Customer Reviews

Shine

5 star:		(85)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Bond, perhaps best known to the public at large for "that watch commerical with the women playing violins," delivers an excellent follow-up albumn to their highly regarded debut with "Shine."

Four classically trained musicians and supermodel looks make up Bond. Though critics have complained about the artificial "creation" of the group, the end product is an outstanding fusion of modern beats and classical music the likes of which haven't been seen since violin virtuoso Vanessa-Mae's debut some years ago.

Though the classical essence that defines Bond's talent is on some tracks overwhelmed by what should simply be accompanyment, overall the albumn does not disappoint and offers a couple of outstanding tracks, including the otherworldly "Strange Paradise" and the cover of Led Zepplin's "Kashmir."

Don't let critcs unhappy that a group "created" rather than spontaneously formed deter you from enjoying this talented group's newest albumn. Fans of Bond's debut or similar music--such as Vanessa-Mae's "Violin Player"--should definitely give this albumn a spin.

Bond is one of those great groups that pops up every now and then, with a dash of genuine originality rather than the same-old-same-old-packaged-as-something-new. Don't discount these gals because of their pretty faces or their outfits -- they can outplay just about anybody.

Among the songs are the layered, ethereal-yet-danceable "Allegretto," harp-accentuated "Shine" with its brilliant violin work, fast-paced "Fuego," haunting "Strange Paradise" with its softer tones and occasional electronic flares, antiquated-feeling "Big Love Adagio" (which would make the ideal romantic dance music), the spicy "Gypsy Rhapsody," and several others. One thing that Bond can never be accused of is of having all their songs sound alike.

The major selling point of Bond is that they take the traditionals and make them more accessable to the masses. That sounds like a bad thing, but the fact is that they give such musicians as cellists a better, younger, less fuddy-duddy image, a better chance of reaching out to people. But of course this isn't enough to appeal to people. Their music is wonderful, multilayered and rippling with the different instruments.

If you say you hate instrumentals, you might want to check out the Bond girls (I imagine they hear that joke all the time). They do for those instrumentals what Sarah Brightman does for opera, meaning that they bring some appeal for the masses. Quite a find.

OK, so these four musicians are DDG. You can tell that just by looking at the album cover. Bond has been described as the Spice Girls of Classical music, which is, IMO, unfair. What they claim to attempt to do is make Classical music less intimidating, which they do succeed at doing. Somewhat, anyway, assuming Classical music might seem intimidating to some.

What you can expect from Bond is essentially a string quartet with a drum machine over it. My primary criticism of the group is that there should be more string quartet and less dead drummer. Check out the tracks "Fuego" and "Strange Paradise" for example...

Of course you can't tell from the finished product how much of the performance has been "fixed" in post, but these folks appear to have some significant musical chops. Execution is dratted near flawless and intonation is as close as it can get. I'd like to see the group "live" sometime to see if they come across as well in real-time as on the CD. I just wish the sequenced tracks were out of the way a little more so I could hear more of what sounds like might be the "good" stuff hiding behind.

I'd recommend this CD as well as Bond's earlier CD "Born". If you like Classical music and wouldn't mind the techno spin, I think you'll appreciate what the group does musically. If you're looking for a "dance mix", either CD would work well. If you buy the CD just for the eye candy, well, the CD succeeds at that as well.

Granted sex sales.... forget about the CD cover and the pictures inside... now how about the quality of music... I could hear their violin much better, much clearer from their first CD "Born". In this second CD, there are a lot of background music, digital effects, etc. that made it difficult to hear their violins. This CD is a bit too commercial. The background effects masked the ladies' true talents in violin.

