Best of Silk Road [Original recording remastered]

Kitaro | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 25, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Domo Records
• ASIN: B00008GRNX
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,937 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

In 1980, few people knew about the Japanese synthesizer player named Kitaro. He'd released a few albums in Japan, but Silk Road was the album that put Kitaro on the map. Originally recorded as the soundtrack to a Japanese TV series about the trade route between Europe and China, Kitaro subsequently released it as a double LP. This disc contains some of the best themes from that recording as well as some other songs, including 1996’s "Flying Celestial Nymphs" and "Caravansary" featuring Yu-Xiao Guang’s delicately expressive lines performed on a native Chinese violin called the huquin. The Best of Silk Road concludes with two new pieces, "Pray at Xian/Mercury," nearly 18 minutes in length. They feature Kitaro on Native flute playing over gentle arpeggiations. Although these pieces do become tiresome in their repetition, the Japanese composer's melodic trade-offs with To-san on Chinese pipa are a serenely austere respite from Kitaro's often overly lush orchestrations. --John Diliberto

Product Description

Best of Silk Road blends Kitaro’s influences from traditional Japanese music and the romantic Western tradition with serene and seductive arrangements, gentle melodies and combination of lush, majestic textures. This CD features a previously unreleased version of the ‘Theme for Silk Road’ as well as ‘Pray at Xian/Mercury’, which was recorded live in Xian, China during Kitaro’s 2002 Silk Road tour.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly beautiful., August 3, 2009

By 

Cynthia Danute Cekauskas, LCSW "Lithuanian Am... (Savannah, Georgia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Best of Silk Road (Audio CD)

I was intoduced to the music of Kitaro while serving in Okinawa, Japan as a Navy Hospital Corpsman back in the early 1980s. At that time Kitaro Silk Road Music was only available in the old fashioned record form. My friend had a copy and recorded from it on audiocasette for me. Of course the quality was not the best but I never forgot the music which had the power of bringing tears to my eyes. I will always associate it with the island of Okinawa. My father used to call it "wind music" and indeed one can understand why. This part of the music is reminiscent of the many typhoons which used to plague the island. But after the storm the place was simply beautiful. There were amazing sunsets to behold while living near the water. The music has such a quality of emiting emotions from your soul. I see it as a real catharsis and it hold close to me. I cannot recall the exact name of the album from which I first heard Kitaro but after ordering this CD the music on it is very familiar so I believe this was the one. Anyway I strongly recommend it as a most beautiful form of music.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best of Silk Road is Also Best of Kitaro, January 20, 2004

By 

Lucky Boy (Woodland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best of Silk Road (Audio CD)

A good album. If you like the theme from The Silk Road, you could also purchase the original video of The Silk Road produced by NHK TV Japan. Kitaro's music is soothing and an excellent accessory to meditation.

5.0 out of 5 stars KITARO, February 27, 2011

By 

Patricia A. Guittar (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Best of Silk Road (Audio CD)

I got hooked on this mans music years ago. He seems to take you on a voyage for the listening time of the album...seller price was good and it had come in case and booklet in tact. what more would you want from your seller ...