Customer Reviews

Out Beyond Ideas

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

 

 

This is a beautiful CD on many levels. Lacking the religous imperialism common to western spiritual music, and free of the nerve racking sound of eastern spiritual music, "Out Beyond Ideas" is able to present mystical poetry in a very musical and accessible way. You can learn all the words and sing along as you drive down the highway. Very uplifting. Call it the "Abbey Road" of spiritual music.

My only complaint has to do with the mixing. At times (not always) Mr. Wilcox's voice is mixed at the same tone and volume as the music, the result is a muddying of the vocals. This only happens here and there, for the most part, the sound is good, but it could've been a little better. Take half a star off for that and you have a solid 4.5 star CD.

Hopefully we'll see more CD's of this pop folk meets Rumi type, if they keep making them, I'll keep buying 'em!

Highly recommended.

This CD is billed as part of the "songs for peace project." The lyrics of all songs come from mystic poetry representing various belief-systems from around the world---though heavily from the Middle East. The music, which was "worked out" by the male (David) and female (Nance) vocalists, can well be described as soulful, beautiful vocal duets, with non-obtrusive instrumental accompaniment. I found the songs to promote a feeling of meditative serenity---a very fitting mood in which to contemplate the thought-provoking, and often inspiring, lyrics.

I saw David in concert a couple of month's ago, and was hooked.
I love his songs, voice, guitar, timing and the emotion he can put into his voice. I am neither personally religious or spiritual, but I can appreciate music that is, and I thought that David's style would meld beautifully with the songs. Unfortunately this album is more of a vehicle for David's wifes' voice than his, and so I was sorely disappointed. David is very much the background singer. Nancy's voice is O.K. but not anything special and not what I wanted to listen too. Very disappointing CD.
So, if you want to hear David Wilcox sing, pick a different CD.

While this is not a standard David Wilcox album, it expands the palette of music and experience he has shared with us. Right now I am trying to go through a time staring at my ceiling hoping and praying that my back problem will heal. I pulled this album up on my iPod and was given a gift of peace in the midst of the loss of control of a sickness. If you are looking for a quiet place of peace in this world, you should purchase this music.

I cannot get some of these songs out of my head, ever, and that was the point of the project -- In concert, David Wilcox explained that he and his wife wanted to put these incredible ancient mystic texts to music so that he could remember them and by continually remembering, then comprehend. They are now unforgettable, ever-helpful songs to meditate on life, God, peace, awakening, meditation itself.....

Having seen David, Nance, and their spoken-word artist friend perform these songs at Fuller Seminary before listening to the CD was amazingly helpful in understanding this project. David was positively ecstatic when sharing these gems with a small audience there: stoked that this audience really understood the purpose of these songs, and ecstatic in contemplating again these mystical truths about God and love. And in learning from the artists the obscure places the texts emerge from fed my appreciation for the unique, simple settings of the texts.

Even so, I had to listen several times to start to love this CD -- I strongly suggest you do so as well. My favorite is the reflection on the power of loneliness, if not surrendered too quickly, to make our need for love and for God "absolutely clear".....second favorite is the tantalizing concept of getting "out beyond ideas" to a place we can all meet, so beyond ideas and language that "even the phrase 'each other' doesn't make any sense".....! third favorite relates the possibility of spiritual enlightenment through the most mundane of work tasks, e.g., "slicing potatoes". The perfect clarity of these simple songs outstrips just about any other album I own such that I can quote easily and freely with no need to re-check the printed lyrics or the recording.

While I agree with other reviews about finding it hard to hear David's amazing voice in this mix, that is really not the point of this not-for-profit project -- read what the artists say about "Out Beyond Ideas" and it will make immediate sense why he recedes here. The result is an amazing gift of spiritual invitation which, after watching the joy he had in sharing these songs, is clearly his deepest desire.

I have every David Wilcox CD, and this is the only disappointment out of all of them, besides a few songs on "underneath". This isn't really my thing. I listened to it once, and that was it.