Customer Reviews

Evelyn Glennie: Shadow Behind the Iron Sun

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even my dog liked it -- mesmerized by the music, staring at the stereo like the mutt in the RCA logo.

Solo percussion is, admittedly, an acquired taste. The song samples here give you a reasonable flavor of the album. If you don't like them, don't buy it.

At the same time, Glennie has done more than anybody to advance the art, the possibilities, and the popularity of percussion. (I saw her perform a snare solo encore last year that brought the audience to its feet.) In this album, she operates with more freedom and pushes more boundaries than in anything she's done to date. Yet it's still an approachable and genuinely exciting collection of music.

I went to a solo concert of hers because I had heard what I thought must be hype of her wonder. I was totally and utterly destroyed by her performance. She has complete technical perfection, tremendous athletic ability (yes percussion demands of the body), personal charm, and dramatic zest. Many of the albums I listened to after disappointed me because she clearly held herself within the strict measure of the others she performed with. I suspect her deafness makes her fearful of any rubatto in an orchestral setting. This album is the only one that begins to give a sense of her god-like gifts.

This CD is a true experience, similar to Charles Ives' "New England Holidays". The range of instruments Glennie uses and creates brings to mind Mickey Hart's statement about drummers being desperate and doing anything to produce sounds. Her music gets into your mind and body. It's appealing enough that my son, a rap fan, sat fascinated while "Land of Venden" was playing. His comment, "This is almost scary!", leads to my opinion that her talent is almost scary. Do yourself a favor and buy this one, it provides great mental and emotional rejuvenation.

Even if percussion sans so-called melodic instruments isn't what you think of when selecting a cd you've got to listen to this. Ms Glennie creates quite a melodic and dramatic tapestry and draws the listener right into the middle of it. Yes, it does take a few listenings to penetrate to the gist of it but that only enhances the genuine beauty contained here. Perhaps that is a given in any deeply creative work.

I love this album!!! Evelyn Glennie is the most profound percussionist I have ever heard. Her music penetrates my body: sometimes I feel it in my heart, sometimes in my solar plexis. I feel it in my soul. This album can be enjoyed over and over and over. Thank You Evelyn Glennie! Big Gratitude!

Evelyn Glennie has proven herself to be the quintessential percussionist of our day, time and time again. This woman has done more for percussion music than any other person in history. And with this album she is doing it again. Not only does she explore the world of percussion, but now is taking us on an odyssey of sound! No musician....no person should be without this album. It explores so much not just in music but in life. It is a bold statement made by a musical genious. I highly reccomend that you take some time from your everyday life and sit back and listen to this album from begining to end wiht no interuptions. You will be amazed at the thoughts and visions that are conjured up by the percussive canvas Evelyn has set up.

I am admittedly an Evelyn Glennie fan so this review may be biased. I loved the soundscape presented by the music on this album. It made me want to sit down and improvise on my instruments. I just got done listening to it for the fourth time and what empresses me the most is the non-percussion sounds especially on track 4. It is quite spooky! If you have anything by Micky Hart or Pink Floyd, you will like this even more.

I strongly recommend this album especially for the adventurous listener.