Dr Dee

Damon Albarn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Records
• ASIN: B00630HJBY
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,416 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Golden Dawn

2. Apple Carts

3. Oh Spirit Animate Us

4. The Moon Exalted

5. A Man of England

6. Saturn

7. Coronation

8. The Marvelous Dream

9. A Prayer

10. Edward Kelley

11. Preparation

12. 9 Point Star

13. Temptation Comes In The Afternoon

14. Watching the Fire That Waltzed Away

15. Moon (Interlude.

16. Cathedrals

17. Tree Of Life

18. The Dancing King

Editorial Reviews

Dr Dee, a new studio album by Damon Albarn, will be released May 8 by Virgin Records on CD, vinyl, and digital download.

Dr Dee is an 18 track work inspired by the life of John Dee (1527-1608), mathematician, alchemist, philosopher and advisor to Elizabeth I. Dee is a singular enigma: an Englishman so influential that he defined how we measure years, so quintessential that he lives on in Shakespeare's words; yet so shrouded in mystery that he's fallen from the very pages of history itself.

Described by Albarn as "strange pastoral folk," the music of Dr Dee is a fitting companion to the end of another Elizabethan age. The album combines Albarn's voice with early English choral and instrumentation alongside modern, West African and Renaissance sounds. Dr Dee was recorded late last year in Albarn's West London studio and also in Salford with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. The album was mixed by Valgeir Sigursson in Reykjavik.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Like a walk in the English countryside May 8, 2012

By Nse Ette TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:MP3 Music

Hmmm, let's see, Damon Albarn has dabbled in African music ("Mali Music", "Kinshasa One Two", Rocket Juice & Moon"), groovy Hip hop/Funk (Gorillaz), Chinese-influenced Pop ("Monkey: Journey to the West"), and Jazz/Rock/Dub ("The Good The Bad And The Queen"), so it's always interesting to see what new direction he will head next.

Fans of Blur will be pleased with "Dr Dee", well fans of their slower moodier stuff like "No Distance Left To Run" or their final "Think Tank" album.

The 18 tracks veer from instrumentals ("The Golden Dawn", "A Man Of England" or the guitar-drenched "Moon (Interlude)"), to acoustic Folky stuff ("Apple Carts" or "The Marvelous Dream"), the hymnal ("O Spirit, Animate Us" and "A Prayer"), or "Preparation" which comprises shuffling tribal percussion.

Some songs feature female accompaniment: "The Moon Exalted", "Saturn", "Coronation", to mention a few. Very olde English and never less than melodic and affecting.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Strange Pastoral Folk -- try before you buy May 21, 2012

By T. A. Daniel TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Audio CD

Damon Albarn has described DR DEE as "strange pastoral folk," and it is a pretty close description. DR DEE is an experimental English opera about the historical figure John Dee by the chief songwriter of Gorillaz and Blur, Damon Albarn. DR DEE, however, does not resemble much of Albarn's past work. Certain tracks on this album resemble Blur ("Apple Carts", "Saturn", "The Marvelous Dream"), but the bulk of the album is dedicated to operatic folk. This album has all the hallmarks of a disaster: a former rock star making an epic opera about an 16th century alchemist? Luckily, DR DEE stands on its own as a good listen in Albarn's discography that borders on greatness.

While DR DEE is a good album and worth a listen, it often feels disjointed. Tracks range from traditional opera (" A Man of England"), to experimental opera ("Edward Kelley" and "The Fire that Waltzed Away"), orchestral instrumentals ("The Golden Dawn") to the aforementioned Blur-esque acoustics. If the listener is interested in any of these genres, these tracks are recommended for sampling. I would like to stress, however, that this album was not necessarily built to stand by on a track-by-track basis. It works best as a whole (although it does feel somewhat discontinuous at times). Fans of Phillip Glass's work in opera may find interest in many of these tunes. I would cautiously recommend this to fans of Blur with the caveat that they sample the tracks first; many of the songs don't feature Albarn's vocals which are performed by other more operatic singers. While these arias are good, I'd hesitate to blindly recommend it to someone not knowing what they are in for.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Genius knows Genius; Preview before you buy May 19, 2012

By Bre

Format:Audio CD

To me, Dr. Dee by Damon Albarn is genius acknowledging genius. The nearly infallible Damon Albarn has made a record about the english polymath and consort to the queen, Dr. Dee.

The record has a spiritual vibe and is a mix of gospel sounding chants, Damon's amazing vocals, opera, and male and female vocals.

Honestly I prefer Damon's singing(I am in love with his voice!) to the chanting, going-to-church-on Sunday gospel sounding songs such as A Prayer, so if that's not your thing, you should just download the excellent, worthwhile songs where Damon sings. Also, I had a hard time enjoying some of the women's vocals on the opera...

Apple Carts, Coronation, and Dancing King are musts because Damon's magic voice is in them. Just preview the album like I did and make sure you'll enjoy all the songs before you buy cause if opera and gospel sting your nerves, you might not be happy with your purchase. And remember, Dr. Dee is an English opera and that's what your getting on a lot of songs.

3.5 stars