Customer Reviews

Parallel Dreams

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This early work of original compositions and traditional songs with accompaniment by Celtic harp is truly beautiful and a must have for all lovers of Loreena's music. Her original songs are so haunting and atmospheric they take you away to a moonlight place. This is every bit as good as her later work, if not better.

By far, this is the best CD Loreena McKennitt has done. Her voice and music takes you to another world. Beautifully written and sung so very well. I cannot go a day without listening to this CD at least once a day! It is a "must have."

This is her best album.(The Visit too) Every songs are well recorded.
Smooth and spirit. I can listen to this album night and day.
Get one and you'll be happy.

"I'll be a moonsbreath beside your side" from Samain Night.

"The moon-cradle's rocking and rocking" from Moon Cradle.

"Fire Dance" doesn't sound Native American, but it sounds so great, especially the background drum.

"Annachie Gordon" is the song of a broken heart, not because of actions of the lovers, but actions of the parents.

"Standing Stone" has a great instrumental introduction and an interesting story of another pair of lovers separated.

"Maybe I can find a place I can call my home,
"Maybe I can find a home I can call my own" from "Dicken's Dublin (The Palace)" So sad.

"May the spirit never die" from "Breaking the Silence"

"Ancient Pines" sounds like pine trees groaning in the wind, not whispering in the breeze as I like to hear them. Haunting.

This is one great CD. I rarely like soprano voices, but Loreena's is an exception.

I have most of Lady McKennitt's work, but this one holds a special place for me, in that she captures the spirit of the Celts.

The infectious and mysterious "Beltane Fire Dance" and the soaring "Standing Stones" grab the attention. "Samhain Night" is dark and mysterious, "Annachie Gordan" a poignant Romeo and Juliette love story...

The ones that tug at my heart the most are "Moon Cradle", a soothing but melancholy lullaby, and Loreena's vocals on "Ancient Pines"; "the earth's yearning for release from oppression under the human hand" is just the right sentiment.

On "Ancient Pines", I see great forests and great sweeps of land, and Loreena's vocalizing (it sometimes sounds like "no, no, no...!") sounds like the mournful sobbing and wailing of the bean-sidhe (banshee) (and and lore says that if more than one banshee was heard crying at once, it warned that death was near for someone of great importance... Mother Earth, perhaps?)

And Loreena's refined, warbling voice (all the while raw with emotion) is the highlight. I highly recommend this if you want something peaceful (or a good cry).

I enjoy Loreena McKennitt so much that after hearing her first CD, I have bought most of the others. Her music is interesting, engaging, satisfying, and different.

A wonderful amalgam of Loreena's Celtic knowledge and breath-taking vocal style, this album is soft, Celtic, romantic and pagan all at once. These melodies have inspired me since teenage-hood and continue to litter my dreams with beautiful music that wonderfully marries historic folk songs. So, is there anything wrong with this CD? Yes...I'd stay clear of 'Dicken's Dublin' and I'd also honestly say that 'Ancient Pines' is her least impressive piece, though it's still evocative and pleasant. Pick it up, or download it and overall, you'll be satisfied with the way it transports you through time...especially on foggy autumn nights and crisp winter days.

I have not found fault with any of Loreena's works at all. Parallel Dreams is no exception. In my book, she just cannot do wrong. Evocative, timeless, a swirling vortex of archetype and sound.

There are two songs in here that I still rank among my McKennitt favorites, and I have all her CDs. These songs demonstrate how Loreena is unafraid of new territory, to try something a little different. In both cases here, she comes across superbly with unforgettable numbers.

The most different, of course, is "Dickens' Dublin" in which she alternates singing about a homeless person while a young Irish girl narrates her unique look at the birth of Christ. This might be the most interesting "Christmas song" I've come across.

Then there is "Ancient Pines," perhaps the greatest example ever of McKennit's clear and haunting voice. There are no words, just her voice. It is one of the "prettiest" songs I've ever heard. Who needs vocals when you can sing like this?

These two songs alone, along with Celtic favorites like "Annachie Gordon," make this a CD to treasure.

Parallel Dreams by Loreena McKennitt is another exceptional piece of her work for those her enjoy her style, and celtic flair. I have found pieces that I use to warm up with and cool down to when I dance. I have even found some music that I use when I bellydance. Quite a different take on the dance.