Parallel Dreams

Loreena McKennitt | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 20, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Quinlan Road
• ASIN: B000000LXF
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,430 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Samain Night

2. Moon Cradle

3. Huron "Beltane" Fire Dance

4. Annachie Gordon

5. Standing Stones

6. Dickens' Dublin (The Palace)

7. Breaking the Silence

8. Ancient Pines

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Parallel Dreams captures harpist/vocalist Loreena McKennitt at her absolute finest. Fully immersed in the Celtic style, this London, Ontario, performer's voice is lush and layered in warm harmonies, soaring overtop equally beautiful instrumentation. Flowing between traditional ("Annachie Gordon") and original ("Dickens' Dublin") fare, McKennitt slows down time and relaxes furrowed brows on this disc by staying true to her red-headed roots. Subsequent discs tend to experiment more with tangos and uptempo melodies; Parallel Dreams, however, is one long, luscious lullaby. --Denise Sheppard

Product Description

UK 2010 remastered pressing. Seemingly from another world (but really just from Canada) harpist/songwriter Loreena McKennitt possesses a multi-octave singing voice that lights up her celestial, Celtic-derived compositions. She often matches classic British poetry with original music that mines neoclassical terrain mixed with Elizabethan folk, Middle Eastern styles, and other ethnic influences. She has been releasing albums of her unique music since the mid-1980s to a devoted following, and she'd remained an independent artist until the late '90s, when she signed a distribution deal with Warner Brothers. McKennit continued to record and tour selectively on her own schedule into the 2000s. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Smashing Mystical Experience From Ms. Mckennitt, November 8, 2000

By 

Barron Laycock "Labradorman" (Temple, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Parallel Dreams (Audio CD)

First, by way of a disclaimer, I would like to be able to claim that I have in fact been a fan of Loreena McKennitt right from the beginning of her long and illustrious career, but alas! The sad truth is that I only discovered her a few short years ago thanks to a friend who had her "The Visit" CD playing in his SUV when he picked me up for lunch. Needless to say, I was blown away by what I heard as we tooled down the snowy streets of Cambridge past the ivied halls of Harvard on our way to a local spaghetti place. Having already become a confirmed fan of Celtic music with Irish artists like Van Morrison and Clannad, I quickly bought all of her CDs, and as a result have come to admire her work a great deal. Needless to say, this particular album, "Parallel Dreams", is a personal favorite.

Her voice is hard to describe, other than to say it has a haunting, ethereal quality that is the perfect vehicle for her wide-ranging compositions and arrangements. It is hard to classify her work, because it does encompass quite arrange of different genres. It is safe to say that she draws from an amazingly rich store of different kinds of traditional music, and seems to breathe her won unifying force in delivering them in a manner that is at once both traditional and innovative. Thus, from the opening strains of "Samain Night" through the mystical treatment of "Standing Stones" to the ending sounds of "Ancient Pines", the work seems to thread itself together seamlessly, even though the sources for the individual songs is often quite different. The only way to properly appreciate her wondrous abilities is to experience them. Otherwise, I feel like the guy trying to convince his lady friend to take her first roller-coaster ride. You have to explode down all the way from the top of the edifice to understand the rush. So it is with our lady Loreena. Buy it and get ready for the rush!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I have never heard a c.d. better than this., August 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Parallel Dreams (Audio CD)

While aimlessly wandering through the c.d. store, I suddenly found myself standing awkwardly in front of the "New Age" section. "This is new territory," I whispered to no one in particular, since the store was mysteriously empty on a Saturday afternoon. "Why not?" I asked myself... I had the money to make such an impulse buy. I needn't feel guilty. I glanced over the selections available, the words "Parallel Dreams" catching my eye. This is the c.d. I had to purchase!!! Having no idea what I was getting in to, I grabbed the plastic case and glided to the register. "Will this be all?" I heard through a new bewildering fog of excitement. "Yes, thank you," I replied quietly. The beginning of a new me. Returning home to my protected shelter, I popped the disk into my stereo, cranked the volume to a level unusually high for my standards, and sat back in my most comfortable chair to listen to result of my adventure in the music store. What beautiful, elegant melodies I heard!!! Unlike anything... It felt almost sinful this enchanting lullaby of sweet chords and discords! I felt a new sense of freedom and individuality springing from the inner depths of my body. After listening to this album, I have to say that Loreena McKennit is a master of the New Age music. Her intricate pieces represent a quality unlike any other. Intriguing and tempting, I would suggest this c.d., "Parallel Dreams," to anyone even vaguely interested in New Age music.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, but not her best..., September 24, 2000

By 

The English Chap (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Parallel Dreams (Audio CD)

Parallel Dreams is one of Loreena Mckennitt's first albums, and with her, she seems to get beter with each album. The Book of Secrets (in my opinion) is her very best. So in essence, Parallel Dreams is not her best...but it is great! For die hard Loreena fans, this is a must have!! I do not think that any song in this album lack quality or is BAD, but compared to her more recent songs, it's not the best. But this CD will enchant. The first song is simply haunting, and it describes love. The Fire Dance, is so enthralling that you just just cannot help but want to go out and dance around a bonfire! The two love songs in this CD are rather sad (so brace yourself..:-), for each of the lovers dies. Annarchie Gordon is a lovely song (though it may be redundent and drawn out). Standing Stones is incredible, and is one of my favourite songs by Loreena Mckennitt! The first time I read it while she was singing, I cried. Each time I hear I am moved within. Simply beautiful...but very sad. The rest of the Album is really nice, and it ends with a beautiful haunting song...Ancient Pines. I highly suggest that all Loreena McKennitt fans get this!