Customer Reviews

Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya

5 star:		(279)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Here is a CD that will reach a wide audience - those who like soundtrack music, those who like classical style, those who enjoy what is known as 'new age' music, and the list goes on.

This is definitely the best of Enya and if you are not acquainted with Enya, this is probably the CD where you would want to start. The music is versatile, from the staccato sounds of Orinoco Flow to the smooth and flowing sounds of China Roses. In places the music is simple, in others intricate, but always enjoyable and pleasant to hear.

This CD is 16 songs from various other works. Some have made it into films other have been a hit with radio air play, but all are well performed, emotional, heartfelt and enjoyable to hear. The CD also has songs which have a Celtic feel (a style where Enya gained her start in music with her family). So, sample to songs above and hear why Enya has become so popular in the last decade. Her music is well worth the investment.

"Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya" deserves accolades. Before Enya, New Age music was only jazzy, beige elevator music. Kenny G wasn't cutting it for many of us.

This is a best-of CD, and a great place for anyone new to the genre. In mentioning that this is New Age mislabels her style, but it is by no means rock, folk or even easy listening.

You know "Orinoco Flow." That's her big hit, but my favorite it the smoothly pulsing "Anywhere Is."

To enjoy this Enya CD, you've got to like her distinct style. Unlike the interchangeability of pop radio musicians, she sings with a voice of her own. Only Enya can sing Enya songs. I wondered if I could listen to an entire Enya CD, afraid her consistency of style would grate on me. The opposite occured, and the risk became my joy.

Like Vangelis' "Chariots of Fire," pointed the listener to consider God, Enya asks us to consider love and to enjoy the natural beauty.

It is complex, with highly produced layers. The rhythms are balanced by melodies, undertones, and subtle notes. Adjust the levels on your stereo to extract all of the music. Turn up the volume, closed the shades, and soak in the rich, full impact of the grace of Enya.

I fully recommend "Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya." This is a CD worth buying and worth listening to.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

I'm telling you, this CD is just SO GOOD! Enya is a wonderful new-age musician in my books. The best thing about this album is the fact that it comprises all of her best tracks from her previous albums, plus new singles like "Only If..." and "Paint the Sky wth Stars" which show that she is no less a great instrumentalist and vocalist as she was before. There are many likeable points about this CD, especially because it really gives you the mood of experiencing a musical journey as you go through different atmospheres with each single. It's truly magical: From sailing on the Orinoco and the blue Caribbean, you enter a Book of Days where Anywhere Is anything you want it to be, and where your consideration of "Only If..." speaks of opportunities you'd never come across in common life. Then you take a trip in history to recap the melodious beauties of the Celts, who rest by the lullaby of beautiful China Roses and as they stare at Shepherd Moons. Next, your journey takes a tribal turn and follows the power of Ebudae, where you get to hear the scary yet charming tunes of the Storms in Africa. Your journey then calms down and rests in peaceful Watermark, where the swipes of music's magical brush Paint the Sky with Stars. And as you take your last steps through the polished walls of Marble Halls, you finally get to be On Your Way Home, where you bear in mind The Memory of Trees. At the end of your listening adventure, you recall the reign of Baodicea, the Celtic King, before your journey through this powerful album comes to a solemn end. Listen to this album, it's really WONDERFUL! Even if it's your first time on new-age music, this CD will definitely make you much more versatile to the various genres of this inspirational form of music. Hope you enjoy this marvellous journey! Bon voyage!

After years of listening to Enya's music on the radio and loving it, constantly tuning stations to see if it was being played, I decided to get of my backside and buy a CD. This Best-Of compilation seemed the most obvious CD to buy first and I can say it was worth every penny.

Some of the most disitinctive songs: The opening track is unique in every way, still captivating 12 years after it's release. Though Orinoco Flow is easily her most famous song, it's probably not her best, Carribean Blue first seems a bit slow coming right after the opener, but you soon realise it is the most well planned, most perfectly crafted track on the album. Anywhere Is and Only If were played a lot on the radio and both are very up-tempo and jumpy. China Roses is beautifully soft and gentle, Storms in Africa conjures up pictures of African plains and wildlife, just what it's meant to.

Inevitably a Best-Of album is never going to have the same flow has an album of new material, but Enya and producer Nicky Ryan always keep the sound and vibe connected throughout, the opeining tracks are the most up-beat, while the sound slowly winds down towards the end, but never bores. The end effect is something that captivates your ears and stays there after the music stops.

A must have from perhaps the most distinctive artist of modern times.

"Paint The Sky With Stars" (Greatest Hits Collection) was my first Enya album. I had only heard the songs, "Orinoco Flow" and "Book Of Days" over the years and I decided to give Enya a try. I played the CD while studying and I became mesmerized by her unique, etheral style of her instrumentation and vocal techniques. The album became one of the few albums that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved every single song on the album. Afterwards, I bought Enya's other albums. Once again I was taken away by her music. There were some songs on the albums that were of a different style than the tracks on "Paint The Sky With Stars," such as peaceful, flowing instrumentals and songs sung in Gaelic, Latin and Spanish.

