Customer Reviews

Extraordinary Ways

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Bought it Wednesday morning and I like it. Took a couple of listens for me to get used to it. I was expecting something closer to the 1st album...with the familiar tribal, euro and techno beats. That one offered so much color. But this album is much more laid back and slow. It was slightly harder to digest and it's my only reason for the 4-star rating.

Track 4 "ONE WORD" (Sung by Poe) is beautiful and my favorite off the CD. Anyone who owns this CD will notice that Poe's name isn't mentioned at the end of the lyrics of each of her songs. Instead, the name "JANE" pops up. Is that her real name? Or am I missing something? As for the songs with the male voice & distortions...I don't really care all that much for them. And, they're too slow and repetitive...but are tolerable.

I've followed Rhys Fulber since 2001 when the Maxi Single of "A WHITER SHADE OF PALE" was released by Sarah Brightman & her record company. Rhys Fulber did a remix and i think his is the best of the 5 "publically released" mixes. His work is great, regardless if the song is slow, fast or both.
When he teamed up with POE and Sinead O'Connor, they made magic. This time around, I appreciate Poe more, and only wish the rest of the album was more up-tempo. If it weren't for Poe's collaborations, this album would be darker and I don't think it would have made it to my "will listen to again" pile.

I was honestly disappointed during the first time I played Extradorinary Ways, to the point where I really didn't want to review the CD, nor did I want to listen to it again. But it certainly saved my own rear-end by taking the time to listen to it entirely a 2nd & 3rd time. Now I like it.

If you don't already own the 1st album, do buy it. The 1st one's a lot more eclectic and RF's choice of collaborating artists is amazing, and it fulfills me each time I pop the CD into the stereo or discman.

I heard there won't be a 2CD set version of this album. That's good, because it will be less hard to find this album in all the store for future customers. The 1st album was and still is scarce, whether it's the standard 1-disc version or the 2-disc.

Tracklist
01- Endless Dream - 4:30
02- Face the Music - 4:35
03- Pilgrimage - 6:48
04- One Word - 4:40
05- I Believe - 6:07
06- Beyond Being - 7:07
07- Extraordinary Ways - 4:40
08- Dying Light - 6:45
09- Forever Lost - 4:46
10- Into the Escape - 4:15

This album is great for the Rhys Fulber collectors, but not a "Must Have".

I'm not happy with the negative reports that people have been provided here. My inital exposure to the clever lyrical content of POE was initally through a Conjure One CD and I've since bought her other solo material in addition to these collaborative efforts. POE definately has a fan in Milwaukee. The songs and content of this CD are engaging and a light pop orientation in the vein of DJ Armin Van Burne, Balligomingo, and Enigma, and Delerium. I've been getting into another act in this genre called Collide and that band happens to be my favorite in the Genre. This album however, has been played daily on my ipod for the last two weeks. I can't get the song "Extra Ordinary Ways" out of my head. If you like these other bands then this line up is great. I'd love a chance to see how they collaborate and some behind the scenes stuff on how Rhyes (spelling) worked with these other artists and how his collaborative procesess work. I also secretly wonder if he's hip to other projects out there outside this genre like Dream Theater? Well, if you like Pretty or Vocal Trance music this is for you. It has a more poppy flavor than the Energizer Bunny Trance sounds and is definately more loungy. Enjoy it.

I enjoyed so much of Conjure One's first self-titled album, but it never seemed to flow properly for me. This album is all flow.
If you felt the same way... and if you liked Delerium's Symantic Spaces, Karma and Poem... if you're an old fan of This Mortal Coil and all things 4AD.. If you yearn constantly (as I do)for dark, lucious, brooding female vocals atop gorgeous flowing soundscapes... This album is the answer.

This is Conjure One's sophomore album which again features the direction of Rhys Fulber (of Delerium & FLA). The 1st album featured Euro, Tribal and ambient beats, this album does not. Like Delerium, this side project under Rhys Fulber has gone more pop but with a slightly darker edge in many of the songs. It still retains 'untamed new age' rhythms. I have been a fan of Fulber and Leeb from the very beginning and enjoy listening to Delerium, other side projects and FLA. So when I found out Rhys was going his own way on his own project I was tempted in hearing it and liked what I heard. So with this second album it comes to no surprise that even though the texture and sound of the music has changed to a more mainstream feel, the music is still intoxicating and makes you go on a voyage down a myriad of emotions and mindscapes.

