Customer Reviews

Nothing Above My Shoulders But the Evening

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

 

 

Produced in 1993, this was to be Ray Lynch's last commercial album. In a career that started out in classical and medieval music, Lynch eventually took a musical journey that took him into 'meditation' music, electronic popular forms, and, finally, back to his acoustic roots. This eclectic collection is a reprise of his forms, with a few unexpected adventures.

Even a cursory listen reveals that his electronic repertoire has moved into second place. Instead, Lynch makes use of his own instrumental skills in tandem with a stellar collection of performers, mostly from the San Francisco Symphony. What you get is still unmistakably Lynch, but with a twist. The instrumentation leaves you unsure if this is intended as 'popular' or 'serious' music - but I suspect that Lynch wanted exactly that conflict so that the listener must fashion his own responses.

Or not, as the case may be. The album title, of course, is a giveaway. We are being invited to listen without the intervention of our heads. A challenge under any circumstances, and Lynch has no intention of helping us by presenting music with uncomplicated content. But whether you think or just react, there is something here which makes this album special.

Not everything here will please any particular listener. I found Ivory to be one of the best compositions Lynch has ever created. Yet on the same album is Mesquite which, to me, is a uncomfortable parody of Southwestern styling. In between lies everything both sincere and pompous. And yet, if you listen carefully, you will here little turns and phrases obviously intended to bind everything together as a whole.

An interesting album, that makes no excuses for itself. Perhaps, going headless is a good idea.

In 1993, while many notable contemporary and electronic music acts like Tangerine Dream seemed to be musically lost in a maze of high-tech digital synthesizers, pumping out commercial beat-oriented tunes. Ray Lynch released NOTHING ABOVE MY SHOULDERS and I purchased it; anxious to hear what direction his music had taken. Expecting more DEEP BREAKFAST and NO BLUE THING sonic pleasures, I was miffed over the lack of three-minute tunes, replaced instead by longer pieces, some almost classical. After several listens I began to appreciate this CD. As with most great music, (IMHO) beauty and meaning is not always immediately apparent, (a.k.a., Mike Oldfield's Hergest Ridge, one of my favorites of all time.) Rich with traditional instruments, including delicate piano, airy flutes and acoustic guitars, Nothing Above My Shoulders presents a collection of Ray's most introspective work (IMHO). OVER EASY begins the CD with a laid-back sounding tapestry of guitars, crisp and biting yet smooth and effortless. HER KNEES DEEP brings us classic Lynch song-writing with its heavenly chord progressions. The beautiful melody builds into a powerful climax, full of wonder and awe. Listen to this while watching a sunrise or sunset and you'll know exactly what I mean. PASSION SONG takes me back in time as I picture Mozart playing his harpsichord. Sonorous violins, and oboe (I think) and piano begin interacting, gently and melodically just before RL's unmistakable musical climax arrives in a rich three-dimensional soundstage. IVORY graces the ears with another delicate but heart-felt piano/flute masterpiece that is deeply contemplative. MESQUITE is a delightful surprise, playful and romantic. Again, RL let's his listener share in the evolution of the song as it builds and then subsides. ONLY AN ENJOYMENT offered me what I had hoped to find on this CD - more of the unique Ray Lynch sound I've admired and enjoyed from his previous albums. There is no sense of hurry as he explores and defines this thoughtful composition; sort of a symphony in a little over seven minutes. I like that, Ray having the confidence to convey in his music what is natural for him, and letting us intimately share in his thoughts and emotions along the way. THE VANISHED GARDENS ends this great album - Wow! In my opinion this is the ultimate RL masterpiece. The music soars, wondrously, with beautiful harps and angelic strings. He reiterates the melody, each time defining it with added emotion and each time, taking the climax to a higher emotional level. As with Ray's previous albums, NAMSBTE is a masterful recording - crisp, clear, and full of atmosphere. Every instrument is meticulously focused in the soundstage. I have no doubt this is Ray's finest accomplishment to date, and I admire him for having created yet more heart-felt music rather than becoming commercialized like other bands of the period. If the "masters," Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin, i.e., were alive today, they would be composing music like this. NAMSBTE is an album you'll savor again and again, much like the rest of Ray's music. HH

