Customer Reviews

Instrumental Moods

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Instrumental Moods" continues the "Moods" series of New Age music. It is probably the weakest "Moods" CD, but then again, these are instrumental songs, so they don't have any searing vocals in them. The few vocals that *are* in the songs have no real lyric to them. Here's a quick run-through of the ones I liked:

1. "In the Full Moon Light"--3rd Force. A jazzy instrumental dance piece combining piano, percussion and some kind of brass instrument that sounds like a trumpet. Very cool, great opener.

2. "Knocking on Forbidden Doors"--Enigma. A very nice piece, and certainly worthy of being in the "Instrumental Moods" compilation. Just remember that since it is instrumental, it is not one of this artist's best works.

3. "Barcelona Nights"--Ottoman Liebert. A peppy flamenco song featuring distinctive percussion and guitar work. It's sure to make you sweat!

7. "Tempest"--Jesse Cook. Another flamenco song, but a bit more contemporary than "Barcelona Nights", and just as much fun to listen to!

8. "Cliffs of Dover"--Eric Johnson. A great electric guitar instrumental, and the only roof-shaker on the CD. Curiously, however, it reminds me more of Hawaiian surfers than cliffs in Delaware.

10. "Weather Storm"--Massive Attack. See #2.

13. "Widescreen"--Vanessa Mae. An achingly beautiful song, featuring a seductively played violin.

14. "Gabriel's Oboe"--Ennio Morricone. A slow song, featuring the soothing sounds of an oboe. A wonderful example of the brilliant soundtrack for "The Mission".

15. "Cristofori's Dream"--David Lanz. This exquisite piano piece has the honor of being the most beautiful song I've ever heard, and my favorite one on the album. It's also in "Pure Moods III".

"Monteczuma" and "Cradelsong (Dawa)" are two good songs that are also in "Pure Moods II", but "Monteczuma" is much shorter in this CD, and this edition of "Cradlesong (Dawa)" doesn't feature Cherokee Rose, so if you're only buying this CD for those two songs, just stick with "Pure Moods II".

The rest of the songs ("Heat [from The Fifth Element]", "Midnight Express", "Samba Pa Ti", "Sure-As-Not", "Gathering of the Tribes") are just dull, forgettable techno. However, I would still say that this CD is worth buying, and is certainly one of the best instrumental compilations out there. A "Pure Moods IV" will be released in October--I can hardly wait until then!

I'm a huge fan of the Moods series. I almost have all but a couple of the cds associated with this series. I just recently acquired "Instrumental Moods". Now while I do enjoy this compilation, I can't help but wonder how this cd is any different from the Pure Moods cds. A lot of these songs would be ideal for any of the Pure Moods cd like Enigma's "Knocking On Forbidden Doors" and Sacred Spirits' "Dawa (Cradlesong)". Another interesting tidbit, David Lanz's "Cristofori's Dream" is also on "Pure Moods III". I guess someone wasn't looking when that cd was compiled. Asides that I thoroughly enjoyed the compilation. The music is very soothing to relax too after a long day at the office. I particularly loved the tracks by Sacred Spirits, Eric Johnson, Enigma, Cusco, Ennio Morricone and David Lanz. There isn't a song on this album I did not like.

I just bought the album, and I would suggest buying each artist's complete work rather than this album alone. The tracks aren't arranged in a way that would go about creating a "mood" of any sort. Unlike Pure Moods and Pure Moods II, along with Celtic Moods, that have a nice flow to them, "Instrumental Moods" jumps around too much for this listener to really enjoy it. Jumping on the "ban-wagon" of a "Moods-esque" CD, this one lacks the smooth arrangement of the other albums. Specific artists that I liked on the Album were Eric Serra, and Cusco.

This is a great CD for anyone that enjoys instrumental music. The variety in syles of music and artists is sure to grab your interest. This CD will provide hours of great listening!

For those who have had the good fortune of discovering Virgin's "Pure Moods" albums, the arrival of each new entry is greeted with much anticipation. "Instrumental Moods" was actually, I believe the second album released but many have found it only recently. It differs from the "Pure" discs in both aim and style, but is a credible addition to the series. There is considerably more diversity on this disc, with hard-rockin' guitar tracks like Eric Johnson's brilliant "Cliffs of Dover" side-by-side with mellow, contemplative tracks like Morricone's "Gabriel's Oboe." There's trip-hop, contemporary latin guitar, classic new age, in short: something for everybody. Particular highlights that you might not know previously are Vanessa-Mae's astonishingly beautiful "Widescreen," Neal Schon's driving "Midnight Express," and New Age legends Cusco's "Montezuma" (which also apears on "Pure Moods II." This disc is worth of both its heratige and a place in your collection

...is very good! I love how each song has its different persona. The mixture of different artists and styles makes it the CD I pop in when I'm not sure what to listen to. My personal favorites are: Tempest, Cliffs of Dover and Knocking on Forbidden Doors. All have great instrumentation and rythm that holds your attention. I do have to admit, though, the songs after track 8 do get a little boring, but still worth listening too. Gabriels' Oboe is particulary good in the last songs. Don't get discouraged by this though, I find some of the slower songs better! It IS worth buying!!

This CD is beyond unbelievable. The music styles include fast jazz, smoot melodies, pan pipes, beautiful piano. Every time I listen to this CD I want to hear it more and more... it is almost addictive.

"Unlike its predecessors, Pure Moods and Celtic Moods, Instrumental Moods doesn't follow any specific style. Instead, it strings together a number of instrumentals from different genres, from new age (Enigma), reggae (Afro Celt Sound System) and worldbeat (Cusco) to rock (Eric Johnson, Santana), film scores (Ennio Morricone), pop (Vaness-Mae) and trip-hop (Massive Attack). The only connection these songs have is their laidback tone, and that happens to be enough, since the diverse range of styles prevents the record from being monotonous. Not all of the songs are familiar, but there are enough recognizable pieces to hold the attention of the curious, as they discover that Instrumental Moods is fine mood music. ~ Rodney Batdorf, All Music Guide"

Santana, Eric Johnson, and Neal Schon are three of the most emotional and impressive guitar players in the world. Enigma and Eric Serra are at the forefront of modern electronic and innovative music. Ennio Morricone is a legend. Include great music from 3rd Force, Afro Celt Sound System, and Jesse Cook, you get Instrumental Moods. "Cliffs of Dover" from Eric Johnson is the real gem, but the entire album is bursting with talent. The Moods set continues to get better and better.

"Instrumental Moods" is a wonderful compilation, provided you're in the mood. The sound ranges from ambient/new age to latin to atmospheric rock, and together artists like Vanessa Mae and Ottmar Lieber make a good companion to a paperback or a glass of wine on the patio. Ottmar Lieber's "Barcelona Nights" made the CD worthwhile for me, as did Mae's seductive "Widescreen." But the inclusion of Enigma's "Knocking on Heaven's Door" is baffling, as its from their oldest album and is hardly their best work. Also, Journey guitar man Neil Schon, who chimes in with "Midnight Express," is painfully out of place. All in all, "Instrumental Moods" is perhaps the weakest of the "Moods" series ("Pure Moods," "Celtic Moods," etc.), but like its peers a good sampler of different artists that more or less fit the theme.