Customer Reviews

Wings of Joy (Reis)

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

 

 

easily one of the most beautiful albums ever made, not to mention the best Cranes album by far. It's full of classical influence, heavy thunder, beautiful drums and strongs. This was pretty much the Cranes introduction to the U.S. and what an introduction it was.

They played in St. Louis as the opener for the Cure's Wish tour and no one had ever heard them. It was outdoors and a massive storm rolled over during their show. No rain, only thunder, lightening and a gorgeous sunset peaking through the massive clouds. It was like nature knew they were there and was playing along.

To this day this album sounds like a beautiful thunder storm to me, rolling past over head. Totally worth whatever price you have to pay to obtain it.

... just how incredibly beautiful and haunting this album is. Many moons ago I owned it on cassette, but lost it somewhere along the way, so when I saw this expanded CD version for sale, well, it was an absolute must have. Upon listening to it again (and again) it has a timeless, ethereal quality about it that will send shivers up and down your spine, making you wish that bands like this got more radio airplay in this age of homogenized, factory-floor, "everybody-sounds-like-everybody-else" mediocrity.

Cranes are a band that have to be experienced musically before you even start on the lyrics, and they are one of the most underrated bands of the late 80s/early to mid 90s. Their music has so many layers and facets to it, from ripping guitars, melodic bass, to melancholy string and piano arrangements. Alison Shaw's angelic vocals are soft and child-like, but fit perfectly with their style, drawing you into a strange, Gothic, dreamy (sometimes nightmarish) musical landscape of fantasy bordering on horror. As far as the lyrics, they take some study, due to Shaw's gentle delivery, which does not always carry clearly. But in a way, her voice is simply another layer to the music and adds to the overall beauty.

Out of all of their albums, this is my favorite ~ a masterful tour-de-force ~ ahead of its time and timeless in its beauty, with an almost theatrical quality to it that will stir you to the core and make you appreciate truly artistic music delivered by a band that refused to do it any other way but their own.

It's a masterpiece.

Close but not my favorite. It is a great album just as the other reviewers describe but "Forever" (with ALL the bonus tracks) is by far my very favorite and nothing can compare. This is haunting and has some momments but Forever sticks in my head all day long and blows this away. Okay, strong points on this are tracks 4, 5, 7,8 (I love the most), 11, 12, and 16. Dreamy stuff indeed, piano based with fragmented rock and etherial jabber. For a Cranes fan you must have this for all others start with Forever first.