Now the songs are beautiful. Some are better in fluency than others but for me the better part of the album were the last 4 songs. The album opens up with two very 'pop' feeling songs that are radio-ready to play 'Endless Dream' & 'Face The Music'. The song 'One Word' is a uplifting song about faith in decisions. But the best songs are at the end of the album. I do miss the voice of 'Sinead O'Conner' though but the vocals are beautifully done here.

'Forever Lost' and 'Into The Escape' round out the album with haunting serenades and catchy tunes that stay in your head. Conjure One reinvented itself, not forgetting its past but holding onto it and changing to include more mainstream features. Not a bad effort and well done Fulber for another great album.

Incredible performances. This music goes far beyond any "pop" classification. It has some pop elements, but they are part of a whole new genre that Rhys has been evolving. Fabulous!

I have been a long time fan of Delerium and Conjure One fan for the past several years now. I have been looking forward to the new Conjure One cd for some time now. I kept hearing that "Extraordinary Ways" is different from the first CO cd. I personally love "Extraordinary Ways". Yes it is different but I am actually glad that Rhys Fulber took a different approach with the second album by focusing on a more electronic, trip hop sound rather than incorporating world influences like on the first album. I absolutely loved the tracks with Poe especially on the first song "Endless Dream". One of the most beautiful tracks on the album is the haunting "Pilgrimage". I love the mix of distorted samples and haunting piano melodies. The contrast between the two sounds is breathtaking.I also loved the operatic vocals in the background as well. Easily one of the best songs Rhys has done as Conjure One. A lot of people probably don't care for "I Believe" but surprisingly enough, I like the song. It's different from anything Rhys Fulber as done as Conjure One. It is a nice departure. As I am listening to the cd again, I just find myself falling in love with the music even more so. While I did love the world/tribal influences on the first album, I thought Rhys did the right thing by taking a different approach with the second album and went for a more introspective, downtempo approach. I just love the downtempo beats and his choices of singers. "Extraordinary Ways" is easily one of my favorite albums of 2005.

Although the tribal/mystical beats from Conjure One's first album are less apparent on Extraordinary Ways, Poe's vocals still make an amazing overlay to some great electronic music. It's different from the first album; I would say the first was certainly more original and eclectic, but this is a great follow up. Make sure you pick up their first album as well as Delerium's Karma, Poem, and Chimera.

Every so often I search online for Rhys Fulber just to see what he's up to and I found out about his latest creation Conjure 1.

This man has more genius than one can ever use in a lifetime.

Both releases are just excellent, however I think I'm partial to the 1st, maybe because it had been so long...

I' ve been a fan of Fulber since the early times and still I am, even considering that his style is dramatically different now. Some dark beats and nearly operatic vocals (especially on tracks 3 and 8) are reminiscent of Karma but the depth and general tone are obviously more similar to those of the first Conjure one album. There are a few poppish tracks but with that "special touch" making them much more appealing. Considering also all delerium albums I must say that this one and Karma are my favorites. The reason is that all their other works seemed to me like a mere collection of (beautiful) songs, without a particular global meaning or cohesion, here the tracks are really made to work together, the lyrics and even the titles of the songs melt together to create a whole personal vision. Make sure you listen to it from start to finish, that' s really a different experience.

I can't say this album isn't good. It is. In it's own style. It's a "POPier" and "ROCKier" album, instead of the first one. There are still a pair of songs that continues the exotic feel of Conjure One: "Face the Music" - with great landscape sounds - and Dying Light - a calm and sweet positively strange song. Even the cheap but efective "Extraordinary Ways" has some merit...And "Forever Lost" has a really good vocal melody but i think it was so poorly worked - it could have been a major one. "Conjure One", the first album, was so good, so really good - there isn't a song i dislike. All those beautiful and powerfull sounds - remember "Damascus", so simple and so strong, "Tidal Pool", when you could feel the pool itself, "Years", that i love so much, the strange "Manic Star" and the superb "Center of the Sun"; and "Pandora", powerful. Where are these kind of songs in this album? The answer - they're not.
"Pilgrimage", "Beyond Being" and "Into the Escaping" tries to follow "Years" and "Pandora", but so poorly...so really poorly. They are monotonous, repetitive and boring...
So...even though i was hugely disappointed, i must say this album is very good for those who love Rock and Pop Rock - to those fans "Endless Dream", "Extraordinary Ways", "I Believe", "One Word", "Forever Lost"...they will all be appreciated.
I have hopes in their next realese...I Know that Rhys wanted to do a more introspective album than a exotic album...but for me...this is not my wish...
(Sorry my bad english)