Sky of Mind

Ray Lynch | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 15, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Windham Hill Records
• ASIN: B000000NJB
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,775 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Quandra

2. Good News

3. The Temple

4. Too Wounded

5. Pavane

6. Green Is Here

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Heir To The Masters, December 15, 2004

By 

Thomas K. Perry "writer" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sky Of Mind (Audio CD)

What Ray Lynch creates in his debut recording is a unique blend of rhythm, harmony and melody. The ringing of Tibetan bells ushers in the opening "Quandra", a soothing movement of flute, cello and keyboard. There is a wondrous joy expressed in both "Good News" and "Green is Here", and a deeply meditative presence in "Temple" and "Pavane". The beautiful middle score, "Too Wounded", evokes the image of an angel whispering in the night; there is serenity in the piano notes lingering in the quiet.

Lynch's music is deeply emotional in the vein of Mozart's "Requiem", Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony", and Rachmaninov's "Prelude in G Minor". The music becomes an invitation to look inside yourself and find that which is better than you thought possible.

Accept the invitation to explore his music, and witness the accomplishments of an extraordinary talent.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable collection of diverse pieces, January 31, 2008

By 

Peter A. Kimball (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sky Of Mind (Audio CD)

I bought this CD after running across some of the tracks on the Hearts of Space website. I'm not familiar with Lynch's later work - people say it's much different. The six tracks here, which range over the territory between Western classical and New Age music, are framed/separated by interludes of bells, sort of analogously to "Pictures at an Exhibition". But these "pictures" are of diverse mental states.

I am surprised that anyone would consider these pieces to be flat or non-thematic or lump them together under the heading of "meditation music". "Temple" is meditative; "Green is Here" sort of. "Good News" is cheerful and comforting. The other three tracks are highly thematic and emotional; in the case of "Pavane" I would even use words like "passionate" or "anguished". "Pavane" is very much in the tradition of pieces like Barber's "Adagio for Strings" or some of Vaughan Williams' works. I think it's a real gem.

"Quendra" is not quite so emotionally charged, but is very engaging, with a melodic line that is questing, anxious, and compassionate (if that makes any sense). The sixth track, "Too Wounded", affected me deeply. It features a very simple melody, played on the piano as if by a single hand, over a background of strings. But the very human phrasing of the keystrokes, lagging behind the beat and seeming uneven, even faltering to me, imparted to me a very emotional message. For me it was like listening to someone who has actually been badly damaged, physically struggling to pick out a tune on the keyboard, fighting to retain hope. Maybe this is just a statement about my own mood at the time, and who knows if Lynch intended anything like this, but that's what I got from it.

Together with the more meditative pieces - and I'm not at all dismissing "Temple" by calling it that, I think it's quite lovely - and tied together by the bell interludes, I think it all makes a very beautiful, creatively assembled, and satisfying collection.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Astounding and beautiful, May 31, 2005

By 

Steven E. Blake (Saint Peters, Missouri USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sky Of Mind (Audio CD)

The four albums by Ray Lynch convey a wide range of musical personalities and all are excellent. The songs on Sky Of Mind can be classified as low energy and introspective. These tracks may not generate the instant affinity of Lynch's lively pop "Celestial Soda Pop" and so may take a few listens to appreciate. However, they are astounding, complex melodies and beautiful renditions.