Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Songs Like a Healing Breeze, May 15, 2002
By A Customer
To find music like this is a revelation. I don't ordinarily listen to "Christian contemporary" music and can't tell you why I wandered down that aisle of the store, or why this CD caught my eye. But what I found blew me away! The music is awesome -- similar maybe to Clannad and Capercaillie in their more pop-oriented incarnations, but with a heavier prog-rock side as well. And the lyrics -- I've heard nothing like them. Deeply Christian, but not at all in the shallow, sloganeering, sophomoric way that's typical of music that shares the bins where I found this. Deeply Christian, and so beautiful, so positive, so uplifting, so worshipful, so reverent, so filled with love for God and gratitude for the goodness of His creation and His people... It's music that will make your hair stand on end and put tears in your eyes. What grace to find something so precious -- yes, in this cynical, faithless world, where unbelievers and facile fundamentalists spar, there are still Christian arists whose faith just makes the beauty of truth flow out of their hearts! Iona, I love you -- thank you!
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Album Slightly Lower in Quality Than Their Others, May 5, 2001
Iona is a band that demands attention and concentration. Sure, their striking mixture of Celtic melodies, progressive rock, and (in older releases) jazz sometimes produces serene pieces that serve as soothing, calming background music (as in Open Sky's denouement, "Friendship's Door"). But if you only let Iona play in the background you'll miss the richness and careful craft evidenced in each of their albums. Each of Iona's studio albums (Iona, The Book of Kells, Beyond These Shores, Journey Into the Morn, and now Open Sky) deals with a different theme relating to Celtic Christian history. This time around, the band draws its inspiration from Columba's mystical experience with God on the isle of Hinba:"This is where you prayed and Heaven's light shone down/This is where you sang the angel song ... Here you came to make your fast/Prayed for mercy, 'til at last/You heard the word you waited for" (from "Hinba"). A liner note on the inside of the CD jacket provides the listener with additional information on this event. Listening to and reflecting on Iona's albums can be an educational experience! But Iona is never satisfied to write just one song about such an event. Whatever they choose as the theme of their album becomes the inspiration for several tracks or even the entire album, with a mixture of songs both directly related to the subject matter and ones that indirectly draw contemporary applications from it. "Hinba," not surprisingly to long-time Iona listeners, is followed by the 3-part "Songs of Ascent," a musical exploration of Columba's prayers and, by extension, any prayers that draw us closer to God. And just as fervent prayers strengthened Columba's faith in the 6th century, we live in a world where people ("Friendship's Door"), moonlight ("Light Reflected"), and all of creation ("Wave After Wave," "A Million Stars") point us to God and renew our faith. Through this faith, we long for the Heaven (the title track, "Castlerigg") from which Columba received healing. The songs themselves point out another one of Iona's great strengths: Joanne Hogg's mystical, poetic lyrics. "An emptiness for You to fill/My soul a cavern for Your sea" she writes at the climax of "Songs of Ascent Part One," and these lines neatly sum up her outlook on life as evidenced in almost all of Iona's lyrical pieces. She knows all too well her (and our) need to respond to and be filled by God. On this album, that frequently means recognizing His goodness: "I feel the depth of your love and devotion/My heart like the bird that dives into this ocean blue" ("Wave After Wave"). On Open Sky, as always, such thoughts are communicated through Ms. Hogg's beautiful, ethereal, and often breathtaking vocals. She is backed by impeccable musicianship from Troy Donockley, Frank Van Essen, Phil Barker, and, particularly, band leader Dave Bainbridge. Any Iona album introduces you to a wide variety of sounds and moods, and you never know what to expect from one moment to the next. Iona mixes songs with instrumental pieces, and Open Sky contains quite a few of the latter. This is an excellent, outstanding album that suffers only in comparison with the band's previous albums. The theme of this album is not arranged as intricately as in previous ones, and Ms. Hogg evidently fought writer's block through a good portion of the creation process. Also, after a long sabbatical that saw some personnel changes, it seems on this album that Iona is just getting warmed up again. Still, a lesser Iona album is head and shoulders above just about any other out there. Don't hesitate to run out and buy this one!
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Their best album yet!, May 4, 2001
This album, like all of Iona's work, is indescribably beautiful. On this release they refine every element of their sound, bring Joanne Hogg's haunting vocals to the forefront, and continue the simply unbelievable solo work. Iona's musicianship is probably the best there is -- I can think of no other group that can match them in that respect. They merge myriad styles in their music, most notably celtic, rock, progressive, new age, & of course the Christian faith that inspires it all. Contemplative, intelligent lyrics, soaring synth, guitar, and vocals, and the overwhelming feeling that you are listening to music that has been sent straight from heaven. People of any faith (or none at all) can enjoy this album equally, because the focus is on the beauty of the music, not converting or reaching out to people (though if you want it to, it is very capable of doing just that).Here's a quick rundown of the tracks: "Woven Cord" is a studio version of the title track from their live album of the same name. It's an instrumental, and a great opening point for the album. "Wave After Wave" has a beautiful melody, great lyrics, and several impressive solos, especially the tin whistle. The rythmic chorus in "Open Sky" will stay in your mind long after the CD stops spinning. "Castlerigg" is by far my favorite track on the CD, opening slowly, then going into a chant/bagpipe sequence. Next a soft acoustic guitar and violin melody plays in the background as Joanne whispers. As the section picks up the bagpipes return in an unbelievably fast jig to close out the song. The instrumental "A Million Stars" deftly conveys the feeling of floating out in space and seeing the wonders of the universe around you. A violin melody repeats throughout as synth's build and then release the song. Simply breathtaking. "Light Reflected" is possibly the most progressive sounding song on the album. A great chorus. "Hinba" is a song of an Irish saint's traveling by sea to an island called Hinba. Yet another wonderful melody, and something of a folk type feeling in some sections. The Songs Of Ascent should all be taken as one track, totaling over 22 minutes. This is Iona's most ambitious piece yet, and they somehow manage to pull it off surprisingly well (as always). A mix of synth, orchestra, distant drum beats, irish instrumentals, piano, and some of the best melodies on the CD, all melded together seamlessly. "Friendship's Door" is a fitting close to the CD, and it ends with sections of the CDs other tracks phasing in and out, as if heard while changing radio stations. It leaves you with a great sense of closure. All in all, this is an exceptional album, and should not be overlooked by anyone who is even remotely interested in music. Iona is (believe it or not) even better live, so if you have a chance to see them, -do so-! In the meantime, buy this CD! I'd love to hear other Iona fans thoughts on this album, so drop me a line!
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