Customer Reviews

Instrumental Imagery Volume 3

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to confess something... as much as I love Mehdi, I don't actually own a single one of his albums. I'll have to correct that soon. Years ago, when I was in high school, my mother used to play Instrumental Dream all the time, and that was how I got hooked on him. I didn't want her to know how much I liked it, since that kind of music wasn't cool for young people, so when she was out I would play her collection over and over again, and then whip it out of the player as soon as she got home. By the time I got into college, I had largely outgrown things like worrying about what people thought of my musical preferences, so I listened to Mehdi anytime I went home. During the month I spent studying for the bar exam, I listened to this music almost obsessively... and I passed the exam on the first try, so maybe it helped! Since I moved out of her house and got my own place, I'd forgotten how much I loved Mehdi's music until I happened across it at the library the other day. I immediately checked it out, and it woke a craving in me to hear some of my favorite tunes again. So I convinced my mother to loan me her entire collection.

Mehdi's generally found in the New Age section, but don't you dare let that stop you from enjoying this magnificent, world class instrumental music. If you're not familiar with his work, and you like the sound of "Instrumentals" better than "new age," I guarantee you'll like what you hear. If you don't find it entirely enchanting, you could get tired of it before the album's over, although I personally can't get enough of this disc.

Go ahead, turn the volume way up and let it envelop you the way instrumental music was meant to, and I challenge you not to shiver or even tear up a little during your first listen of this fabulous collection.

I found Mehdi via Amazon, looking for something similar to Loreena McKinnet's instrumentals. Never mind the one or two reviewers who label this as elevator music. A cheap rendition of Copa Cabana fills that category, and Mehdi is nowhere near that end of the spectrum. Any song from Mehdi's collection is in itself unique and colorful. The music flows softly, allowing you to use it for any occasion: reading, studying, writing, dinner parties, driving, etc. I've even used it for background music while on the computer. It is soothing, calming, and brings to mind your own images of what each note represents to you, personally. I describe it as a soundtrack for your life. Since I found several songs on each cd sample I liked, I went ahead and bought the gift set. It's worth every penny and all of them are unique. Once you hear these melodies, Mehdi will not fail to accompany your every adventure.

While Mehdi's pieces vary in mood, they have one thing in common-- they are so beautiful, and played with such passion, they will put you into an exalted state of bliss. I think very few people will be lukewarm to Mehdi's music; you'll probably find it either heart-wrenchingly lovely, or dull as all-git-out and sappy to boot. While some tracks are noticeably upbeat and uplifting, such as Millenium Dance, Images Of The Heart, Twinkling Star and Star Gazer, far more of them are meditative, introspective, even downright melancholy. Some of the orchestrated pieces have arrangements that give them a distinctly touchy-feely "new-agey" sound which some listeners may find a turn-off, but many others are classically inspired compositions. Most of my favorite pieces have a more classical and less new age sound to them. He tends to have a firm touch on the keyboard, playing the notes crisply in all but the most meditative works. But when a light touch is called for, he plays with an airy delicacy, as shown in Wedding Song.

My personal favorites include Grace & Forgiveness, which begins with a string tremelondo's, sparkling chorus punctuated by a melancholy feel on the piano, and then moves into a dramatic cello solo which reminds me of a haunting movie score! It's purely uplifting, inspirational, and wonderful.

This 7 Disc set is a great introduction to Mehdi and shows most of the range of his exceptional talent. I just can't get enough of some of my favorite tracks I listed above. It's great music any time you need to relax, wash the dishes, stroll on the beach, de-stress after a hectic day, romance your sweetheart, perform thoracic surgery, have a quiet dinner... or really pretty much anything other than going to the rodeo. I would say it makes good background music, but I find it far too lovely to push into the back of my mind. If it were playing at a cocktail party, I'd be sitting next to the speaker listening to it instead of mingling. If you don't want to spring for the set, I highly recommend Instrumental Imagery, which features some of his most soulful playing. Now get thee hence, listen, buy, Love!

I 1st heard Mehdi on spinner radio and instantly noticed that there was a calming quality that captivated my being. The music definitely stood out amongst the rest. I didn't think much about it, but after hearing a few selections by this artist I just had to have the CD. I bought it a couple of years ago and just feel in love with it.

I have to agree with Sue Kolaks review (qoute: "very few people will be lukewarm to Mehdi's music; you'll probably find it either heart-wrenchingly lovely, or dull as all-git-out"). I was one of those that loved it so much that I purchased every CD available by this artist and let me tell you, they are all breathtakingly beautiful.

