Elemental [ENHANCED] [IMPORT] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Loreena McKennitt

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 11, 2006)
• Original Release Date: 1985
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Enhanced, Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Quinlan Road Import
• ASIN: B0002VE1W0
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #198,067 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
BONUS DVD (PAL)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spare, sparkling Celtic ballads with subtle shades of things to come, October 1, 2006

By	Brianna Neal (USA) - See all my reviews

This is Loreena McKennitt unplugged, on what is--to my knowledge--her first album. These are gentle, wistful songs, primarily minor in flavor and performed in a fairly traditional manner. "Elemental" is a short CD, only about 33 minutes long. Eight of its nine songs are vocals--mostly Loreena singing in her sweet, lilting voice to her own harp accompaniments, although gentle additions of acoustic bass, accordion, synthesizer, cello, guitar and occasional multitracks of her own voice sometimes enhance the pieces as well. "Carrighfergus" is a duet with singer and guitarist Cedric Smith, and Lullaby is a poem by William Blake, read by Douglas Campbell and accompanied by McKennitt's vocalise and instrumentation. Other guest artists include cellist Pat Mullin and acoustic bass player George Greer. There's none of the bodaceous intensity and world music instrumentations of McKennitt's later work (like "The Mask and the Mirror" and "The Book of Secrets") but a delicate, dreamy magic drifts through this album that is delightfully restful and soothing. And her deft, delicate, evocative arrangements of harp and harmony, even at this early stage of her career, stand out as something special. Follow Loreena McKennitt's development as a musician and composer by collecting all her wonderful works! Her next release after "Elemental" was "To Drive the Cold Winter Away," followed by "Parallel Dreams." Try also the work of Kim Robertson and Aine Minogue, two more elegantly innovative harpists and composers.