The tracks here are excellent as background music for reading, mood-setting music for dinner, or travel music in the car. In fact, I listened to this CD on a 900-mile trip almost non-stop, and now I always have warm memories of that trip when I hear this disc. The tracks remixed here are almost all of the time better than the originals.

The Ambient Collection is my favorite cd from Art of Noise. Put it on, sit back, and just listen. The instrumentation is beautiful. It's not for everyone, but just try it for yourself.

Very good CD, even though it did take me a long time to finally listen to the CD in it's intirety(did I spell that right?)

It is definately mood music, but don't let that scare you, groovey, sexy, funky even dance, all tracks are very easy on the ears.

I beleive you won't be dissapointed.