Undrentide

Mediaeval Baebes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 12, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nettwerk Records
• ASIN: B00004X0QP
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #34,839 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars undrentide: a mediocre followup from the Baebes, April 5, 2001

By 

jessicaelizabeth (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Undrentide (Audio CD)

If you haven't listened to the Mediaeval Baebes before, they're great, and I highly recommend Worldes Blysse -- but not Undrentide. After listening to their earlier work, I snapped up Undrentide and was disappointed. I actually enjoy its modern synthesizers and electronica -- I think they work to set a mood, especially on the hypnotic "Isabella." I also like the Baebes' collaborators, Delerium, although "Aria" (a remix of "All Turns to Yesterday" from Worldes Blysse) couldn't improve on the exquisitely understated original track.

I think the music on the Baebes' previous albums was simply more compelling. "Erthe Upon Erthe" (Worldes Blysse) is my favorite: a creative, lovely setting of a dark middle English lyric about the transience of worldly pleasures (the theme of their second album). The music and lyrics fuse in a subtle and disturbing way, cycling inexorably through life and death. And you don't need to understand medieval languages to enjoy the intricate vocals and melody.

Undrentide again showcases the Baebes' voices and arrangements, and is very pretty, but I fell asleep to it more than once. "Besse Bunting," for example, is a boring rendition of a middle English lyric that was boring to begin with. The Baebes' strength lies in synergizing medieval sources with a modern aesthetic, not in faithfully recreating the sound of the twelfth century. If they don't bring new energy and immediacy to their source material, I don't think it's worth throwing in the synthesizers. Thematically, Undrentide just doesn't compare to their earlier work. Buy it if you love the Baebes, but I'm forcing my friends to listen to Worldes Blysse instead.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely music, though a bit inaccurate., August 30, 2003

By 

Katie (MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Undrentide (Audio CD)

I have collected all the Mediaeval Baebes CDs thus far, and must say that this is my particular favourite. I'm more partial to the Baebes' songs that are upbeat with drums and chants versus some of the others which have more of a sleepy sound- and I find that this CD most fulfills that partiality. My favourite songs are the title track and "Veni, Coronaberis".

Although I adore the Baebes and their music, I have to say that their Middle English-- and it IS Middle English, not Old English (also known as Anglo Saxon)-- is a little inaccurate. They pronounce their vowels as though they are modern instead of Medieval! For instance, they pronounce the word "grene" like "gren" when it SHOULD be "gray-neh". Since English is actually a Germanic language, Middle English had a sort of Dutch or Swedish sounding accent to it that the Baebes just don't posess. I think they should do a bit more research. I can't account for the French and Italian, but I can say that their Medieval Latin pronunciatin is pretty good, as I take it as a language in school.

If you're well- educated in Medieval languages, their music might annoy you a bit, but is definetly worth a listen anyway. The melodies are beautiful and Katherine Blake, who does much of the lead singing, has an exquisite voice.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 3rd album NOT the charm, September 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Undrentide (Audio CD)

Oh, Baebes! What were you thinking? Jazzy saxophone riffs? House drumbeats? Synthesizers? Get rid of that producer and bring back the beauty and purity of the Mediaeval Baebes sound! I was captivated by the Baebes previous album "Worldes Blysse" from the first and couldn't stop listening to it for months, so my anticipation for "Undrentide" was high. Unfortunately, their producer John Cale decided to 'update' the Baebes sound by adding dance backbeats, synthesizers, lush orchestral strings and (19)70s soul music. Yuk! The attraction of the Mediaeval Baebes sound was that it was so different, uncluttered and focusing on vocal harmonies. To be fair, there are some lovely melodies and I like some of the tracks, but too often, musical 'updates'intrude. "Undrentide" may be a logical progression for the Baebes, but I want more soulful, simple middle-English song-weaving.