Customer Reviews

Book of Roses

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Andreas Vollenweider has a canny sense of where the music market is going. In 1991, Narada issued the wonderful CD, 'A Childhood Remembered', in which the labels leading artists were asked to write music to accompany a story that important to them as a child. That same year, electro-harpist Andreas Vollenweider released this four-chapter epic fairy tale, where he merged his progressive, new-age leanings with the burgeoning world music scene. With the brothers Grimm and north/central Europe as the source for so many childrens' stories, it seemed appropriate for the Swiss composer to create this.

Despite Vollenweider's acute sense of the direction of the market, I feel that his record company has little or no idea how to market him. Sometimes he's classified as 'New Age', sometimes he's in the Classical section. Rarely do his albums get much advertising and promotion -- well, not here in the UK anyway.

But this is a good album that deserves to be much better known here. Goodness knows what the story is behind the titles of each piece: 'Manto's Arrow', 'Czippa' and 'Kroandal' mean nothing to me. Maybe another Amazon reviewer recognises these names from children's fiction. But the music underlying the titles is always good, and at times great.

I'm never sure when reviewing new age CDs whether one should pinpoint stand-out tracks, as many listeners prefer just to take in the whole recording and maybe even go to sleep to it. But track #13, 'Hirzel', is where Vollenweider and his band really rock. Besides the usual personnel -- Keiser, Fessler and Stiefel, for instance -- there is the marvellous percussionist Marilyn Mazur, who has subsequently appeared on Jan Garbarek albums such as the magnificent 'Rites'.

Buy this CD. I have listened to the majority of Vollenweider's work since the '80s (thanks to my friends) and I am very familiar with his music.. Yet, I am not one to run out and buy his releases, nor do I believe his work has universal appeal, but this Book of Roses CD is a stunning album, both for its beauty and diversity. I dare say it has the proverbial universal appeal. The breath of musical diversity is astounding - that it all could be by one artist and placed on one CD is as mysterious as the book itself pictured on the cover. The cuts with recognizable muscial styles are remarkable compositions within thier own intent. Otherwise, Vollenweider has trailblazed fusing some new style combinations with absolute success. Vollenweider's arsenal of melodies, timbres, sound effects, and the fluidity of his transitions is beyond reproach. We are talking one large canvas here, folks. Make no mistake, this is not the white cloud-hopping or cave-dwelling harp hiding behind gardens, under trees or on the moon - this is a galaxy of music. If you don't buy this album and it goes out of print, you will never forgive yourself (And then I'll say "I told you so").

I have been a fan of Andreas since I was 15 years old (now 27) and this is probably one of his most unique and diverse works. The variety of instruments and the haunting image it creates in my mind is beyond comprehension. Andreas is probably the most talented musician I have ever heard. It is true that this album does depart from his normal sound but it is such a unique and capturing sound that one can't help but be pulled into his work. If you aren"t a hard core Andreas Vollenweider fan (like me!), i would be hesitant to recommend it to you as your first Vollenweider album as I think "Down to the Moon" and "Dancing with the Lion" are better, but after hearing his earlier works, you'll be hooked! Andreas is simply awesome.

Book of Roses is yet another brilliant Vollenweider album, yet it's notably different from the rest of his works to date. There is a wide range of styles and a tremendous range of different instruments and sound effects used here. In addition to his electroacoutic harp, you hear orchestral music, vocals, hammer dulcimer, bassoon, flutes, harmonica, horns/brass instruments, piano, electric and acoustic guitars, accordion, bass, and many different types of percussion, e.g. hand clapping, chalk/crayon scratching, and various kinds of drums. In addition you hear many sound effects: pages turning in a book, footsteps, clocks ticking, dogs barking, birds chirping, bow and arrow, and many other special effects.

Even though this album is perhaps more "chopped up" into different songs (and four separate "chapters" in the book) it flows together nicely as do the rest of his albums and the songs are great to listen to. There is a diverse range of styles. It starts off with orchestral movements, then we have the cheery "Morning at Boma Park" and the smooth crayon-scratching rhythm of the title track, to the optomistic sounding South African "Passage to Promise" to the fast paced Spanish-guitar/harp piece "Jugglers in Obsidian." Track 13 "Hirzel" is my personal favorite, and is probably the most mainstream Vollenweider track on this CD. It is an upbeat song with a pop-rock feel and brings back a similar style and intensity of many of the songs from "Dancing With the Lion." The final track "Letters to a Young Rose" has a somewhat festive African feel and beat with several different kinds of percussion and is a perfect way to end the album IMO.