Just sample the music at SoothingMusic Com and you'll quickly know which one of the above mentioned people that you are, but if you like what you hear than by all means just buy it because this is one CD that won't dissappoint and the only bad thing is that you'll have to the rest.

Imagery was the first CD I purchased by Mehdi. When I bought it, I was looking for something especially soothing and relaxing to listen to at work. I loved it from the first strands of music, and realized right then that I wanted all of their CD's. It is not only soothing and relaxing, but it fills your soul with JOY! It takes you wherever you want to go - without ever having to leave. I have since purchased all of thier CDs and love them all.

As far as this CD goes, I love every song on this CD, but I do have some favorites. "Images of the heart" combines a Celtic violin section with a beautiful piano and guitar. Star Gazer makes you feel that you could float anywhere, light as a feather, going wherever the wind takes you. The cello in "Grace and Forgiveness" is so passionate that it makes you want to hear it over and over again.
I have shared Mehdi with other people at work, and we all place this music at the very top, of our listening pleasure. It is the kind of music that you can listen to all day and not get tired of it. It's the first CD you grab for in the morning when you first get to work. The other people here at work have different favorites than mine - so you can see, they are all beautiful! I really can't say enough nice things about this music!! You just need to purchase it.

This is one of the best purchases I have made in a while. With its enchanting melodies and lovely composition, Mehdi's music is impossible not to enjoy. My favorite has to be "Images Of The Heart " because it is so beautiful it actually gave me goose bumps the first time I heard it. This is the perfect music to listen to while in the car. You won't even notice the traffic and it will be hard to take it out of your CD player.

If someone had described this album to me and told me I would enjoy it I would have laughed in their face, or else done them some damage for insulting my taste in music. BUT, it is fantastic!! I now own every CD he has and I tell you, this man has the most amazing music I have heard and I could (and do) listen to him for hours. I've even been known to be driving along and missing my exit just listening to it . All highly embarrassing and thankfully this effect seems to have worn off now I've listened to it a few hundred times!! I've barely listened to anything else since I found this, and have refused to lend these CDS to anyone else for fear of them holding on to it for too long!! Go on, try it, you might LOVE it.

I came to the USA only a couple of years ago and my initial exposure was to soft rock radio music. I did not even know the term "New Age" music.

All that changed when a co-worker of mine played songs from Secret Garden on his computer. I was hooked by the heart felt tunes and soon became a big fan . After that, I searched around for other popular new age music and found this artist.

I have to admit that I listened to this CD with no expectation of liking it.To my surprise, the combination of instruments not only works, but also quickly latches itself to your mind. After just listening to this album once, I found myself humming the tunes of "Millenium Dance" (the first song), the soothing sounds from "Heavenly Moon" and "Star Gazer" were more than emough to make me want more . Needlessly to say, for the next few days, this was one of the only CDs playing on my car stereo.

Now, after hearing the CD for quite a few times, I think all the songs are extremely good. This CD would be highly suitable for listening to, when you want to unwind from a hard day's work or when you are traveling on the road for a long time.

As I said before, I realize that this not real world music, but then may be I would have never listened to any instrumental music by itself in my entire lifetime. I feel grateful to Medhi for exposing me to the deep longing melodies and beautiful thought provoking sounds found in his extraordinary music.

Mehdi does it again with yet another captivating collection of music that lifts your soul to higher places. Places that you thought never existed. Instrumental Imagery is definitely the album of rich, touching music you must get to experience the true expressions of heartfelt melodies that simply haunt you even after the cd is off. Vol 3 continues where vol 2 left off in terms of the intenseness of production and arrangement. Millennium Dance & Heart of the Image has to be some of the best songs ever written by a music composer..ever..being a new age music composer myself, i look up to the diverse talent of this extraordinary man. I would recommend every listener to get all 4 of mehdi's cds for continuity. Just one would be like driving in your car with one wheel.

To begin with, let me say right off the bat that this is the best new CD I've heard yet this year.

This latest release by Mehdi is light, cheerful, interesting, and has memorable tunes. I found myself thinking about some of these tunes for days after listening to it. Mehdi's piano tunes over a synthesized background are enjoyable for simple ambient background music or for more active listening.

Although every track on the CD is decent, my own recommendation would be "Rays of Love" and "True Love Story," although "Grace and Forgiveness" has been running around inside my head for a week now...

There are themes that repeat throughout the CD, but it never really gets old. Instrumental Imagery's ten tracks flow together and nothing breaks the mood from start to finish; if you put the CD player on auto repeat, you'll never notice when it starts over.