Customer Reviews

Custer LaRue Sings The Daemon Lover

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

 

 

I have had and loved this album for years, but it took on a whole other dimension for me when I realized how much our infant daughter loves it. When she wakes up screaming from nightmares, I put the Daemon Lover in the CD player, turn up the volume, and within seconds she is calm and relaxed. At night she goes to sleep by traditional, soothing balads like The Ash Grove, which is a beautiful song. This album has an effect on her like no other!

Not just for babies, though, The Daemon lover is magic for adults as well. Ms. LaRue's voice is pure sunlight, and I strongly disagree with the reviewer who said the recording is feeble. As a matter of fact, I used it as a reference recording when purchasing a new amplifier several years ago. The soundstage is broad and the vocals are clear as glass. Highly recommended for audiophiles.

Hearing Custer LaRue's chiming voice for the first time recently was a truly startling moment in my quest for finding perfect, ethereal, moody melodies. As a matter of fact, her voice is actually astonishing. It evokes continuous waves of emotion. "Custer LaRue sings The Daemon Lover" is masterful and filled with emotional strife. You can almost feel the temperature change when you hear LaRue's lament. Listening to the lonesome and almost wailing cry of "Lord Ronald" washes shivers over me every single time. This collection as a whole is both a mysterious and emotional journey that wraps itself completely around you. Could she be the best kept secret in the world of classic voices? Methinks the answer is a definitive yes.

Traditional folk ballads from America, Scotland, and England. The well-known and talented early music ensemble, Baltimore Consort, does the instrumentals. LaRue does a good job with the vocals and her voice is well suited to the music.

This music is simple and very appealing. A wonderful CD.

Several of the ballads on this wonderful CD will have the toughest misty-eyed by the end. Among my favorites "Binnorie", "Queen Jane" and "Lord Randal", the latter two sung with such heavy pathos that you can nearly hear your heart beating. Wonderful, powerful stuff.

What? Feeble?? Maybe compared to a foghorn, but if that's what you want, you can sit in a harbor. But listen for yourself. I believe you will agree that Custer LaRue's voice is enthralling.

Her voice is a mountain stream: pure, clear, endlessly enticing, infintitely intriguing.

For this very reason, she is not cut out to sing rough sailors' songs. A L Lloyd sings "Fare you Well, Lovely Nancy" with rude tenderness that is quite moving. Custer LaRue's version is a scold, imposing current values on hapless sailing men. A pity, because she is a wonderful singer, America's best. But she really blows this song.

One song only though. Everything else is pure gold. I have enjoyed this CD for a couple years now, and it gets better with every listening. Treat yourself.

I wanted to like this CD but I have misgivings about it.Custer Larue has a pleasant light soprano voice, but of limited range.I don't think the recording quality here is up to the mark.The overall sound is feeble, which is a pity.