Currently listening to II ...

[baht habit]

Peter Gabriel "Scratch My Back". Just like Sylvian alienated plenty of his listeners with Manafon...and just as Sting angered a large portion of his fans with "If On A Winter's Night"...now Gabriel dares to challenge his audience with an eccentric recording of covers. No guitars, no drums, no synths, no electronics. Voice + piano and orchestral accompaniment.

[Foales Arishes]

A 'Broken Consort' [Richard Skelton] 'Crow Autumn' on the Tomkins Square label. You can get a copy directly from Richard's Sustain Release label, which comes with a separate disk of bonus material (limited to just 100 copies), which is excellent, and what I'm listening too as I type.

http://richardskelton.wordpress.com/

[digimarsh]

Peter Gabriel "Scratch My Back". Just like Sylvian alienated plenty of his listeners with Manafon...and just as Sting angered a large portion of his fans with "If On A Winter's Night"...now Gabriel dares to challenge his audience with an eccentric recording of covers. No guitars, no drums, no synths, no electronics. Voice + piano and orchestral accompaniment.

which tracks has he covered, out of interest

[baht habit]

Peter Gabriel "Scratch My Back". Just like Sylvian alienated plenty of his listeners with Manafon...and just as Sting angered a large portion of his fans with "If On A Winter's Night"...now Gabriel dares to challenge his audience with an eccentric recording of covers. No guitars, no drums, no synths, no electronics. Voice + piano and orchestral accompaniment.

which tracks has he covered, out of interest

Gabriel has covered Bowie's Heroes, Paul Simon's The Boy In The Bubble, Mirrorball by Elbow, Flume by Bon Iver, Talking Head's Listening Wind (a astoundingly fantastic version, by the way), Lou Reed's The Power Of The Heart, My Body Is A Cage by Arcade Fire, The Book Of Love by The Magnetic Fields, Randy Newman's I Think It's Going To Rain Today, Regina Spektor's Apres Moi, Neil Young's Philadelphia, Radiohead's Street Spirit, and the bonus track is his version of Waterloo Sunset by Ray Davies & The Kinks.
Gabriel hopes to release "I'll Scratch Yours" in the future, including the artists he has covered on this cd, all doing covers of his work.

[digimarsh]

thanks for bringing this album to my attention, had a look (listen to samples ect), i am gonna invest in a copy.

[inkinthewell]

Holly Miranda - Waves
Taken By The Trees - Anna

[heartofdavid]

Medium Label Sampler, miss the JBK collaboration, would be interesting to see what they'd come up with now.

[digimarsh]

Shabooh Shoobah by inxs

[digimarsh]

Manafon

[S4pB]

L'Arc~en~Ciel.. couldn't imagine how great they are! Hyde is fantastic vocalist..

[Q Quarters]

Tim Buckley "Happy Sad" again. Still a very beautiful album.

[Stoobie]

Lady ga ga & Beyonce ~ Telephone !

Honest !

Stoobie

[Foales Arishes]

'The Forgotten Kingdom' La Tragédie Cathare. The Albigensian Crusade - Jordi Savall.

This is the most amazing and beautiful SACD [3x] package I've ever seen... a vast book, in seven languages, with artwork and texts depicting and telling of the Catholic churches crusades and eradication of the Cathars. Heady stuff, but very accessible through the music, which is some of the finest playing and singing you'll hear anywhere, under the direction of Catalonian musician Jordi Savall - recorded to absolute perfection too.

If you have any interest in history and the music of other cultures give it a try... beguiling stuff.

More info here http://www.alia-vox.com/

[Hawk]

'The Forgotten Kingdom' La Tragédie Cathare. The Albigensian Crusade - Jordi Savall.

This is the most amazing and beautiful SACD [3x] package I've ever seen... a vast book, in seven languages, with artwork and texts depicting and telling of the Catholic churches crusades and eradication of the Cathars. Heady stuff, but very accessible through the music, which is some of the finest playing and singing you'll hear anywhere, under the direction of Catalonian musician Jordi Savall - recorded to absolute perfection too.

If you have any interest in history and the music of other cultures give it a try... beguiling stuff.

More info here http://www.alia-vox.com/

Wow thank you so much - this is fantastic - just listening to a few notes of 'sanctus' and it's one of the fastest changes from bored neutrality to heartfelt wonder experienced in a long time. Such beautiful pieces... Looking forward to exploring this....

Edit: I love the voice of Arianna Savali. There is an instrument in 'Adoucit La Mélodie' I recognise the sound of - it is like an echo - like a drum and a string instrument in one - I think I've heard it on Manafon??

[Foales Arishes]

Stunning isn't it? - glad you like it Hawk... I do appreciate it's not for everyone however.

I had not heard of Jordi Savall until a couple of weeks ago, when I read a review for this project, then, listening to a few samples was enough to tell me this is truly something special… the attention to detail and sensitivity to the subject matter is something of a rarity in these highly commercial times, thank goodness for people like this.

There is a wonderful film showing Jordi and his ensemble recording and performing their latest project 'Història Borja' which can been seen here http://www.tv3.cat/videos/2692850/Music ... oria-Borja - its an hour and twenty minutes long, and not in English, but is well worth watching, if just to witness musicians at the height of their craft.

If you plan on buying 'The Forgotten Kingdom' can I recommend Bath Compact Disc, which has it for £27.99 – much cheaper than Amazon

I have just ordered ‘Francisco Javier - The Route to the Orient’ another ‘livre cd’ – I cannot wait