A wonderful second album from four supremely talented and beautiful young ladies. I had to import this album, as I couldn't wait the extra few weeks until it was released in the UK...and I wasn't disappointed! "Shine" certainly has a more upbeat and techno-pop feel than "Born", and has a more worldly influence for many of the tracks. However, the girls' individual talents seem to have been under-used this time round, with hardly any technically taxing pieces of music for the girls to play with, (which, in my opinion, is a great shame). Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed every track on its own merits.
All in all, "Shine" certainly doesn't work the girls as hard as in "Born", and far more techno stuff is used this time round, but as an album to enjoy listening to, it is joint top with their earlier effort!
I'd like to see Bond perform some more cover versions for future albums...maybe "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd, or how about the fun and excitement the girls (and their fans) could have with the theme to "Deliverance"? Let's have more fun tracks such as "Korobushko" and "Duel" from the first album.
Some people have suggested that Bond are concentrating more on photo-shoots and their image than on their musical talents with this album...I MUST DISAGREE. The Bond girls are all very beautiful, and are not ashamed to let us see that fact. Everyone knows that 'sex sells', and as far as the girls are concerned, 'If you've got it, Flaunt it' comes to mind. I don't mind seeing them scantily-clad within the album cover, and I for one wouldn't complain if they decided to 'clad' themselves even more 'scantily' next time!
Here are my views on each track from "Shine" :-
1.Allegretto:-A very catchy classical piece played to an accompanying disco drum beat, and with a fantastic pizzicato section in the middle, (more of these please!). This tune has a very 'hooked-on-classics' feel, and will have you humming and whistling it permanently, as you won't be able to get it out of your head for weeks!
2.Shine:-The title track, and first single from the album, this is clearly inspired by the Asian culture. A pleasing sound, very commercial production-wise, and asks more of the girls than many of the other tracks.
3.Fuego:-Another classical-inspired track that will almost certainly be released as a single, with the same sort of appeal as "Viva" and "Victory" from their first album. (I particularly liked the ending of this track, which should really make Haylie work when performed live).
4.Strange Paradise:-A melodic interpretation of a piece by Borodin, played to a deep techno-beat background for the most part. Pleasing to the ear, and very easy to listen to.
5.Speed:-Sure to be a popular track with most people, I found that the synthesizer track merged too much with the strings at times, so I could hardly hear the girls play. However, it's still good to listen to.
6.Big Love Adagio:-Clearly, a version of Albinoni's classical Adagio, this mellow piece allows all four girls to show their abilities more than any other track, and so the drum beat in the background is hardly noticed. Superb.
7.Kashmir:-When I first saw the title of this track, I dearly hoped that it would somehow be a cover of the classic Led Zeppelin track...and it is!!! An absolutely fantastic version of an already superb track, with at last some proper drums accompanying the music. I particularly liked the violin interpretation of the Zep.lyrics, although I wasn't quite sure until the second playing. I can't stop listening to this track!
8.Gypsy Rhapsody:-A fun, vibrant and quirky rendition with heavy Middle-Eastern influences, this will undoubtedly be another favourite with many, (including myself). I can really imagine the girls enjoying themselves whilst playing this live.
9.Libertango:-I really enjoyed this Piazzola tune whilst trying to decide whether it was mainly of Italian, Spanish, French, or Latin origin...maybe it was a fusion of all four styles? I couldn't help but think of the Mafia when I heard this track, much like with "Belladonna" from "Born".
10.Sahara:-Hugely influenced by Middle-Eastern music, this is a fascinating track with a mellow verse and sprightly chorus, which I assume Haylie, wrote so she could enjoy herself. A mixture of styles makes this track so interesting, and I also enjoyed the pipe playing.
11.Ride:-This is a faster track with special effects heavily used in the background, but these only enhance the mood of the music, with interesting techno-voice lyrics adding meaning to the track. I can see Eos penning several more tracks in future, due to their popularity with the fans.
12.Space:-A fabulous, slow, bass techno-beat dominates this track, where the girls just seem to be playing an accompaniment to this beat...but I just love it!!! It's another track I can't get out of my head. Although not demanding in the slightest for girls of such incredible talent, it's still has a hypnotising effect that will make it a favourite.
13.Bond On Bond:-A fine interpretation of the 007 theme, (better than the original by far), it still seems a little out of place on this album...but it's a bonus track anyway, so who's going to complain?

I first encountered Bond in my public library, browsing through the classical section; as one might surmise, the cover art immediately took me by surprise, and I thought someone had misfiled this CD. After a cursory glace of what appeared to be yet another fly-by-night R&B girl group, I nearly put the disc back -- but at the last second, the Decca label caught my eye. "Odd," I thought, "Decca doesn't put out pop music; they're a classical label." Now suitably hooked, I opened the case and examined the liner notes closely; sure enough, this ersatz 'pop' group was a string quartet in disguise. Amused by the cute, clever marketing, I decided to give the album a shot.

The formula of "Shine" is one that has been tried before: take old-timey classical music and spice it up with newfangled production. While a fun idea in theory, which has been successfully orchestrated in the past (Meco's "Galactic Funk" for example, which deftly mashed disco beats into the Star Wars soundtrack), "Shine" suffers greatly from the fact that the producers are just plain wretched. There are exceptions; their dead-on rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" is probably the best version of that song I've ever heard, and some interesting beat programming on "Gypsy Rhapsody" and "Sahara" sounds cheekily inspired by the Neptunes. By and large, though, the backing tracks are barely a step above the demo songs on a Yamaha workstation. At best, most of the tracks on "Shine" sound like background music for a Playstation game; at worst, such as on "Allegretto," the production is so terrible that it makes Walter Murphy's "A Fifth Of Beethoven" sound like the pinnacle of modern composition.

Bond are decent enough musicians, to be sure; they play stringed instruments better than I ever will, and both Haylie and Eos (first and second violins, respectively) each have original scores on the album to boot. Unfortunately, they are just that: decent, not extraordinary. When placed alongside their more ground-breaking contemporaries (such as the incredible Rachel's or the Dirty Three), Bond falls quite flat. Nevertheless, their obvious potential (however unrealized) assured by the few standout tracks -- and, let's face it, the fact that they're all totally hot babes -- saved "Shine" from a lower score than this. If, on future releases, Bond can find a better foil for their works -- someone who can utilize their talents in full (such as Tipper or Telefon Tel Aviv) -- and also find ways to challenge themselves as players (perhaps by taking some cues from John Zorn or Stravinsky), I believe they could mature into a force to be reckoned with. For now, though, it's little more than pretty faces playing 21st century elevator music.

