Customer Reviews

Rainforest

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was the album that brought Robert Rich to a greater audience, and I still think it's his best--though he is quite prolific, and by now there are several other titles that just about fully measure up to it. Rich has a wonderful way of producing a non-static kind of ambience; one might say that much of his work approaches the more classical concept of tone poetry. Here the imagery is particularly successful, with the feeling of the rainforest plainly evident as one washes along through one semi-melodic, meandering piece after another. An excellent place to start if one is unfamiliar with Rich's music.

I was overjoyed to find this sensational album/CD. I have been truly enchanted by it since I got my first cassette of it 10 years ago. Spell binding, Rich weaves a a lush path of musical inner vision through the essence of all you imagine the rainforest to be. Here are the shadowed, secret trails deep through the jungle, the jaguar's lingering gaze, the dazzle of dappled sunlight over head in a catherdral of trees; crashing intensity of tropical rain, and the steamy mist rising all around you, shot through with the flaming colors of tropical flowers, birds and orchids. This recording is beyond New Age or Ambient alone, and to me is the benchmark against which I measure all other "rainforest" recordings.

"RAINFOREST" REPRESENTS A CULMINATION OF ROBERT RICH'S EARLY WORK AND A LAUNCHING GROUND FOR OTHER GREAT FUTURE ALBUMS. THE COVER ARTWORK AND TITLE "RAINFOREST" MAY MISTAKENLY FOOL SOME. THIS IS NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH A GENERIC PIECE OF NEW AGE MUSIC, BUT RATHER SOME OF THE BEST "SPACEMUSIC" OR AMBIENT CREATED AT THE TIME. THIS IS A CLASSIC, WITH SOMETIMES HAUNTING SYNTH-TONES COMBINED WELL WITH LAID-BACK PERCUSSION AND NATURE SOUNDS THAT DON'T SOUND "INSERTED" JUST FOR EFFECTS. I WAS 18 WHEN I FIRST HEARD THIS CD AND REMEMBER FEELING TRULY TRANSPORTED INTO ANOTHER WORLD. RICH IS A MASTER IN THIS FIELD, AND "RAINFOREST" IS THE FIRST PLACE TO LOOK HIM UP.

I've had this for years, and it remains one of my favorite collections! Well-blended rainforest sounds (rain, birds) are very artistically interwoven with New Age-type music. Unlike many other sound-alike pieces of this genre that I've heard, this collection stands out from the crowd. The music flows extremely well from piece to piece, with nice ebbs and flows of mellow tracks interspersed with some very jazzy upbeat pieces; a couple would do well as theme songs for television shows they are so catchy and memorable. All in all, a nice piece of work.

I was overjoyed to find this terrific recording in a CD. All other 'rainforest' recordings I have ever heard - and there've been many - pale in comparison to this one by Robert Rich. I got the orginal cassette when it was first released in 1989, and to me it's still the benchmark against which I measure all others. It has just enough of everything: birds, animals, rain, variety, nice emotional progression, and truly haunting music.

I have seven of Rich's albums, and this is my favorite. Because he is collaborating with no one, he has the unfrettered latitude to weave his own spell -- no looking over his shoulder to some other artist. The spell is memorable, but not jarring. Moody, but no wild swings in tempo or timbre. Do something thoughtful or just close your eyes -- the collection of themes will do their magic. Best of all, it's rated at about 34,000, which means you have an undiscovered gem!!

This album in wonderful. The album is more dense than some of his other works, with many organic sounds throughout. I enjoy this album every time I hear it, it will not be unused for long amounts of time.

This album is an early release from the Hearts of Space label known for great new-age music. It really captures the feel of a rain forest, and has a very natural, resonant vibe. He was inspired by the rain forests of the Pacific Northwest.

"Mbira" - a fast-paced rhythmic song with vibraphone samples and bamboo flute,
"Rainforest Suite (a)Forest Dreams of Bach" - slow tempo with mysterious sound which reminds me of a Thailand monastery, "(b)Drumsong" -a drum sound with a beautiful tone(I believe it's a keyboard sample)and bamboo flute, "(c) Surface" - quiet and peaceful with percolating environmental sounds,
The other songs are great, too, loaded with environmental sounds. Highly recommended!