Give the album a try. I strongly recommend the music of Enya. The music and vocals are both beautiful and inspiring. The album is a great mood album, perfect for relaxation.

Keep in mind though that the songs on this album are usually upbeat (not drumbeats, just the instruments which comprise of strings, piano, synth/keyboards!!). If you are going for a more peaceful album, I recommend her album, "The Memory Of Trees."

For many years, I had no intersest in music. I am a teenager, but I was not satisfied or interested in the pop/rock music my friends and classmates listened to. Then, on the television I saw two commercials, both of which had the most wonderful music. One night, I was about to go to sleep, until I heard the beautiful music I had heard on television. I walked downstairs and saw my father listening to the music. "What music is this?" I asked. "It is by Enya," he said, "a singer from Ireland". One day, I was lieing down and sick, but I asked my father if I could listen to Enya. This is what I heard:

Orinoco Flow- "Sail away, sail away, sail away", oh, how she enchanted the phrase! Her voice powerfully said, "We can sail, we can sail." The rythm flies up and up, floats in the heavens as she says, "Turn it up, turn it up, up adieu." Then it swoops down as she declares, "Sail away, sail away, sail away"!

Caribbean Blue- Oh, how I loved her accent! The divine intonation of Latin words and the enchanting beat easilly makes it one of the most beautiful songs in the world. When I first heard this song, I wondered for weeks, "Who is the singer that sings so gracefully and creates such exquisite sounds?" How excited I was to find her! I am still enchanted.

Book of Days- One of my all time favorites of Enya, the song makes you picture oceans far away and dreams coming true. You fly far away on a long journey, across the magic sea, until you find your dream, your day. Like all of her songs, it was perfectly arranged with sounds of strings, piano, and clapping percussion.

Anywhere is- This song easily brought smiles to my face. You picture yourself wandering around the maze of time, from one direction to the other, you think you've found your way and the music stops, but then the music begins and you must continue on your way.

Only if....- Another delight that brings hopes and smiles. Enya's lovely voice tells you that if you really want to, you can fly and find your dreams, and find the way. When trouble comes, don't feel lost and failed. Have hope and dream, and you will fly away.

The Celts- I could tell that this song was song in Irish Gaelic. I was amazed by the way she expressed the strength and greatness of her Celtic ancestors with a powerful beat and brave Irish voce.

China Roses- Roma Ryan knows Enya's music and Enya knows Roma's words. Together the music and words express the wonders of life and paradise, along with questions. Her voice is usually layered, but her solo voice is breathtaking. The poetic lyrics and ethereal music remind us that in heaven, we do not need desires because we have the greatest paradise.

Shepherd Moons- I was pleased to learn that Enya plays the piano. The chords play at a light and steady rythm, going up and up. You picture water flowing in the night, with reflections of the moon and stars.

Ebudae- Based on waulking songs from the Hebrides, this song has a strong beat and very expresive in words and intonation. You dance as you walk around from island to island. Women work and beat, but the meaningless words express fun with work.

Storms In Africa- Another one of my greatest favorites. The storm rises, the storm comes, but you sing and dance as the rain falls. The animals and people run to shelter and the wind blows agaisnt the grass. Then, the thunder roars! It clashes and clashes, but don't worry. Just walk through the storms.

Watermark- Serious, classical, calm, and enchanting, this song pictures water flowing down streams and paintings with hidden images.

Paint The Sky With Stars- With gorgeous lyrics and charming harmony, Enya depicts a beautiful world full of bright flowers and stars everywhere. You wonder and you dream, and in the end, you watch the giver and dreamaker paint the sky with stars.

Marble Halls- How wonderfully Enya sang the words. I have everything, I've been given everything, but you love me. It does not matter what I have, but all that matters is that you love me, and I love you.

On My Way Home- Oooooooh! You walk around in the beautiful dark night, in silence, tension, and excitement. You are on your way to great paradise and you sing with joy at the wonders around you.

The Memory of Trees- Easily one of her best. You picture nothing, but then the trees start to appear. You gasp. You run throughout the forest as you listen to the trees whispering. "Beo...beo...." the Gaelic word for 'alive'. There is life all around you and after running through the forest, you find the great grand holy tree you desired.

Boadicea- Austere and without words, the music and voice express the feelings. Be bold and be brave. Fate will not end you forever.

Thank you, Enya! for the wonderful ethereal enchanting journey you brought me on. These are only my own interpretations and feelings, but all of you people on amazon, will definately find your own dreams in this quintessential, ethereal, and enchanting journey.

All of Enya's greatest hits as of 1997 are there, the most popular and rhythmical at the beginning, and the slightly lesser-known and more soothing towards the end of this wonderful album, which is a great gift for music lovers unfamiliar with Enya, as well as for those who might have heard only songs like "Only Time" or "Amarantine", and would like to get to know her earlier music. If you are new to the world of Enya, you will like her peaceful style, rich with voice harmonies sung by herself alone, ethereal melodies, and an accompaniment consisting of synthesized textures together with string orchestra.
One final recommendation: If you like Enya's music, you will love Arye Geiman, a very romantic composer, whose music really awakens your imagination.
You can listen to it at the "CDbaby com" website.

