American / English

Acoustic Alchemy

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 29, 2005)
• Original Release Date: March 29, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Higher Octave
• ASIN: B0007QCLS6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #52,393 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smoothjazz.com Review, July 1, 2005

By	Sandy Shore (Monterey, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like a letter from a favorite friend - Smooth Jazz supergroup Acoustic Alchemy writes again... This time they've written in  "American English," which is, as we would be inclined to say in America, totally cool. Celebrating their 20th anniversary the British instrumental ensemble has released, in our opinion, one of their best projects to date... Sophisticated, captivating and fresh. Reminding me a bit of 1991's BACK ON THE CASE with regard to how that album impacted music at that time. Starting off smooth and hip on AMERICAN/ENGLISH with "The Crossing," moving right into the current radio hit, "Say Yeah," which offers some fun, cutting edge production where the guitar riffs are "chopped" for effect; this technique has been utilized by dance/pop artists like Madonna and Craig David. For you Chill/Lounge enthusiasts, check out "So Kylie," a delicious groove with sweet vocalizing combined with that signature Acoustic Alchemy sound. The name references the U.K. dance scene and diva Kylie Minogue. Another stand out track, "She Speaks American English," funks up the place a bit. According to AA manger, Stewart Coxhead, "It's an English take on a sound that is very American, with maybe a few Steely Dan quotes thrown in." My personal favorite is the deep "Lilac Lane" for it's rich texture, complex emotion and haunting melody. Feels like the Monterey Bay area to me... Acoustic Alchemy Circa 2005, with Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale at the helm, is at the top of their game... Sounding, looking and recording better than ever. -Sandy Shore

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worthy purchase!, October 8, 2005

By	AnotherMusicExpert (Duluth, MN USA) - See all my reviews

I wasn't expecting much from some of the reviews here but was pleasantly surprised. Sure, there are some of the same guitar progressions & licks, a few that sound like other AA tunes, but overall it is a totally enjoyable CD, with somewhat more of a 70s/80s feel than some of their other CDs. Some real treats here like "Detroit Shuffle", "Say Yeah", and "Carrot Cafe" is a whole new AA groove. Soothing, energizing...there's not much music like this these days, so get it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Acoustic Pleasure for the Ears, September 26, 2005

By	Lisa Jason "LCJLondon" (Dover, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Another fantastic product of this talented acoustic group. Acoustic Alchemy continues to improve with age, producing a smooth & natural, yet well orchestrated sound. If you have liked previous offerings by this group, American/English will not disappoint.