Mediterranea

Johannes Linstead | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 14, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Earthscape Media
• ASIN: B0002U6DMM
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,205 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GEM of a recording, December 11, 2005

By 

John Rossi (Somers Point, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mediterranea (Audio CD)

Let me preface this review by saying that I have been a fan of 'nouveau flamenco'-style guitar music for about 13 years now. It has taken less than TWO of those years for Johannes Linstead to become my FAVORITE flamenco guitar player, HANDS DOWN! Though this is his most recent recording, it is the one I bought first. Boy am I glad I did. ALL the tracks on here are excellent and they each have their own unique flavour, sound and style, so you never feel like you heard 'the same song' twice. Each one is a truly unique and very special treat for the ears, as well as for the heart, of a listener.

1. Andalucia - For me, the best word to describe this opening tune is "joyous". The opening melody is catchy and makes me feel really happy. The rhythm and all the melodies of this tune are exuisitely crafted and go together splendidly. The song in its entirety is filled to the brim with beauty, life, and power... the power to make you smile, and to make you want to get up and dance, and celebrate just being alive. It captures the splendour of the region of Spain that some have called the 'heart'of flamenco music. The 'dance' performed in this song between Johannes' guitar and the violin is especially noteworthy to me.

2. Evening Embrace - This tune is a bit more laid back. It is considerably slower, but it is a GREAT tune nonetheless. Despite the title, this does not put me in the mind of hugging somebody. Instead, it paints pictures in my mind of walking hand in hand with a special someone, taking a romantic stroll under the moonlight and the stars through a setting that is both exotic and picturesque.

3. Sangre Del Toro - Translated as: "Blood Of The Bull", this is an awesome tune. As far as tempo it fluctuates between mid-range and moderately fast. In other songs on this CD, the guitar and the violin do a terrific 'dance' with each other. This time, they 'duel'. This furious 'duel' in my mind perfectly captures the pageantry and spirit of the life-and-death struggle that is a bullfight. Sit back, relax.... and enjoy, but also, be envigorated.

4. Ambrosia - Once again, here we have a 'middle-of-the-road' tempo tune to grace our ears. As always, the guitar and other instrumentation is first rate. The guitar the violin dance again in places, but this one, to my ears, has a seductive and just SLIGHTLY Middle-Eastern sound and flavour. I love it.

5. Adelita - This is another great piece. It was written particularly for Johannes' mother. A mid-tempo but jouyous and buoyant guitar melody is joined by a lovely female voice. It gives me the feel of looking at a beautiful sunrise... or perhaps into the smiling eyes of your mother, seeing her love for you written in them, and smiling because you know you are cherished. This one puts a smile not just on my face, but a smile in my heart too.

6. Tabu - To my ears, this one is just a LITTLE bit faster than "Adelita". It feels like a very happy piece of music, perfectly suitable for putting the top down and 'cruising' down the highway with the wind stirring your hair. It's great and makes me smile on the inside.

7. Hour Of The Lamps - This features heavy interplay between the flamenco guitar and what sounds like a mandolin or perhaps a more Middle-Eastern type of stringed instrument. The Middle-Eastern feel or influence is VERY strong in this song, and it's a very 'danceable' number, switching back and forth in tempo from mid-to-high-range to blazingly fast. The swirling, seductive melody can really pull you into this piece. It's awesome. Don't just take my word for it though. Give this tune a listen for yourself and find out just how good it really is.

8. Motika - This is another great dance number. The tempo is fairly quick. The percussion in this tune is steady, and in my ears it calls a heartbeat to mind. The augmentation by piano is really quite nice. Get on the dance floor. You don't want to miss the fun. That's what this piece is to me... it's fun.

9. Estrellas Sobre Ella - Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. I have ALL of the CD's that Johannes Linstead has put out so far. That's five CD's with more than fifty songs in total, and HERE is my FAVORITE tune of them all. I LOVE this piece. To me, the word "beautiful" just does NOT do this song justice. I prefer to call in "heavenly". Yes, you read that right... heavenly. This song is FILLED with a beauty and with a bliss that will reach straight into your heart, touch it, and break it to pieces, while healing it and 'putting it back together' and soothing it at the same time, making you FEEL it's beauty and its power. The tempo is slow and gracefully sedate. The melodies are absolutely GORGEOUS. This time, the guitar and violin do not 'dance' with each other. This time, they sing beautifully to one another, with a song that will break your heart and yet it will also heal it and lift it up as well. They are accompanied for a little while in places by a hauntingly beautiful female voice. This tune moves me to tears EVERY time I hear it and it makes me THANK GOD for ears that work, so that I might always hear something so lovely as this song.

10. Journey To Alcazaba - This starts off with interplay between guitar and Middle-Eastern stringed instrumentation. Heavy arabesque percussion soon kicks in. This begins slowly but can get fast and FURIOUS before the end. I love the guitar melodies in this. To me, it's a musical drive through a quaint and picturesque desert town.

To close, I won't say much. I'll try to keep it short. If you LOVE flamenco guitar music like I do, you MUST get this CD. You OWE it to yourself to give Johannes Linstead a listen. This music just might captivate you, just like it has done to me. Happpy listening, and God bless you... always.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly Magnificent!, June 10, 2005

By 

Tim Champarde (Mason, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mediterranea (Audio CD)

I just returned from the Vancouver area on vacation where my wife and I rented a convertible and drove around the country side. By chance we came across this beautiful CD and played it everywhere we drove. We will never forget the sheer ecstasy created by the combination of the sun, the wind, the trees, the mountains, the water, and Linstead's music. It has that quality of making you remember where you were when you first heard it. I have many of Linstead's CDs, as well as other nouveua flamenco artists' music, playing from my laptop at the office. Often people will stop by and ask what's the beautiful music they're hearing. It's usually Linstead. It has a magnetic quality to it that's so rare in contemporary music. It's therapeutic. Sit and listen and see if you're not changed by it!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the good stuff, March 2, 2005

By 

Avid Book Lover "practice random kindness and... (texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mediterranea (Audio CD)

I own all of this great musician's cds and never tire of listening to them, can't decide which cd is my favorite, it's usually the one i'm currently listening to. He needs to put out more cds sooner, can't wait for the next one! If you like this music, try jesse cook, luis villegas, eric hansen, willie and lobo,esperanza, daveed..........