Bottom line: It may be different and more diverse from many of his previous works, with many different instruments and sound effects in addition to his harp, but "Book of Roses" is another must-have Vollenweider album.

Movie style soundtracks, bound into the overwhelming story line. It will surely not fit to everyone, but if you listen to it carefully with your eyes closed, it may show you a whole new world.

From the very first sounds - perhaps a child running through hallways - to the moment at the beginning when the runner pushes open a window, mental pictures start up. I imagine the window looking out over a deep, lushly forested gorge on a bright shining day. Really what I see in my mind, throughout the entire CD, is a variation of a Maxfield Parrish painting, in a land where it only rains at night.

I've had fairly heated arguments with other Vollenweider fans about this CD - my favourite, with everything it brings to mind; as the title says, I can easily see castles with this music, and scholarly people tucked away in odd corners working on esoteric problems. Some of the backdrop stuff is great, too; when the dog runs up to the recording equipment, I always turn it way up so I can hear doggy laughter. Ladysmith Black Mambazo - a class act their own selves - adds an accent to the first half of the CD and the world feels brighter from their voices.

The first time I became aware of Andreas Vollenweider was from an appearance on the Tonight Show - when Johnny Carson was running things. I couldn't even guess at a year - but I have been a fan ever since. This CD trips off a little from the beaten path - as someone else said, you may want to try one of his more mainstream works first - but for folks familiar with his work, this shouldn't be that much of a surprise, and it is so peaceful.

This man is a genius, and this is one of his most incredible albums to date. Perhaps the best. Save this CD for your when you need it most - and it will be there for you forever.

I love this guy.

-S

Book of Roses is the first time Vollenweider departs from his traditional ambient style, creating an album with much more the feel of an orchestral work. None of the magic of his skill is lost, however. I've always seen pictures in my mind when listening to Vollenweider's music, as if the music were telling me a private story. Never have those images come as strongly as when I first listened to Book of Roses. If you're not a new-age fan, don't let yourself be dissuaded by Vollenweider's categorization. Book of Roses belongs to no genre I've encountered before.

I've been a fan of Andreas since the mid 80's, and it seems that each album he puts out becomes more elaborately produced with a greater variety of instruments involved. If you like an eclectic mix of styles blended into one album, with the harp as more of a background than being at the forefront, you would enjoy this release. I feel that his best work is more stripped down with his harp as the main focus, but apparently I'm in the minority from reading the reviews of this album. The best performance I saw of him was in '98 when he was alone playing various instruments and telling stories on stage. Too bad he doesn't come to the US more often; I highly recommend his live shows. This '06 release is an improvement because it is remastered and has some live tracks tacked on at the end along with a track from "Vox." There's also live concert videos that you can play on the computer. I got it brand new sealed for $2.20 so you can't beat that.

Warm, magical, mysterious music that seems by its track titles to tell a fantasy story or fairy tale, the details of which the listener is left to imagine. Song names include such intriguing titles as "The Grand Ball of the Duljas", "In the Woods of Kroandal", "Czippa and the Ursanian Girl" and "Manto's Arrow and the Sphinx". Occasional passages of sound-track-like symphonic music are outshone by a predominance of more intimate instrumentations. Featured is Andreas Vollenweider's distinctive, imaginative keyboards and electro-accoustic harp, accompanied by electric guitar, flute, an eclectic mix of percussion, and non-English vocals. Sound effects for the "story" include a ticking clock, laughter, a creaking door, wind, rhythmic crayon-writing, crickets, conversation, a barking dog and "stone percussion". That may sound a little strange, but the resulting music is really very engaging--rich, seamless and complimentary throughout the album, and quite satisfying to listen to. I can't help but wonder what "the story" of "The Book of Roses" is all about, but perhaps that is the idea. And perhaps, if you buy this album, you'll be inspired to write one yourself!