Ancient Journeys: A Vision of the New World

Cusco

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 29, 2000)
• Original Release Date: February 29, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Higher Octave
• ASIN: B00004LMKZ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #72,192 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
With their prolific outpouring of keyboard, flute, and tribal rhythmic recordings, Cusco has won over a strong following of genre listeners. A fairly light and easy offering, Ancient Journeys: A Vision of the New World will likely only appeal to those who are already fans. Smacking of all that is stereotypically New Age (insubstantial soul and cheesy soundscapes), Cusco can be headache-inducing for those not already enamored of the group's uneasy saccharine charm. Quick flute trills merge with syncopated electronics, hand drums, water-drip sound effects, and breezy synthesized strings. A far better and more interesting choice for modern electro-instrumental soundscape is Damage by Roger Eno and Lol Hammond. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful Musical Interudes Discovering New Worlds ..., July 9, 2004

By	Erika Borsos "pepper flower" (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Cusco has become my favorite New Age musical group because they express the music of various cultures and connect it to discoveries and major events in the past. Track #1 "Da Gama" begins with a provocative flute introduction, the hallmark of Cusco. With impressive fluidity and style Ottmar Liebert, a guest artist, enhances the Turkish and Spanish cultural effects with his guitar playing. "Ancient Journeys" includes the guitar, violins, keyboards, and percussive instruments -- creating very unique and evocative music.

"Conquistadors" (track #2) creates a feeling of triumph and soaring energy ... the occasinal flute is overcome by the percussion and sense of extremely urgent flourshing melodies. One senses the weakening hold of the flute music as other instruments become more dominant ... reminiscent of historically accurate events. Track #6 "The Journeys of Marco Polo" includes spendid guitar playing and synthesizer variations on the main theme/melody. A most distinct and fascinating musical interlude is one that resembles the trotting of horses ... Another interlude has Turkish or Middle Eastern rhythms that captivate the listener. "The Horseman of Bulgar" is a tremendously triumphant artistic achievement. It is a masterpiece of splendor and grandeur ... I love the Asian root sounds and the cross-over transiitonal sections that have a Balkan-like flavor. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great., March 3, 2000

By	Jeo (USA) - See all my reviews

Ancient Journeys is good but not great. Don't expect it to blow you away. This set of music lacks alot of the characteristics of some of the previous CUSCO CDs. The melodies do not stand out nearly as much as songs from CUSCO's other recordings.

Don't get me wrong, this is a good CD, but it's just not their best. For better CDs look to Apurimac I, CUSCO 2000, or THE BEST OF CUSCO.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended: No new ground but enjoyable none-the-less, March 16, 2001

By	Dick K (Centreville, VA United States) - See all my reviews

Bottom line: If you enjoyed Apurimac I and/or II then you'll like this CD provided you're not going to object to the music extending beyond the South American flavor of those works. If you liked Apurimac III, then read no further, go directly to checkout line--you'll almost certainly like this one, too.

Cusco has been a favorite of mine for quite some time and I have most of their work. This one isn't in my top 2 or 3 but its growing on me and very representative of their recent work. I've enjoyed it more than Apurimac III for instance. Yes, its less cohesive than the Apurimac series but I don't find that a problem--although I did find it a bit odd that they didn't arrange the titles in order with respect to the history they attempt to portray. In any case, the variety in style makes it more like some of their earlier work like Water Stories or even Cusco II. But it adds the sophistication and complexity in arrangement and instrumentation of the Apurimac series.

If you're new to Cusco, I'd have to recommend going back to Apurimac and starting there. But if you have a Cusco CD or two and liked them, then get this one, you're not likely to be disappointed--I wasn't!