Eolian Minstrel

Andreas Vollenweider | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 1993)
• Original Release Date: November 16, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002TNR
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #163,879 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Song of Isolde

2. Across the Iron River (The Return)

3. Reason Enough (All the King's Men)

4. Eolian Minstrel

5. Jaden Maiden

6. The Secret Shrine of Icarus

7. Harvest

8. The Years in the Forest

9. Desert of Rain

10. Private Fires

11. The Five Sisters

12. Painter's Waltz

13. Leaves of the Great Tree

14. Lake of Time

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A surprising pleasure, October 20, 2001

By 

Kenneth Burton "brdnrd" (Arcata, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eolian Minstrel (Audio CD)

I have been a Vollenveider fan for a long time, though not all of his albums do it for me. I doubted one could ever surpass White Winds. I'm still not sure he'll ever produce a better album, but this one gives it a heck of a run for its money. I was as surprised as the previous reviewers to hear vocals on this album, but I don't think they detract. Admittedly, I generally pay more attention to music than vocals, and some of the lyrics on this album are a bit vapid, but I don't find Gilkyson's vocals jarring as others do. The instrumentation is as brilliant, complex, and varied as ever. I especially like Eberhard Hahn's low winds (bass flute, baritone sax, bass clarinet, and even didgeridoo, which is misspelled in the liner notes). I don't understand other reviewers' comments about the over-Celticness of this album; the songs draw lyrics from fairy tales, The Secret Shrine of Icarus is absolutely Oriental, and Harvest is positively danceable! Curiously, at least on the cassette, the first two songs listed on "B Side" are actually on "A Side." A Side (through The Years in the Forest) is the stronger part of the album in my opinion. Overall, I never fail to be happy I put this album on, and Vollenweider is to be commended for his willingness to experiment with a different style.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my all time favorite CDs, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Eolian Minstrel (Audio CD)

Eliza Gilkerson's etheral voice compliments Andreas and all of the harps. The vocal and music are beautiful and very metaphorical for life.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing venture.., February 14, 2000

By 

Pamela A. Coleman (Long Neck, DE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eolian Minstrel (Audio CD)

If you're a fan of his previous cd's, you may be disappointed with this one. Far too Celtic for my taste, and it lacked the imagery intrinsic to his other works. AV takes background to vocals on most of the cuts. Although Eliza Gilkyson has a beautiful, lilting voice, I didn't buy this cd to listen to her. This should be a Gilkyson cd featuring Andreas Vollenweider.

As big a fan as I am of AV, I am compelled to only give this 2 stars - one just because it's AV, and the other because it's tolerable for a celtic genre.