In the Wake of the Wind

David Arkenstone

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 2, 1991)
• Original Release Date: April 16, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B000005P6M
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #75,037 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Composer and multi-instrumentalist David Arkenstone has two distinct musical realms he loves to explore: world-influenced contemporary instrumental, such as last year's Grammy-nominated Citizen of the World, and symphonic pop and rock, such as this 1991 Grammy-nominated masterwork. An hourlong instrumental journey, In the Wake of the Wind is the dazzling soundtrack to the journeys of an adventurous young man named Andolin who wishes to roam the stormy seas that swept his grandfather away. The album is accompanied by a foldout map and text in the vein of master fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien, although, in the liner notes, Arkenstone also urges listeners to conjure up a personal narrative. The composer's spirited sense of adventure imbues these 16 tracks with a life of their own. Certainly the album's best moments are its orchestrally driven pieces, most notably the gracefully elegant "Southern Cross," which features pristine acoustic guitar sounds, and the triumphant "Overture." However, slower pieces such as the sensual, Middle Eastern-flavored "Rug Merchant" and the soothing children's choir in "Sailing" provide a delicate balance to the more playful, boisterous compositions. Arkenstone also dedicated the tender "Morning Sun on the Sails" to one of his principal musical influences, the late Aaron Copland, a composer who also crossed genre boundaries. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Changed my life..., September 6, 2000

By	Justin R. Macumber "writer * podcaster" (Fort Worth, Texas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

That isn't an overstatement. I was in the tail end of my high school journey, and my music life was centered mainly around rap (hey, I was 17) and hard rock. Aside from the rare excursion into classical, I'd never ventured far from those genres. But, one day I was in my favorite music store, and they had this big display for an album called "In The Wake Of The Wind." When I asked about it, I was told that it was a New Age album from a guy named David Arkenstone. The display featured a big map of a fantasy land, and there was an associated contest going on with it. Well, I thought, what the heck? Let's give it a whirl.

Almost ten years later and I'm still whirling. After hearing "Wind" I was hooked. The music had such passion to it, and the soundscape he created was almost visible in its intensity. I was swept away with the music, caught in the fantasy that Arkenstone was creating, and on pieces like Overture I could practically feel the salty spray of the waves on my face and the wood of the tilting deck beneath my feet. He really just blew me away. And from there I was an Arkenstone fan, buying each CD as it came out, and getting his past works. Those led me to other New Age CDs, and now my collection is bulging at the seams. This one album helped to open my eyes to what music could really be. It truly changed my life. If you want to be taken on a journey yourself, I highly recommend this CD. Do yourself a favor and buy it today.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kitaro Revisited, August 31, 2003

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

David Arkenstone enjoys what I consider a 'secretive' popularity. Few people would recognize the name, but his music is pervasive. Primarily known for his electronic works, 'In the Wake of the Wind' represents his first attempt at a work that is, for the most part, acoustic. It is also his forst try at producing a coherent album rather than a simply collection of disparate pieces.

He presents two suites, each based on an adventure set in a fantasy world where Andolin, a young man, sets out on a journey to rescue his world from the tides of entropy. The suites are closely related, by both the story and the intertwining musical themes that Arkenstone uses to get his ideas across.

While interesting in places, and generally pleasant to listen to, this is not remarkable music. Thematically, it owes a great deal to Aaron Copeland, and structurally it is reminiscent of Kitaro's 'Silk Road.' Not that the work is 'borrowed' in any sense, but it makes no unique contribution. And it lacks the compelling qualities of the other two composers. This is pure symphonic pop, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

I do like listening to it, but I tend to think of 'In the Wake of the Wind,' as the musical score for a film that was never made, rather than as a serious musical effort. It is, however an impressive display of Arkenstone's mastery of the arcane art of production - the sound is excellent and seamless throughout - something that is very tough to achieve when one is trying to balance acoustic and electronic composition.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars David Arkenstone - In the Wake of the Wind, May 20, 2003

By	Becky (South Lyon, Michigan) - See all my reviews

The first time I heard of David Arkenstone was this past summer when my high school band director gave us the music for our show this year. We performed Voyage of the Stardancer: Overture, Stardancer, Lion's Breath, Morning Sun on the Sails, Through the Gates, and Sailing. It's not the usual music you hear a marching band performing, but it worked. As the season went on, I grew to really like the music, and wanted to hear more of it. The CD has completly different versions of the songs. The melody is all the same, but all the selections are longer and have a different feel some of the time. I actually like the versions on the CD better because they're softer, and more relaxing. You can usually hear the Irish background in the music, but it comes out really clear in Through the Gates. If you even slightly like the feel of Irish music, you should definatly listen to this! It's so awesome, and so worth getting it.