Customer Reviews

Untold Things

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

 

 

If you like Loreena McKennitt's music and are looking for something a bit more experimental, try "Untold Things." Despite Pook's renown as a string player and composer, this album will stick in your memory for its interesting vocals. In addition to singers from India, Vietnam, and elsewhere, "Untold Things" features samples of existing recordings of Yeminite Jews, Eastern European choirs, and an Iranian soloist (some of the English vocals are even recorded backwards, to interesting effect). The whole package is tied together with subtle keyboards and a heavy dose of excellent string arrangements, courtesy of Pook and her fellow Electra String players. Parts of this album reminded me of Roger Eno's modern chamber music work from the early `90's, and of Franco Battiato's ethereal, West-meets-East orchestral work. On the whole, however, this record probably doesn't sound quite like anything you've ever heard - which is just what you'd expect from Peter Gabriel's excellent Realworld label.

This,the 3rd CD to be issued under Jocelyn Pook's name,is business as usual.Plenty of sampling of ethnic voices amid music which was composed for various other projects.Anyone who bought her other work will not be disappointed.A first time rounder buying out of curiosity in a sale would find it hard going unless that person was already attuned to Gavin Bryars,Michael Nyman,John Tavener.People who buy the so called Popular Classics would find Britten or Penderecki hard going. Music like this deserves to be listened to.In the end its ultimately rewarding as it can lead to so much more,out there on the fringe of what is now called Classical Crossover.
She has a very detailed website on Yahoo's egroups which also covers the work of Audrey Riley,Ann Stephenson,Caroline Lavelle and Sonia Slany

I'm a visual artist, and I find this music to be wonderful for drifing into a non-word oriented space, while painting. Pook's music is very unique, and "non-linear," like an Indian raga that transports the listener to a place like no other. It is meloncholy, and has many influences, Arabic, Western classical, new agey ambient, electronic, etc. Pook's voice is haunting. I love this c.d. and listen to it over and over. Highly recommended.

Whimsical, pensive and kissed by a variety of world music samples, Jocelyn Pook's style in this recording reminds me a little of Deep Forest without the programmed beats. As with all her music that I'm familiar with, the tone of "Untold Things" is minor and distinctly laid back, yet pregnant with carefully patterned intent. This isn't mindless, repetitive filler, but intelligently crafted modern chamber music tinged with elements of New Age fusion. It could perhaps do with a little more livening up now and then, as in the intense and interesting track #5, "Take Off Your Veil" and the fun, drummy "Calls, Cries and Clamours," but overall, "Untold Things" provides an intriguing and satisfying listening experience. My favorite pieces are the poignant and hypnotically complimentary #8, "Saints and Sinners" and #11, Saffron, with their mix of harmonized vocals and sampled chants over a simple but affecting piano and psaltery ostinato. Joining Pook's vocals and viola are singers Melanie Pappenheim and Parvin Cox, psaltery player and co-arranger Harvey Brough, along with her customary collection of chamber orchestra strings, select world instruments, modest programmings and assiduously documented samplings. Try also Pook's gently elegant soundtrack for "William Shakespeare's `The Merchant of Venice'" and her much darker, more eclectic album "Flood" (the soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut"). For more the way of artful world music fusion, you might enjoy Hans Zimmer's "Millenium" and Paul Winter's "Earthbeat" (the source of the theme song for the "Survivor" reality TV series) as well.

First and foremost, let's not compare this to "Flood". Pook's debut release was something that can never be repeated. However, if you take a step back and listen to this as though you've never listened to Jocelyn Pook before--under a new light and with no expectations--you will discover the magic and mystery of "Untold Things". Equally inventive, the only aspect missing from her second release is the bleak, goth dreariness that gave color to "Flood" and the songs that were featured in the film "Eyes Wide Shut". This album is equally engaging though slightly less gut-wrenching. Still powerful and beautiful, these songs would fit better in a "Lord of the Rings" type film with great epic scenes sweeping across snow peaks. My biggest disappointment is that "Untold Things" was released in 2001, and we haven't seen any new material since aside from soundtracks that really don't do her style credit. Either way, five stars.

Warning: this record is not avant-garde. Comparisons to Penderecki and even Nyman are misleading. The tracks are all quite simple and downtempo with unchallenging celt/world sonorities which call to mind a dark Enya. Pook's comments on backward singing and invented languages as if these techniques were something radical I find a bit embarrassing - added to which they don't actually create much of an impression. In fact the whole project has something of a precious feel given that it is so lacking in real boldness. That wouldn't matter if the music was as emotionally charged as some have claimed, but it isn't. There's a kind of occultish spookiness seeping through, but I can get that from Sisters Of Mercy - in a more exciting and less roundabout way. My main feeling, having bought it was, and still is, `Oh dear, I don't REALLY need yet more worldy ambient stuff, do I?'. I can't guarantee you'll feel the same but there again I can't help wondering why there is currently such a frisson around this artist.

I've listened to this album countless times and it is still my favorite. The music and vocal virtuosity is simply breathtaking.

Great music to lay back and listen to with a bottle of wine and the right girl by your side. Very soothing and relaxing, I recommend the wine, the girl and of course the album.

There is a song on this album called "Calls, Cries and Clamors". Well that's about the whole album. Unintelligible "Calls", Weird "Cries" with a background of "Clamor".