Broadcasting From Home

Penguin Cafe Orchestra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Editions Eg Records
• ASIN: B000003S2W
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,080 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Music for a Found Harmonium

2. Prelude and Yodel

3. More Milk

4. Sheep Dip

5. White Mischief

6. In the Back of a Taxi

7. Music by Numbers

8. Another One from the Colonies

9. Air

10. Heartwind

11. Isle of View (Music for Helicopter Pilots)

12. Now Nothing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars File under... oh, whatever, April 11, 2004

By 

Mauricio Bussab (Sao Paulo, SP Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Broadcasting From Home (Audio CD)

Simon Jeffes always considered he didn't have enough musical training to be a classical musician and no intimacy with pop to be a popular musician. And although he lived in many countries and was crazy about music from many cultures he never wanted to do "world music".

A quiet man, he had one simple and rare talent: the ability to create sublime music.

And he had an even rarer talent among instrumental musicians: sense of humor.

The PCO is a small chamber group that plays instrumental music that draws from all these sources. It is music created by a music lover. Sometimes it sounds like a happy mantra from Bolivia, sometimes as a moving string quartet playing something that sounds medieval, sometimes he flirts with electronic gadgets like ring modulators (not on this CD though).

The PCO crossed boundaries like few other groups have. And nothing sounds forced, it all makes sense and seems organic as if this was the only way to play music.

The cruelest irony is that you will usually find this CD under "new age". Well, it is definitely not new age and I believe it ends up in the New Age aisle just because this genre is broad enough to fit any music that is not loud.

This is the perfect CD to give as a gift. Although very accessible and pleasant on the surface, it is so deep in its structure and has such unusual arrangements that even music scholars and nitpickers will be forced to pay attention and ask "how did he do that?".

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle and Enjoyable, July 15, 2000

By 

Hapworth (Palma de Mallorca, Spain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Broadcasting From Home (Audio CD)

Upon first listen, I almost foolishly dismissed Broadcasting from Home as a disappointing follow-up to their self-titled debut. What I later realized, however, was that Broadcasting simply wasn't as accessible and easy-to-please as the tracks on their first record (a good thing).

In time this one has grown on me quite a bit. I won't say that I enjoy Broadcasting MORE than their first record; rather, I enjoy Broadcasting in a DIFFERENT way. Whereas I do feel that the first album is more consistent, I find Broadcasting more challening listenting; the songs are more subtle, more sombre. Yes, there is the one infinitely catchy track, In the Back of a Taxi, but the others take time to digest properly. My favorite is Now Nothing, a song so spare yet so beautiful that it's haunting.

Fans of ambient/minimalist music should find this offering quite solid. Newbies to the genre might want to start off with the self-titled debut.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting, August 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Broadcasting From Home (Audio CD)

Music to sit back and let yourself slide into the quaint soundscapes of another reality. What can you call it----English summer afternoons with tea, or a cafe on the continent, it's where the music takes you. Very relaxing for a quiet afternoon sofa safari