This is my favorite Ray Lynch CD of all time! Instead of using synthesizers like he did with his previous albums, Ray Lynch uses classical instruments for his compositions, which makes for some very breath taking music. While Ray Lynch's music has always been very visual for me, the use of the classical instruments adds an element of refinement and grace that is not as evident on his other albums. I absolutely love this CD and wish Ray had put out more like this one!

Complex patterns and harmonies. Humor. Drama. And much much more in this music. Listening is like eating a Cordon Bleu meal. Feast your ears on this one. Talk about satisfaction. Yum!

Relative to non-Ray Lynch music, this CD defintly earned a 5 (which is why I gave it one.) However, if you have not already, I would buy Deep Breakfast or No Blue Thing before this one. For some reason I just like them better. Overall though it is a great CD. Ray Lynch is a great musician and I own all his CDs (expect volume 1, since I already have most of the tracks.)

This album has the unique capabiliy to transport the listener to another time and space. The virtual melodic harmonies merge into one long heart-throbbing, soul-searing blend. The mind wants to cry out with the beauty of this music. There is a mathematical precision to this work that creates a oneness with the universe..

An outstanding piece of music. During certain passages of "Her Knees Deep In Your Mind" and "The Vanished Gardens of Cordoba", when the woodwinds and strings converge on one sustained, unwavering note, to then shift into its minor key... the music seems to almost lift you off the ground. There are many subtleties in these songs, which are crafted very delicately; with counterpoint, codettas, and many classical elements. What a wonderful composer Ray Lynch is!

Nothing Above my Shoulders' is generally an album of moods, from the upbeat `Over Easy' to the slightly mournful but reflective `The Vanished Gardens of Cordoba'. A beautifully composed album easily suited for those quiet moments of introspection. "Her Knees Deep in your Mind' with its subtle melancholy harmonies sinks deep in your heart as well. And in `Mesquite', Mr. Lynch provides us with an additional boost to our senses. You can almost smell the aroma of sage in the air, and coffee boiling on a campfire as you listen. A restful album to enjoy free from distractions, well worth adding to your collection.

This is one of my favorite Ray Lynch albums. I'm a photographer, and I love to put on instrumental music while I'm working on my images. Lynch's music is such a natural for this purpose. His work soars, and is full of lush, vibrant orchestrations that support each individual piece.

My all-time favorite of his compositions is on this album ~ The Vanished Gardens of Cordoba. The first part of this piece seems to ache with loneliness - the strings and woodwinds tug at the heart - creating the indelible, melancholy impression of someone standing out in the cold, their nose pressed against the window of a bakery, longing - aching - to be inside, warm and full. The 'middle section' of the song brings to mind a crystalline starry night - deep blacks and twinkling lights that soothe and calm. The final section eventually gives way to a crescendoed dawn - the triumphant trumpets that herald the new day make the heart soar- warmth and hope return with the light of the sun of a new day... and you can SEE this, in your mind, while you listen to this evocative work. I have cried while listening to this piece.

Ray Lynch is one of the few composer/artists who can make me laugh and make me cry - all on the same album. Long may his work survive and flourish.

For some reason, this CD of Ray Lynch's really touches my soul and my spirit. I have a craving, a deeply-felt longing for it after some time of not listening to it. There is a quality to his music that words cannot seem to describe: meditative? beautiful? spiritual? sentimental? heavenly? Divinely inspired? All seem to be true, and yet all of these words somehow seem hollow or lacking when describing his music.

I first really fell in love with this CD when I was going through a loving yet painful relationship. Tears would flow uncontrollably and I would cry loudly for no reason when I was listening to this music. It seems that the music was saying to me that even though there is pain, there is suffering in life, there still is love, meaning, and beauty in it. We just have to accept it.