Ancient Visions

Ah Nee Mah | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 18, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 2006
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Red Feather
• ASIN: B000FDEUCG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #27,554 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #27 in Music > World Music > North America > Native American

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Native American flute isn't difficult to play simply, but it takes real ability to fully exploit its subtle range of expression. David Arkenstone has that ability. He's best known for his keyboard and orchestral opuses of the '80s and '90s, but he's a gifted multi-instrumentalist on guitars and flutes, including the Native American variety. Ah-Nee-Mah is a duo he formed with his wife, keyboardist and singer Diane Arkenstone. They aren't married anymore, but that's about the only thing that has changed as they continue to make music together. Like the other five CDs in the series, Ancient Visions is marked by sweeping synthesizer pads, often propulsive rhythms, and lush arrangements that frame Arkenstone's flute melodies. "Sun Circle" and "Spirits of the Past" stand out for their dynamic romanticism, while Arkenstone creates a meditative space on the echoing flute duet, "Shaman's Dream." But too much of Ah-Nee-Mah comes from the Native store of kitsch. From the banal album title to the amalgam of vague symbolism and echoed chants, it's all wrapped up in the glitter and velvet that has made the Native American new age sound something of a cliché. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Meritorious Follow-Up!!, July 27, 2006

By 

Thuy H. Truong (Boynton Beach, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ancient Visions (Audio CD)

After about 4 years of what seemed to be a long break, AH*NEE*MAH returns with their latest divine offering. "Ancient Visions" embarks its listeners on a splendid musical journey with visions of these magnificent soundscapes and alluring feelings of brightness and peace. This marvelous album is a collaborative effort of Diane Arkenstone and David Arkestone, two very gifted composers and multi-instrumentalists. Using beautiful instrumentation--comprised mainly of keyboards, flutes, guitars, drums and percussions--to create these subtle, interwoven Native American beats, Diane and David bedazzle the senses with pleasing haunting melodies, such as "Canyon Echoes" and "This Sacred Land"--my two favorite compositions in this album. "Shaman's Dream" is a masterpiece of creativity. It features a pair of echoing flutes, captivating those listening in with their enchanting dialogues. And "Sun Circle" started it all with its breathtaking and energetic sounds. Diane and David have done a wonderful job in creating this magical journey. This album is musically stunning and radiant. It is highly recommended!

5.0 out of 5 stars Ah Nee Mah: Ancient Visions, September 5, 2010

By 

Joni L. Rusk - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ancient Visions (Audio CD)

Produced by Diane and David Arkenstone, Ah Ne Mah is the perfect mixture of instruments and style for a wonderfully contemporary Native American sound. This is a CD that can be listened to often and the listener will find another 'gift' they hadn't heard before. It's an amazing blend of flutes, guitars and rhythmic drumming all moving together in a beautiful combination. You will hear some peaceful tracks as well as fast-paced and very exciting.
On the liner notes there are quotes from Chief Crazy Horse and Black Elk reflecting the Native American belief that everything in life works in circles, a belief shared by many non-Natives today.
I loved this CD immediately and still play it often. I will definitely be looking for more from Ah Ne Mah!

3.0 out of 5 stars Been there, envisioned that, May 23, 2010

By 

IRate - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Visions (Audio CD)

Soothingly tribal new age of the not-too-offensive variety nonetheless gets by on similarly stereotypical sounds of shaman showboating.