While fans eagerly await the follow-up to 1995's The Memory of Trees, this best-of collection offers one of only two opportunities to hear any new Enya songs. [The other is to buy the "Oiche Chiun (Silent Night)" maxi-single.]

Of the two new songs, "Only If..." is an uptempo number, while "Paint the Sky with Stars" is a somber tune featuring Enya's spiritual, trancelike vocal stylings. Both songs fit in perfectly with Enya's oeuvre, which includes the four albums the rest of this collection draws from.

Most reviewers are quick to point out that Enya joined her siblings in the Celtic band Clannad. However, it should be noted that she performed with the band (playing keyboards) fewer than three years and appeared only on their 1982 album Fuaim.

Nothing on that record would foreshadow Enya's worldwide success when she released her Reprise debut Watermark, which would sell four million copies. [The single "Orinoco Flow," though a minor hit in the U.S., would reach No. 1 in the U.K.] While Clannad was firmly rooted in the Celtic tradition, Enya used it merely as a springboard for her piano and synthesizer orchestrations and haunting vocal style which she uses as an additional instrument. Enya writes and performs all of her own music, utilizing Roma Ryan for lyrics (when not using traditional writings).

Enya alternates between lush instrumentals and vocals, sometimes singing in English, other times in Gaelic; but always in her characteristic ethereal style.

My favorite track is "Ebudae" from Shepherd Moons. My only complaint is that it is also the shortest track on the album--less than two minutes. The entire collection makes for fascinating listening. If it leaves you wanting more (and it should!), go back and pick up Watermark and then work your way forward.

The first time I heard a song by Enya, another person in my dorm was playing it loudly on her stereo. Normally I would get annoyed by this, but the song (I think it was "The Memory of Trees") was so beautiful that instead I tracked the girl down to find out who the artist was. I got the albums "Watermark", "The Celts", "The Memory of Trees", and "Shepherd Moons" for Christmas a few months later and instantly fell in love with all of them. Enya's work evokes a variety of strong emotions: joy, excitement, inspiration, sadness, and, in a couple of songs, even fear. It's very refreshing music to listen to after a stressful day or during a lunch break. The songs "Marble Halls", "The Memory of Trees", and "How Can I Keep From Singing" I know by heart because I've listened to them so often. In regards to Enya's new album, "Paint the Sky With Stars", I would rather buy an album with ! mostly new songs and a couple of the more popular old songs rather than get only two new songs and a bunch that I already have. However, I do think that anyone who has never heard Enya's music before should get this album first, because after hearing it, they will no doubt want to get the other four.

The only reason why I gave this album 4.5 stars and not five is that with Enya it is unimaginable (at the moment) to see her make a radical leap to other musical fields; i.e. her genre has its limits -- but oh, what wonderful world there is within these 'limits.'

I still do not now for sure why the genre is called "New Age", as New Age predominantly has to do with eastern religion (at least as far as I know); nevermind, Enya's music is among the most instantly recognisable and unique in the world. Mellow, with Celtic base and great for relaxation listening (maybe there's a hint at various 'new age' recordings).

In what she does, she is perfect, so perfect that she may have already reached her peak -- if so, the peak is in full bloom on this compilation, spanning her greatest hits from 1989's "Watermark" to 1997's new songs, "Only If" and "Paint the Sky with Stars".

From "Watermark", we have here her breakthrough, "Orinoco Flow", the title track, and the otherworldly euphoric "Storms in Africa", a beautiful composition with thunder-like drums and African chants, adding an authentic world music feel.

"Shepherd Moons" from 1991, contributed the delicate title tune, the hit "Caribbean Blue", and "Ebudae" sung in Gaelic; "Marble Halls" could well serve as a soundtrack to movies based on Bronte sisters' literary works, it's British in the most positive sense of the word, with the singer's pristing voice up in front. "Book of Days" was popularised by its fitting use in Cruise-Kidman starring epic 1992 flick "Far and Away".

From "The Memory of Trees" (1995) my personal favourite is "China Roses" with its breathtakingly beautiful melody. The hit single "Anywhere Is" is haunting -- as are many of Enya's songs. "On My Way Home" contains a motive from "Orinoco Flow" and the title track is another typically delicate composition, yet with rich instrumentation. However, it does not mean a large orchestra (what meets the ear may not be what it seems) -- look at Bjork, she is similarly accomplished in what she does and to her, computers are also of great help.

The album also contains "The Celts" and "Boadicea" (from the tv soundtrack "The Celts"), also the tracks which belong to the best Enya has released.

After September 11, the songstress got huge also in the US, thanks to her soothing recent album "A Day Without Rain" and the hit "Only Time". And since her music is very suitable for "The Lord of the Rings" series, her global appeal is sure to remain for quite a while. Despite this, though, one thing is certain: it is "Paint the Sky with Stars" that is Enya's cream.

If you are an open listener, this album should not be missed.