Customer Reviews

Medicine Woman II: The Gift

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have 22 Medwyn Goodall CDs (He's released over 70) so I am a big fan of his music. Medicine Woman II, The Gift was one of the first purchased and is still one of my favorites. The original Medicine Woman is excellent and a New Age classic, but this follow-up is an order of magnitude better. It is hard to imagine that only one person is responsible for all of the music here. Goodall composed, arranged, performed, produced, mixed and mastered this CD. It is guitars, panpipes, and lots of percussion in almost an hour of lively but soothing music that sets you down in the middle of the Central American jungles and then carries you away. Rhythmical and catchy tunes inspired by the ancient Mayan culture expand on the ideas explored in the original Medicine Woman plus introduce some new ones. With touches of male and female choirs and synths in the background, the music has an uplifting mystical quality.

I was recently introduced to Medwyn Goodall and I have quickly become an avid fan of this talented, multi-instrumentalist artist. I have 4 of his (many) albums, and this one is my favorite.

This second version of Medicine Woman is much lighter and melodious than the first installment and the addition of more instruments is a real plus. Medwyn is to be praised for his raw talent on many instruments, but without doubt his greatest ability is on the guitar. His exquisite guitar playing on this album will remind many of the famed Govi. Some tracks (such as 1 & 2) sound like a Govi/Cusco mix, others (4 & 5) blend the sounds of Govi/Enya. And others are uniquely Medwyn Goodall.

My favorites are 1 (Celebration), 2 (Invocation part 2), 5 (The Gift), 7 (Sacred Ground), and 9 (Emerald).

I am looking forward to exploring more of Medwyn's albums (he has an awesome website for anyone desiring to get a taste of his extremely diversified music.)

I can't end this review without mentioning the high quality of Medwyn's recordings. His latest albums, which I believe are all recorded in his newly-renovated studio, are simply "state-of-the art" and will tickle the ear of all who appreciate audiophile quality music. The real test came when I listened to them on my newly purchased Sennheiser Symphony HD570 headphones. They passed with flying colors....it was pure musical ecstasy!

Well, enough said. If I have whetted the appetite of just one music-lover to put their feet in the waters of Medwyn Goodall's tantalizing sounds, I will have accomplished what I set out to do.

A friend introduced me to this CD and I disliked it at first thinking it was just one of those try hards stealing some beats from native people living in the mediterrian area and cash up on them but I could not be any further from the truth.

This CD is totally brilliant from the beginning to end. Unfortunately, I couldn't say all of them are my favourite because "The Gift" just shines so radiantly in comparison to the rest that it just stands out automatically. I am so sorry I don't even know the names of the songs because they all flow so piecefully into each other like an insrtumental story.

"The Gift" starts with Enya like female vocals but the rhythm comes in and it's just a killer song. I prefer the orginal version rather than the single version because the single version is just too short. The first track is brilliant and "After The Rain" also stands out clearly from the rest. Mind you, that doesn't mean the rest are a load of trash though. I would recommend this album to anyone who wants a calm and uplifting album without all the ear damage done by overproduced pop music. I may be a little young (17 yrs old) to be having sleepless nights but I guess that this CD would make it all alright and calm your mind. Enjoy the music and cherish it.

I have 8 albums of his and this is a joint favourite of mine along with Excalibur. More upbeat than the (excellent) first Medicine Woman album, with uplifting and beguiling melodies that will lift the spirit. I also recommend 'Millenium'.

Medwyn Goodall is no stranger to fans of world and new age music. Having released well over 20 albums, this is one of his more appreciated albums. "Medicine Woman II: The Gift" is a follow up to one of Goodall's earlier album release "Medicine Woman" but topples the previous release effortlessly with this relatively perfect collection of songs. One of the amazing factors of this album is that all ten tracks are instrumental pieces as vocals become part of the arrangement and there's not a word that is sung, but the messages and feeling are successfully conveyed through the use of various instruments such as the Spanish Guitar, Bamboo Flute, Mandolin, authentic South American drums along with a host of other instruments.

"Celebration" the opening track sets the mood for the album. It's an uplifting, positive track that sets mind at ease and takes you to a different place. Where you imagine you are standing within an exotic tropical rainforest and the unique sounds only helps to provide you with a more vivid picture. "Invocation Part 2" seamlessly follows through with the positive theme and the rest of the album flows effortlessly from one track to the next. The stand out track would have to be "The Gift", instantly attracting you with it's unique guitar arrangements and it's soothing Enya-like vocals.

Unfortunately, the main downfall of this album is that after listening to the first five tracks, the next five seems like a semi-altered collection of the first five tracks and you get the idea that no new grounds are broken into or explored and you get the feeling that you've heard it all before. As a whole, this album seems relatively complete even if it was released only with the first five tracks with "The Gift" being a severely major reason for purchasing the album itself. Some of Goodall's other releases are not as easily satisfying on the ear as this release but this is definitely the one that is set to please. The album actually is a mediocre 55 plus minutes but the first 28 minutes or so should do the job at setting your mind at ease.

Track listing:
1. Celebration 6.43
2. Invocation part 2 5.46
3. Jungle Heart 5.43
4. Orchid Potion 5.24
5. The Gift 6.24
6. Talking To The Sun 5.24
7. Sacred Ground 4.56
8. After The Rains 5.31
9. Emerald - Mayan Relic 7.00
10. The Gift (Single Version) 3.33

Continues on from where Medicine Woman I left off. Apart from one track where that old haunting melody re-appears, this album contains all new work. I have played this CD almost every night since buying it and never tire of listening to it.

There's a real feeling that I'm in South America and the Central American countries.
My favorite piece is called The Gift. Some music is just indescribable and this CD is just that. YOU MUST LISTEN FOR YOURSELF!!!

I OWN ALL THREE IN A SERIES CALL MEDICINE WOMAN. I LISTEN TO THEM QUIET FREQUENTLY AND I AM VERY PLESAED WITH THESE. THEY ARE NOT TO SLOW NOR ARE THEY TO FAST. HOWEVER THEY ARE UPLIFTING WITH A WIDE VARIETY ON INSTRUMENTATION USE TO REACH A HIGH AND TO BE ABLE TO INDENTIFY WITH. THE BEST MUSIC THAT I HAVE EVER HEARD WITH RYHTHM AND EASE OF LISENING. THE ONLY WAY TO DESCRIBE MEDWYN GOODALL'S IS BEAUTIFUL

This album could just be the best of the Medicine Woman trilogy; a very lively yet relaxing experience.

Very good!! Upbeat, all the songs are great. No weak link or anything. Lovely soothing and upbeat all at once in all the songs. Panpipes and Spanish guitar masterfully used. No pitiful electric sounds he plays many instruments very well, and records them all in his own home studio. Its Great!!!!