As If to Nothing

Craig Armstrong

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 16, 2002)
• Original Release Date: February 19, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Melankolic
• ASIN: B00005V90X
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #45,096 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The impressive skills and epic ambition that arranger-composer Craig Armstrong brought to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack come to his aid again on As If to Nothing, making for a cohesive work that is at once beautiful and bleak. Given the dark orchestral flavor Armstrong has provided for artists like Massive Attack, U2, and Madonna, it's no surprise to find a sterling guest list (including Bono, David McAlmont, and Evan Dando) to help Armstrong articulate his world-weary musings. Photek adds vibrating beats to the rumbling "Hymn 2," the only dance-oriented track on the album. Moving back in time, Armstrong revamps King Crimson's classic ode to melancholy, "Starless," on "Starless II," adding elegant accompaniment of woozy strings and subtle piano. Dando's remorseful performance on "Wake Up in New York" is a ringer for pain merchant Mark Eitzel; Bono's lackluster performance is less revealing. But by then Armstrong has already worked his solemn, majestic procession to full effect. --Ken Micallef

Product Description

Long awaited studio album from 2002 Golden Globe winner (best score for Moulin Rouge). Features collaborations with Bono, Evan dando, Photek, Mogwai, David McAlmont and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classy, Very Classy!!, June 11, 2002

By	Ian Creamer (Dublin,Ireland) - See all my reviews

I first became aware of Craig Armstrong's work on the underrated Massive Attack when he co-wrote a couple of my favourite racks on that album. Since then I've heard some of his collaborations with other musicians and of course now on several film scores most notably on Moulin Rouge. When I heard the guest list he'd assembled for this c.d. well you could say I was pretty excited on hearing this c.d. My first impressions of it when I bought it way back in February were very disappointing indeed. To me it sounded way to cheesy and all a bit too 'classy'. To me it sounded like the sort of background music you may hear at some 'thirty something dinner party'-albeit a pretty dreary one at that. Then recently having ignored it for a while I dug it out again and my opinions of this c.d. have altered radically. I mean I can see why some people may hate this sort of c.d. as it does sound a bit too like some sort of elaborate film score. The orchestrations are full of vast cinematic swoops and it's all sounds quite grandiose and lavish. But then in other moods I've found this to be an atmospheric c.d. that moves the listener with it's sheer beauty.

The whole thing starts off quite amazingly with this slow moving almost apocalyptic sounding piece. The buzzing drone of a synth builds the piece quite slowly and tastefully for nearly 5 minutes. Then we get the ultimate climax as a choral section joins this near 6 minutes of aural pleasure. Evan Dando never sounded better on the eerie "Wake Up In New York". Considering the terrible events that happened in that city recently it all sounds so prophetic. His voice is tinged with such a despairing sadness it makes this track quite moving indeed. I don't know if it was deliberate but the next track really gets the mind moving also. Scotish mood maestro's Mogwai (all of their albums are certainly worth checking out also!) give their own brand of guitar based atmospheric chill out music. The haunting aspect to this song is the Arabic vocals which seem to be full of pain and sadness. It's a remarkable set of tracks. The next 2 tracks are simple orchestral pieces with a certain hint of Massive Attack bass effects. They sound pretty similar but I love both of them. The first track I'm not too fond of is track 6 "Waltz". It's again very slow moving and has some unusual German spoken word echoing in the background.

The next track is quite diverse from the previous ones. It drops the orchestral sounds in favour of some harsh sounding industrial synth sounds and some fairly heavy guitar, as well as the life support machine synth effects which are heard quite frequently on the c.d. The next track is a collaboration with Photek and is aptly called "Hymn 2". The start of this tracks sets a haunting atmosphere with a soprano used to great effect. It's great to hear David Mc Almount's vocals again on the next track "Snow". He's too good a vocalist to be in the wilderness. The lyrics may be a little too soppy for my liking but when it's mixed with such an amazing string arrangement it makes this track one of the c.d's highlights. Bono does a version of "Stay" which I was surprised to find sounded all a bit [cheesy.] I just feel that the use of the orchestra doesn't work particularly well on this track-it's almost like the orchestra holds the tempo of the vocals back. I prefer the Zooropa version by far. The mood of the c.d. continues along it's pretty melancholic lines and reaches an amazing crescendo with the penultimate track "Let It Be Love". This time the arrangement is based around a simple haunting piano to back some excellent vocals that pour out with emotion.

This c.d. won't have you jumping around the place for joy with excitement and verve but given a more reflective mood you can't deny it's beauty and obvious class!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE MAN BEHIND THE STRINGS, February 21, 2003

By	Juan Mobili (Valley Cottage, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Among other accomplishments this guy provided string arrangements for U2 (check out Miss Sarajevo) and Massive Attack's "Protection." This alone should give you a sense of his worth, yet listening to this album you can experience the emotional depth Armstrong reaches in his writing and arrangements. If you are not moved by these pieces, you ought to check your pulse. This could be the soundtrack of your life.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beauty found..., October 28, 2003

By	Manny Hernandez "Author of Ning For Dummies" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Craig Armstrong came as an incredible musical discovery to me by accident, when I ran into the version of U2's "Stay (Faraway, So Close!" that comes in this album. As a matter of fact, that was just the tip of the iceberg, since the whole album has a feel that puts him alongside artists of the caliber of David Sylvian (check out his "Secrets of the Beehive") and the extinct band The Blue Nile (don't miss their "Hats" for anything in the world).

Thematically, this production is a great accomplishment, where his own solo efforts are crowned by welcomed collaborations from some of the artists he has worked with in the past, while scoring U2 and Massive Attack, among others, and conceiving the music for 'Moulin Rouge' which earned him a Golden Globe. Among the most beautiful tracks beside "Stay..." are: "Let it be love", "Wake Up in New York" (with Evan Dando), "Hymn 2" (with Photek), "Sea Song" (with Wendy Stubbs) and the song that I love most of the entire album, "Finding Beauty", where he showcases all his talents at scoring that have made him what he is today.