Customer Reviews

Standing Stones of Callanish

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Ignore the new age ....
Jon Mark has a unique sonic signature in the world of new age music. 'His' sound is realised, beautifully, on this CD. Unfortunately he has milked it for all it's worth on many projects after and this sound has worn thin, very much like Enya's music.
That aside, The Standing Stones of Callanish is a very unique and haunting work. The whole piece is produced using synthesizers to create an ethereal drone of simple melodies and deep atmosphere that captures the imagination and transports the listener to ancient times. It's the subtle use of sounds and textures coupled with beautiful melodies that really makes this CD stand out from the majority of new age dross.
The track 'Coming of the North Wind' in particular is utterly spellbinding in its hypnotic force and movement. The music really does conjur up a feeling of distant times and romantic scenery.

In 1989 I travelled to the Lake District (England) for the first time and looked over Ullswater in the late afternoon as the steel grey clouds gathered in an early autumn sky.
The lake reflected the distant mountains and the moving clouds. A light, chill breeze blew over the water.
At that moment the music from this album entered my mind and the whole scene connected. Everytime I listen to this CD I think of those days and that particular memory.
I appreciate that this is a personal thought but I feel it is relevant in illustrating the emotional and atmospheric feel of Jon Mark's work.

This recording is a wonderful piece to listen to while enjoying a fire in the fireplace on a dark and stormy night with you and nothing but a glass of port. It transforms your spirit into joy and solitude. I have all of Jon Mark's recordings. He is outstanding.

This 1988 debut album from New Age guru Jon Mark is a haunting tribute to the distant Ancient past and is a vivid musical portrayal of the Standing Stones of Callanish in the British Isles. The music is dark, melancholy, and ambient. "Chloe's Day" is my favorite song on this album having a celtic tone to it and a gray cloudy-evening atmosphere to it. Not all of this album is dark. "A Journey Across the Crystal Sea" is a very pleasant song with a much sunnier mood than the rest of this album. The last song "Remembering" is a tear-jerking closer with an eerie mood. This is one of the best New Age electrnoic albums of the 1980s and is highly recommended.

For anyone who loves ambient, "new age" type music, this disc is a must. The pieces here are very soothingly played on synthesizer. This album is one that is great to play after a long taxing day. I have had this in my collection for 15 years and it always close to my CD player. The songs "Chloe's Day" and "Journey Across the Crystal Sea" are worth the price of the disc alone. Highly recommended!

Put on this CD almost anytime! It creates a very calming soundscape that is sooooo soothing. Whatever your mood...pour a glass of wine and just sit still with this; or sit in meditation with this in the background; or put it on while doing work...it fits! Nice stuff!

It was discovered many years ago that the best music has a beat slower than our own heart. The `sacred fifths` beat is still valid today as then. Re-discover what`s in our shared memories and listen to the semi-medivel refrains as this album suggests we wonder at the presence of these stones and the meanings they hold for us. You need to be able to get into it without being interupted. If you connect with it, try also` The Land of Merlin`

This is absolutely one of my favorite cds. It is mystical, enchanting and consistently evokes images of exquisite beauty each and every time I hear it. It's perfect anytime and for anything; bodywork, meditation, ritual...sleep. I highly recommend it

I absolutely love this CD. It is deep mood music that reminds me of thick foggy islands where mystical things are happening and where the spirit world reigns. The CD is written in honor of the Standing Stones at Callanish, in Scotland, and it truly represents these images. I highly recommend the CD. Do not expect high energy--this is music for deep contemplation and centering.

Jon Mark uses a synth to evoke the mystery of ancient Scottish megaliths. The music can induce a trancelike state of calm. It has a high-fidelity sound quality. It's very minimalist (not "party music" nor traditional folk music).

The deep harmonics on this CD are perfect for Energy Healing. I use it during my Reiki sessions and have had wonderful results. Nearly everyone reports being carried away by the music to their own personal misty highland. I enjoy most of Jon's CD's, but this one is by far the best.