Illuminations [Original recording reissued]

Buffy Sainte-Marie | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 16, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Vanguard Records
• ASIN: B00000E9BG
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,540 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #50 in Music > World Music > North America > Native American

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: SAINTE-MARIE,BUFFY
Title: ILLUMINATIONS
Street Release Date: 05/16/2000
Domestic
Genre: FOLK

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a for-real lost classic, January 28, 2004

By 

happydogpotatohead "happydogpotatohead" (New Orleans, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Illuminations (Audio CD)

Genuinely mysterious and absorbing, this is one of the more striking works to come out of the "psychedelic" sixties. On many of the songs, Buffy teamed up with Peter Schickele (yes, P.D.Q. Bach in his other life!) on songs that featured primitive but effective electronic experimentation. "God is Alive, Magic is Afoot," is one example, as BSM sings across/over an eerie musical backdrop that the listener gradually comes to recognize is a heavily treated recording of her singing the same song. In spite of the experimentation, it's spine-chilling and beautiful.
At the same time, Sainte-Marie kept her folk roots and her social consciousness intact. The voice-and-acoustic "Suffer the Little Children," with its commentary on capitalism, would not sound out of place on her earlier albums, and the downright sensuous "Guess Who I Saw In Paris" is one of her best love songs.

The real fascination here, though, is how far afield Buffy goes. In "Keeper of the Fire" she provides a Jorma Kaukonen like guitar solo with her voice on the ride-out, and "Poppies" is outrageously trippy and far ahead of its time, reminding the listener of an early version of Enya or Loreena McKennitt.

The album was not a commercial success in its day, primarily because it was so "out of character" for what Buffy's fans wanted. But thirty-odd years later it still sounds subversive and strange. The album combines Buffy Sainte-Marie's natural warmth and power with eerie and transcendent moments quite unlike anything else out there at the time (or now). Very much a lost classic, "Illuminations" is not just for folkies. Anyone with an interest in psychedelia or the unusual will find a lot to like here. One of her best and well worth having.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece, October 19, 2000

By 

Aage Nielsen (Boise, Idaho United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Illuminations (Audio CD)

Buffy Sainte-Marie really left the "moldy figs" in the dust with this one.This album made history as the first quadrophonic, electronic vocal and instrumental album. Even now, modern day alt-rockers cite this album as an influence. From the opening Leonard Cohen track "God is Alive, Magic is Afoot" to the closing "Poppies" the listener gets a slice of psychedelic 1969 with technology well ahead of its time. Meanwhile, acoustic cuts such as "Dream Tree", while remininiscent of her earlier "Winter Boy" and "Eyes of Amber" nevertheless fits well into this electronic, Velvet Underground-esque album. For modern day shuffle play CD listeners, this album will fit in as well with Sonic Youth as it does with Odetta.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Otherwordly., September 7, 2000

By 

Steven Thornton "HeathCliffe" (East Bentleigh, Victoria Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Illuminations (Audio CD)

I recently bought this album on c.d. after having the L.P. for about 25 years. On some tracks Buffy misses the mark but there is enough treasure on this set to keep any Buffy fan enraptured. The best tracks have a surreal quality that sends shivers down the spine. My favourite song is The Angel with it's funeral bells,sublime vocal and unworldly lyrics. The album contains only a few of the artists own songs but this leaves room for her superb interpretations of other peoples works. These include songs by Leonard Cohen and Ritchie Havens. Above all this album is experimental-years ahead of it's time. Turn on this album lay back and be transported by aural magic and THAT VOICE!