Zen Kiss

Sheila Chandra

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 27, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Real World
• ASIN: B000000I1V
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #166,968 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful example of this artist's vocal capabilites, April 2, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Victoria, Canada) - See all my reviews

Shiela blends east and west tonal values into some very enchanting melodies. Her voice is very realxing to listen to, yet she displays an incredible versatility in tone and articulation. Its the kind of recording that exists well in the background, but you will want to set aside some time to listen to the lyrics and composition.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars some wonderful songs but be prepared to skip a few, July 9, 2001

By	"quedice" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

I can listen to most of the songs on this CD over and over again. Waiting, Shehnai Song, En Mireal del Penal, A Sailor's Life, Abbess Hildegard, and Kafi Noir are all good and often mesmerizing. My favorite is the haunting Love is a Killing Thing.

You have to hear Speaking in Tongues III and Speaking in Tongues IV at least once so that you can marvel at Chandra's vocal inventiveness. But you may grow weary of them after a couple listenings. I always skip these songs now.

La Sagesse (Women, I'm Calling You) and Woman and Child are two feminist anthems that you'll either love or hate. Depending upon your viewpoint, the lyrics are either profound or sophomoric. I skip them every time. But then, I'm a guy.

This is the type of CD that playlists were made for. Edit out the songs you don't like, set the player on continuous play, and enjoy.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Zen Kiss -- Hit and Miss, September 2, 2005

By	Wil (AL) - See all my reviews

This album showcases the vocal talents of Sheila Chandra in much the same way as its "companion" disc, Weaving My Ancestors' Voices -- thinly layered drones (which pointed the way towards her best work in this area on ABoneCroneDrone) and breathy semi-a cappela vocals.
While this disc pretty much is a carbon copy of Weaving... it lacks a really strong track such as Ever So Lonely/Eyes/Ocean. Still, tracks such as Kafi Noir, A Sailor's Life and Love It Is A Killing Thing are very nice pieces.
Taken together, the best tracks on this album and Weaving... would have made for a wonderful album. Some tracks are skippable (moreso here than on Weaving...) while others enchant. And there is not a lot of variety, which can make some of the tracks begin to sound like others. Hit and miss. Still, Chandra's voice is wonderfully spellbinding. And that helps push this disc to 3 stars.