Customer Reviews

Touch-Windham Hill 25 Years of Guitar

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album has quickly become one of my favorite instrumental albums. Long a fan of the Windham-Hill label, I'm of the opinion that this compilation offers some of the best guitar music around. This CD is masterful and richly rewarding. It contains some of the most soothing instrumental music recorded, and as one other reviewer aptly put it, it's a great stress reducer. The cuts from the masters Ackerman, deGrassi and Hedges are wonderful as any WH fan over the years has come to appreciate them. My favorite selection is however, Snuffy Walden's "Who Lives Up There". In my opinion it is just the most beautifully written and performed piece of acoustic guitar music period. It is such a technically wonderful recording as well. This cut is worth the price of the CD alone. Another favorite is David Culen's "On the Way". I am not as familiar with his work but I plan to check out other Cullen offerings soon. There is not a misstep on this entire hour-long CD. And to think I almost hesitated buying it.

This is a great commemorative album made up of the music that established Windham Hill. Thankfully, the principal artists are represented by two cuts apiece, making this CD more of a showcase than a sampler. Snuffy Walden got shorted with just his "Who Lives Up There?", but we have Michael Hedges opening the set with "Aerial Boundaries" and ending it with a duet with bassist Michael Manning, "Rikki's Shuffle".

Alex De Grassi then has the #2 and the next-to-last positions. Rather an interesting pattern is established, using those two noteworthy members of the Windham Hill family.

Will Ackerman is quite well represented with "The Impending Death of the Virgin Spirit" on the third cut, and "Sheila's Pictures" on the ninth cut.

In my most humble opinion, these seven of the twelve are the very richest cream of the crop while the other five are scarcely a step less enjoyable. This is definitely the Windham Hill style of guitar music and therefore will seem rather mild and bland to those with desensitized ears, but those who can enjoy the depths of really good and well-performed music will indeed be well rewarded by listening to this.

Great choices. These have to be the "key" solo guitar songs you would select, if you were going to make a CD like this.

It actually should be a double CD for fair measure, but if you are restricted to only one CD, you must have these cuts from Hedges, de Grassi & Ackerman for sure! The others are nice as well...

Good CD.

This is THE most relaxing, beautiful CD I've purchased in years. It should have STRESS-BUSTER written across the cover. Three minutes after I hit the "Play" button, I'm off in another realm altogether. If you love acoustic guitar music, you'll treasure this awesome CD.

I have never purchased a Windham Hill CD that I have not enjoyed and this one may be the best of them all. It is beautiful and, at times, hauntingly so. I took a deep breath at the first note of the first song and I don't remember breathing after that. I highly reccommend this CD for anyone who loves acoustic guitar or for someone who just needs a moment to relax.

Windham Hill is always great and this cd is right in that tradition

Listenable - but it doesn't compare to the Windham Hill trio of Taylor Guitars 'Sounds of Wood & Steel' volumes 1-3

I love this whole CD -- and I have hundreds of instrumental New Age type music -- but my hands-down favorite on this collection is "Larry's World" by Russ Freeman. I have stopped pretending that I don't often hit Track Repeat for that one and play it 3-4-5-6 times in a row. It makes me feel good like (okay, dating myself now) "Feelin' Groovy" did years ago. If I feel crappy this song works every time. What's better than that?!

Thanks. I have not yet opened the CD but look forward to enjoying it. It arrived quicly and in good shape.

JUST A BEAUTIFUL ALBUM FOR ANYONE WHO ENJOYS GUITAR MUSIC. PURE, SIMPLE PLEASURE. COMPRISED OF VARIOUS ARTISTS, EACH WITH THEIR OWN STYLE, IT IS A LOVELY RELAXING EXPERIENCE.