I was first exposed to Bond in the Raymond Weil - Geneve commercial in which they played a recreation of The Barber of Seville. I thought it was brilliant, full of strings and beautiful music while still totally exciting, so I went looking for them. It was thus that I came across Shine, with a sticker on the front, "As seen on the Raymond Weil - Geneve Commercial!" Boy howdy, it was mine.

However, I've been listening to it, and I'm absolutely positive that the said song is NOT on the album. Fooled, I was! So right off, I'm a wee bit persnickerèd by this one.

Now I continue listening for the same sounds I got from that commercial, lots of beautiful, full string instrument, but I can't hear it! Too much bloody techno! Every time I hear the beginning of a string instrument, it is rudely overridden by a queer whoosh! sound or a "chamba-chamba-chamba..." And meanwhile, a heavy drum track removes any gentility that might remain. I wonder how any fan of classical music could enjoy this album, it's that bad.

However, I award them two stars for Alegretto and Fuego, which are wonderfully devoid of the queer sound effects, even so I'd have liked less beating of the drums.

The string quartet Bond is back with their second CD entitled Shine. Bringing back the unique sounds of their fist CD Born, Bond do it again with this CD. Combining classical styles with ethnic folk, Shine has something for every musical taste. Fuego offers a nice Spanish-type dance track, Speend is a cool contemperary rock song, and the cover song Shine adds some nice flavor from other parts of the world. Covers on this CD include a remake of the ever popular Led Zepplin song Kashmir, the classical Albinoni song Big Love Adagio and the great remix of the James Bond Theme. Fans of the first album will definitely love this album and new fans should try this and the first album. The DVD concert is also a must see!

A review in four movements.

Allegro--200 BPM

Bond's irresistible formula of classical music and techno instantly takes off the ground with an adrenalin boost of a Mozart-ish opening number, "Allegretto." that at one point has overtones of Vivaldi. Given that Magnus Fiennes and Mel Bush again arranged and produced this album, Bond has wisely stayed with a formula that works.

The title track has a lush beginning before launching into a Latin-style dance mixed with something one might expect to hear from a Bollywood musical--heck there are even sitars present.

"Fuego" is another BPM number in the same vein as their breakthrough single, "Victory", and again has that Mozart-Vivaldi sound. There's a cover of Borodin's "Strange Paradise" that's accompanied by the usual Bond sound, but at a modest, more relaxed BPM level, much needed after the breakneck pace of "Fuego" and "Allegretto." "Speed" picks up the pace again, but not as much as the aforementioned adrenalin numbers.

Adagio--80 BPM

"Big Love Adagio" serves as another breather, with heavy emphasis on the violinist (good job, Haylie or Eos) and moderate techno beats. This is an improvisation on Albinoni's "Adagio" covered by so many artists, such as Sarah Brightman, Lara Fabian, and even Sigue Sigue Sputnik(!)

They do a splendid job of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir," the first instrumental of this number I've heard since the Ordinaires. Bond not only exceeds the Ordinaires, but also, at the risk of being chased up a tree and having it set on fire, that of the original. There, I've said it. Now do something!

Middle Eastern Molto--same BPM

Going from Kashmir to the Middle East, "Gypsy Rhapsody" has Arabic flavourings, as I hear a darbouka as well as other exotic instruments. This is another showcase for the violinist (again, a big-up for Haylie or Eos)

"Libertango" maintains the strong violin and moderate synthesizer pace, backed up the lush symphony, with only hints of a tango. "Sahara" is even more relaxed, with a strong bass as backing rhythm and exotic drums instead of the usual beats. As this was written by violinist Haylie Ecker, I assume that she is doing the main violin here. The Arabic theme is reexplored in the wistful caravan-across-the-desert of "Space," as are the musicians who did the exotic instruments in "Gypsy Rhapsody"

The pace picks up slightly with the Eos-written "Ride." The space-age sounds are present in this number as well as a computerized vocals singing "Love it, live it, do it" which sums up Bond's attitude towards their music.

007 Finale--more than 007 BPM

Finally, "Bond On Bond" is an improvisation of the James Bond theme and it works because it isn't a note by note cover and the tempo is slightly slower than the original in some spots. If the 007 filmmakers want a new version of the theme, why not use this? Thanks to these ladies, I'll now associate the word Bond with them and not Sean Connery et al.

The music has less upbeat numbers than in Born, but those that are exceed the energy of those in the previous album, and their trying to make classical music a genre played wearing summer dresses instead of soulless black dresses succeeds. However, in looking at the inner sleeve pictures, they have taken that to an extreme, with a Cosmo model kind of gloss. Eww! That's the only gripe, but their second effort is a laudable followup.

Bond's sophomore album "Shine" is incredible! I own "Born" as well. These four girls are amazing. Who would have thought that a classical string quartet could bring together so many different types of music and make it into something this great! I would definitely recommend Bond to anyone, I've already recruited three of my friends to get at least one of the cds and they all love Bond now. Very addicting. Anyone who enjoys any type of music will love "Shine" or "Born", they're completely awesome. Definitely worth the months of wait!