Customer Reviews

Rough Guide to the Music of China

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4 star:		(1)
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This CD is great. I have given this as a gift to one of my friends and she enjoyed it. It does a great job of showing music from mainland China. Most music collections are just traditional Pipa or erhu or contain pop from HK, this CD showcases some of the best songs and best and influential bands of modern China. Both classic and modern styles have been represented well, but I want to talk about three artists in particular: Of course Cui Jian's song "Yi Wu Suo You" is a must for anyone who wishes to understand modern Chinese music, but even more interesting is the addition of two other artists. Ai Jing, probably the most underestimated modern folk-rocker was a great influence in the late 90's, and still has a large underground following in China. Even more amazing to me was the addition of my personal friends from the Fem-Punk Band "Hang on the Box" These girls are at the leading edge of Chinese music today. Their song "Yellow Banana" (from their cd of the same name)is a pretty good example of their music.
This is a great album to have if you want a crash course in Chinese Music. ^_^

An excellent selection, covering a wide range of modern and folkloric Chinese music. The album starts out on a shaky note, with a long rock song by Cui Jian that sounds kinda like Sting and The Police -- not my cup of tea, but it certainly lets you know that this is a collection that's going to break up our stereotypes of what "Chinese music" sounds like... And indeed, this set runs a gamut of sound, from the traditional twangy lute music we know and love so well, to many other styles -- folk-rock, anthemic children's choruses reminiscent of the Maoist years, operatic pop, etc. It's an impressive collection representing some of the best music to come from this once-closed society. Informative and thought-provoking, as well as often simply beautiful... This disc is definitely recommended for anyone eager to learn more about the world around us.

I've heard several Rough Guide CDs that I've enjoyed, and I bought this one out of curiosity (I'm planning a trip to China next year).

I hadn't really even expected to like this-- in fact I thought it would just remain a curiosity-- but I have to say that it's my favorite of the Rough Guide series. It's very exotic yet somehow remains accessible, and I'm impressed at how diverse the selections are yet it still maanges to be fairly cohesive.

If you're at all interested in Chinese culture, or if you're interested in exploring world "pop" music, you'll be charmed by this CD.

I haven't bought the CD--yet (though I plan to). I just wanted to clarify the purpose of the Cui Jian song in the collection. This singer is considered the father of Chinese rock'n'roll and was immensely popular in the 1980s for his iconclastic style. This song, "I have nothing" is a parody of a famous propaganda song promoted by the Chinese communist party, and it became the anthem of the disasterous 1989 Tiananmen Square movement. It clearly belongs in any introductory collection of Chinese music--and it's a great song.

This album delivers on it's promise of a sampling of music from all over China. From the chanting and rythmic drumming of the northeast, to the charged political rock. Everything in between, including hard to track down (if you don't know specific artist's names) traditional music.

I borrowed the Japan, China, and Spain Rough Guides from the library but the only one that really stands out is the China for its overall quality of music and exceptional song selection that successfully blends the various multicultural and different types of music in China. The variety in genre and cultural influence, some songs are not Chinese or are heavily influenced by neighboring cultures such as Mongolia, West Asia, and Tibet, creates a compelling listen without inducing aural fatigue, a danger from repetition of one type of sound which is frequently the case in listening to Chinese classical music cds. One can only listen to so much harplike sounds or reed flute before tuning out. The result of this is the entire cd leaves no impression other than that of an hours' worth of listening to cascading water and vague "Chineseness".

This cd has enough depth for endless future listening and you will enjoy discovering new things with each consecutive time.

I wanted some music to accompany a slide show I was making of China trip photos. This is perhaps the best mix that includes contemporary hits as well as classics from every era. In the process of listening, I learned alot about Chinese culture. The song notes inside the cover are very educational and informative. Good job, Rough Guides.