Customer Reviews

Sun Dance: Summer Solstice - A Windham Hill Collection

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

 

 

The reviewer who gave this CD only one star is quite right, the older Windham Hill recordings are better, not only artistically but also soundwise. Although this CD may appear to sound pretty good, to me it does not! It has been compressed up to the hilt. For non-technical listeners this means that all the dynamics (the difference between loud and soft) have mostly been taken out. Therefor it sounds unlistenable to me. This is not the kind of music one should compress the living daylight out of, that is for Rock & Roll. Hey, it might sound good in your car, but I listen on a home system worth (more than) a couple of thousand dollars. I think most people listen to this kind of music on a good system. If this trend continues, I am sure I will no longer buy "new" new age, and stick with the older, more dynamic and interresting recordings (whether 16, 20 or 24 bits: what's the point if the dynamic range is less than 10 dB! ). Windham Hill, please tell your recording and mastering engineers to treat this great music as classical and not as R&R, thank you!

I wasn't sure how much I was going to like this CD. I bought it for the David Arkenstone track, which I hadn't heard. Turns out to have a very accoustic feel to the whole thing. It's mostly stringed instruments and piano. Quite cool as background music. Not really to sit and listen to attentively, but for when you're doing stuff, this is great to have on. Angels of Venice do an awesome version of "As Tears Go By", and track 4, "Shaka Slack Key," which you can hear in the song samples above, is almost worth the price of the CD. On the whole, the CD doesn't really stand out, but it's worth getting.

I have listened to this in my car and while I am cuddled up with a good book at home. It is a great mixture of musicians. It helps clear your mind and really relax. It is a favorite of mine.

Lie back, close your eyes and dream - as the misic will take you to a peaceful state of mind. A very nice mix of artists who blend well. This CD has become one of my favorites.

An easy-listening mix of varied artists with a sparkle. Some contemporary and some old familiar tunes with a new twist. If you have enjoyed the Winter Solstice CDs, this will be a welcome addition to your collection.

I was expecting this to be maybe just a sampler, and was pleasantly surprised to find it a very well put together compilation where the cuts seem to blend in perfect sequence. I found Will Ackerman's "Just Dancin' Like Fools" with the violin blending with Ackerman's guitar and the vocal ending especially fitting the idea of celebration of the solstice. Lisa Lynn's "Cancion de Amor" featuring her on the celtic harp with cello and percussion backup also seemed especially fitting with the theme. Other highlights were "Shaka Slack Key" (first time I've heard George Winston on the steel string guitar rather than on piano), Jim Brickman's "Circles", and David Arkenstone's "Reflections on the Pond". Heck, I even enjoyed Jay Beckenstien's soprano sax on "Summertime", even if the Gershwin tune is old hat in comparison with the rest of the CD.

This CD is one of the few I've bought in the last few years deserving of my $16. Really, it's extraordinary... I had never fully realized the potential of New Age music until I heard this. I've listened to it until I know every note of every song; by all rights I should be heartily sick of it. But "Just Dancin' Like Fools" remains one of my all-time favorite songs.
This CD captures the spirit of a season in a way I've never heard done before. The richness and fullness of the music in all of the tracks is quite incredible. Very frankly, anyone who doesn't like it can suck it up. (So buy it, and like it.)

Enough is enough already. For the last couple of years, Windham Hill (once a true innovator in the new age field) seems to be just going through the motions, cranking out bland, boring generic music that is a shadow of its former self. Stick with the classic old windham hill or move on to some of the newer labels that are kicking their butt.