Customer Reviews

Tales of Heaven & Hell

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This new album of dark musical drama is magical and original, filled with vivid imagery, like a filmscore for your mind. If you want to hear something different, if you enjoy a creepy horror movie, or long flowing, beautiful themes, look no further. But like a Rorschack Test, I suspect "Tales" gives back pretty much what you bring to it, and some listeners will automatically see "sex" in every ink blot, where others see a butterfly.

To those who desire Carlos to be Bach and more Bach and nothing else ("we like your early movies, you know, the *funny* ones!"), better skip this one. The same subtleties are here as her famous Baroque arrangements: top-rate performances, ear-catching timbres and stereo soundscapes, and some truly lovely passages. But the music is mostly new (a portion is based on themes from her score to Kubrick's Clockwork Orange). Tales of Heaven and Hell is not for all tastes, but it is meaty, exotic and irresistible fare for the bored and the adventurous. Recommended.

A too-often bored music fan

This is probably Wendy Carlos's most coherent and exciting recording. It brings together elements that she has been working on since "A Clockwork Orange"--a richer, more flexible and lifelike synthesized sound, alternative tunings, using music to explore primal themes. While in "Beauty in the Beast" and even "Switched on Bach 2000," the compostion/musical choices sometimes seemed secondary to exploring the alternate tunings, here the tunings are clearly in service to the musical ideas.

And though she pulls on rich and varied musical styles (a hint of Danny Elfman in the first cut, a whiff of Enigma in "Clockwork Black," a theme reminiscent of Bernard Hermann's movie score for "Obsession" in "Afterlife"), this is clearly one album, with an emotional, musical and dramatic through-line from first cut to last.

And, unlike many earlier Carlos compositions that seemed to drop a theme for a new one just when you were ready for it to be further developed, here themes are fully and richly developed.

Overall, this is an exciting new work from an artist who has been a pioneer in synthesized music from almost the inception, and from a composer whose angular works have never been played so well before.

Tales lacks the sheer novelty of all the clangerous tones and tunings of beauty in the beast. . . but I think that's part of the point. This album is a somewhat more homogenous sound-world. Some previous reviewers have mentioned that the music sounds horror-movie cliched. . . well I think that, too, is part of the point. Carlos likes to plant her tongue firmly in cheek and play with convention in an artistic way- what's known as satire. Most Americans seem to have trouble digesting a serious work that is funny (and vice versa); this sort of thing is natural to Western Europeans, especially the English. As for Wendy's "lyrics," well, the same thing applies. I thought they were hilarious and perfectly set. It might seem negative to review an album simply by refuting previous reviews, so I'll leave by simply saying that this is beautiful, rich music, and is head and shoulders above any other electronic recorded music now being made. "Clockwork Black" is like a fun-house ride through horror-movie drama. "Afterlife" is, as Carlos states, more genuinely scary from an intellectual standpoint. The hair on the back of my neck did, as they say, stand on end. This album is a lighthearted look at evil, or, perhaps more bluntly, serious fun.

Wendy Carlos continues to create provocative and innovative music with this recording. Like the best of her previous work, it is intended for the adventurous listener who is willing to invest a reasonable degree of attention to scope and detail in composition and sound architecture.

That investment proves rewarding here, particularly on the album's centerpiece, "Clockwork Black," which is a clever reworking of themes from her groundbreaking score to Stanley Kubrick's "Clockwork Orange."

The themes are mostly dark and moody, weighted more toward tales of "hell" than "heaven," although the closing track "Seraphim" leaves you at peace.

For those who enjoy interesting musical journeys, and are not afraid of the occassional fright along the way, this one is highly recommended.

Wendy Carlos has been setting the standard by which all other electronic music is judged ever since her first release, Switched On Bach, in 1968.

More recently "Beauty in the Beast" (1986) exploded the possibilities of alternate tunings and showed itself to be years ahead of the rest of the pack. Other artists have yet to catch up to Carlos' brush-cutting forays.

And now she bursts forth again, this time utilizing all of her resources -- alternate tunings, digital orchestrations, real live singers, and of course her own composing skill. All of her technique is in support of a purpose however: this is a set of Halloween music to scare the pants off you.

The depth of field, the density of content, and the uncanny accuracy of her "synthesizing" (you can't tell real from synthesized) make this a recording to be studied for years to come. Wendy Carlos, by herself, has become the musical equivalent of Industrial Light & Magic in the film world.

Is it real, or is it digital?

When I first heard this album a few years ago, I honestly was a little disappointed. To summarize the review I posted at that time (which Amazon was kind enough to remove at my request), I felt the album to be a little contrived. It felt "overworked" to my ears, as it was something of a contrast to the (seeming) simplicity of many of Ms. Carlos' earlier efforts. I also felt the more "humorous" aspects of some pieces detracted from the overall emotional continuity (or "mood") of the album.

I do agree with at least one of the reviewers here that most American listeners do not have an appreciation for "serious humor". I would include myself in that category. However, I've since learned to recognize the "tongue in cheek" aspect of the album as a desirable part of the album's character. And I will also admit that I allowed the "tongue in cheek" aspect of the album (particularly in the first piece, 'Transitional'), to color my judgment for the entire album. This was obviously not an intelligent response on my part, but most of all, it was clearly not fair to Ms. Carlos.

