Customer Reviews

Cusco 2002

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

 

 

One of the best CDs from Cusco, uplifting, deep, elegant, a must for any new age music fan.

There's nothing wrong with this CD, I enjoy it -- but you should know that it isn't typical of Cusco's work. There's more orchestral work here than is typical and its much quieter and less exciting than virtually all of their other material. If you're looking for an introduction to Cusco this isn't where I'd recommend you start -- try Apurimac or Mystic Island for that (or maybe Water Stories). On the other hand if you like Cusco's style and are looking for a bit of background music then this will do just fine.

I think I now have every Cusco CD available in the US. This is my least favorite. It seems almost like this CD was done by a different group completely. The tunes just don't grab me the way almost every other Cusco CD did. They seem much more flat and lifeless, like a bad hair day. Unless you feel the need to own every last Cusco CD, I'd probably stay away from this one.

Another excellent instrumental by Cusco. The tracks are:
Bodensee 4:50;Lake of the Ozarks 3:49; Nanga Parbat 3:32;Aetna 3:41; Konigsee 2:56; Kilimanjaro 3:43; Lake Erie 3:44; Athos 3:30;Fujiyama 3:32;Lake Victoria 4:34;Machu Picchu 4:06; Baikal Lake 2:23.
Put out by Prudence New Instrumental Music this and the rest of the Cusco collection are exceptional listening in the new age group. Listen to ne and you'll want the rest.

Cusco made this album (as well as the album "2000") to be a soundtrack for a nature documentary. Most of the songs are pleasant background music, but not as interesting as some of their better songs. However, "Unknown Paradise" is a good upbeat song and "Didjeridoo" is fun and catchy. If you're new to Cusco, don't get this album; I would recommend "Ancient Journeys" or the "Apurimac" collection. If you're a longtime Cusco fan, go ahead and get it.

I recently "found" Cusco music and am so disappointed that I did not find them years ago.

It may classify as New Age, but it has elements of contemporary pop and rock and roll. I enjoy instrumental music, and this is some of the best. A nice mix of percussion, and other instruments makes it great to listen to for stress relief .

I enjoy the music on this CD so much that, when I lost my copy, I had to order another. The album has some calming and invigorating songs.

One character of new age music that I admire is it's earth connectedness -the concern for the environment and creatures. One example is Cusco's music in which the German group founder, Michael Holm, shares his view with a touching message at the back of the CD; the essence of the entire album reflects in his music and character. Only in new age music I have heard and read this such caring voice for our fragile and gradually dying planet. As a person that cares for the earth myself, I would sincerely like to share what he wrote:

"As the founder of Cusco, it has always been my philosophy that we, as human beings, must understand, respect and rejoice in the natural world. The responsilibility for the environment and the creatures of this planet is in our hands. With this in mind, it was a great pleasure for Cusco to compose the music for "Seilmann 2000." Heinz Sielmann, the world renowned naturalist, created a series of television specials on the plight of wild animals throughout the world with special emphasis on the changes in nature over the last 30 years. CUSCO 2002 features 9 themes from this series.

I hope that as you enjoy our music, you will remember the animals and places that inspired us...and that our music will inspire you to become involved in preserving our natural world."
-- Michael Holm

These are the tracks that inspires and touches me deeply:

Australia - I personally love this track so much because of it's soaring melody, stirring flow, great arrangement and instruments that were intelligently used. It makes me think of our lovely and precious planet.

Earth Waltz - My second favorite, it has a divine touch, lovely and touching melody. This track has a lovely ending. Listen closely to how the tone of the flute sounds.

This CD is the second of two that have music created by Cusco for the Heinz Seilmann TV show "Seilmann 2000" in Germany. The show was a 20-part series about the earth and the problems wild animals have faced due to changes in the planet over the last three decades. Seilmann had Holm and Schultze score a number of their favorite works for a large orchestra backdrop for use throughout the series. The group added strings, horns and woodwinds (The Munich Natural Sounds Ensemble) and the results are amazing. The usual worldbeat flavor of Cusco's music, with keyboards, Peruvian flutes and panpipes, blends very well with the "big orchestra" sound. While not "typical" Cusco, there are enough of their catchy melodies and upbeat funk/rock beats popping up here and there to make for a refreshing diversion for their fans. I think the first of these two CDs, "Cusco 2000", is a little better than this one, but there are enough standout cuts on "2002" to make it a worthwhile addition to your collection, especially if you are already a Cusco fan. An alternative would be to pick up "Australia", which is a CD that combines seven of the best cuts from "2002" with two from "2000" (Flying Condor is one of them) and two other songs.

As usual, I recieved it within a week after ordering it.