If I have any real complaints about this album, I would level them almost exclusively at the piece 'Clockwork Black'. There are segments in this (nearly 18 minute long) composition that are nothing short of the very best sound "collages" I have ever heard. This piece contains some amazing musical material as well, but even these are sometimes dwarfed by Ms. Carlos' astounding technical prowess. (I guess I still feel this particular piece is over-worked.) Which brings me to my main complaint about many of the musical transitions in this piece. While I believe these are intended to bring the listener to one part of hell to another, instead, I find that they do a good job of repeatedly interrupting the emotional "flow" of the piece. At these points, my attention is drawn to the "mechanics" of the music itself, and I am temporarily taken away from my emotional journey. I am also not at all fond of some of the voice acting, which by itself is not convincing, but taken in the context of the piece, does not feel (to me) "in tune" with the emotional mood of the piece. (I found myself annoyed by the "crying" people, particularly by the woman at the end of the piece.) However, I found the "latin"-spoken passages very effective. And as I said, parts of this piece are as immersive and lush as anything I've ever heard. (Please do not listen to it without a good set of headphones...)

Apart from that, I get a firm impression that the pieces 'Clockwork Black' and 'City of Temptation' contain subtle commentary on the state of our society/civilization. There is a tragic aspect that I believe Ms. Carlos basically alludes to, that states that humanity, as a whole, has created a hell here on earth through attitudes we hold that encourage/perpetuate suffering in both our own lives and those of others. I am sure you could accuse me of looking too deeply into this, but I am not sure the vocoder-spoken lyrics in 'Clockwork Black' ("Let us prey -- on those who are different. Let us pray -- we never are wrong.") and the liner notes for 'City of Temptation' ("This is music of a large, populous city of our era, or perhaps in the near future.") could be interpreted in any other way.

I am particularly fond of the pieces 'Afterlife' and 'Seraphim' (which are the final two tracks on the album), which I feel are both inspired and superbly well-crafted without being at all contrived. In 'Afterlife', Ms. Carlos appears to work effortlessly with the unusual temperament(s?) used in this piece, and creates, at least to my ears, a piece that is both beautiful and genuinely haunting. The musical transitions, unlike 'Clockwork Black', are first-rate, which gives this piece an immersive flow that is lacking in the former. 'Seraphim' is a powerful answer to the emotional "uncertainties" of 'Afterlife', and I agree with Ms. Carlos' assessment that this piece is certainly the most sublime of any piece on the album. It is an excellent and fitting end to this album.

Overall, I am ashamed that it took me three years to recognize this album for what it is, and that instead, I chose to neatly itemize it with the prevalent social misconception that Ms. Carlos' artistry was waning in lockstep with her increasing age. This album is among Ms. Carlos best work to-date. And while I still very much enjoy her early/"immature" work (from the first twelve or so years of her career), Ms. Carlos' artistry and technical mastery has indeed matured with the digital technologies that have so enabled her.

Through my serious misjudgment of Ms. Carlos' work, I have also become aware of the true nature of the devoted critic. The critic, sometimes in the safety of his/her own home, can assume the role of a destroyer. And while not ever capable of creating anything of his/her own, will, for whatever reason, repeatedly and thoughtlessly indulge themselves in wrecking havoc on those who assume the role of creators.

But, please do not misinterpret what I am saying. There is a definite need for the critic, and there is a definite time and place to be a merciless destroyer. But in this era we are living in, which by definition is an artistic famine, there appears to be no shortage of critics! (Just consider the sheer quantity of harsh/blasting reviews on a site like Amazon.com.) Watch how politicians get "off the hook" after subverting the law and destroying the rights of the common man time after time. Yet, nothing is said or done. But, apparently, we have no qualms about keeping our own "in check", and will happily throw dirt on the tiny embers of creativity that is expressed publicly/commercially by innocuous and generally well-intentioned people.

Either way, I again apologize to Ms. Carlos. I hope she has continued on her way since the release of this album, and was not discouraged from doing more work in this vein by the many unfortunate reviews (like the one I originally offered).

This is a new one for me...I am familiar with "Sonic Seasonings," my favorite of all of Wendy's works...but this one is exceptionally moody(Hell, and all!), with beautiful passages as well. it actually creeped me out, which is just what I was hoping for. Put on the headphones, and prepare to be dazzled!!Another triumph for Wendy.I'm so glad her works are getting out on CD!!! Check out Sonic Seasonings!!! Annie

Tales has all the elements of a great Gothic classic. Forces of good and evil are well represented with startlingly strong melodic themes that haunt, frighten and reassure.The artist evolks strong emotions crafting and weaving her melodies with a masterful sonic palett representing God, Angels, Satan, his legions, and us ...: the victims, or game pieces, soldiers or totally oblivious. What you bring to the listening experience in imagination you get back in spades! Strongly recommend it!

Again, Wendy Carlos has produced a work that evokes a lot of reaction among her listeners. Because of the title, "haunting" is too easy an adjective to use. Yet the CD does possess a haunting quality. After you've played the entire work, you may feel challenged to revisit the tracks separately in hopes of finding time to hear the work again in its entirety.

It was definitely worth waiting for the release. It is even more worthwhile finding time to spend alone absorbed listening to this work.

If you liked the music from A Clockwork Orange, then you should enjoy this CD. Wendy Carlos is a master of the synthesizer and creates enveloping soundscapes. My favorite tracks are 1, 3, 6 and 7. The other are decent but don't stand out as much. Get this CD if you have any interest in this type of music, even if only for her 17+ minute opus, Clockwork Black. Visit her website to learn more about her. ...