Certainly well worth owning
353122
Very nicely made and works well.  It is not as versitile as the buckle type of ring that cinches around a bottom plate, but it is also not as expensive.  This works particularly well for a cake that can be unmoulded with a very little bit of heat (i.e. a very quick pass with a torch) or that allow the sides to be otherwise greesed.  With the buckle type, the buckle unsnaps and the ring expands an 1/8 to 1/4 inch.  Because of the sharper sides, this ring is easier to use when sizing cake layers.
2391450
This is an exceptionally fine book with ideas that will transcend years.  it belongs on a coffee table, not a book shelf!  It's not just the paint colors that
are interesting, the exterior architecture, the landscaping, the ornamental detail discussed are both beautiful and instructive.  The final resource chapters are a bonus and a tremendous benefit.  This book is well worth the investment.
4258520
On the outside, "Hair" may seem dated, but the issues it tackles are still relevant today.
This cast recording includes many bonus tracks, and even interesting interviews with Galt MacDermot (composer and music director).  The recording itself, even though old, captures all the energy of the stage production.
For any "Hair" fan, this is a gem to own.
3871415
I bought this expressly to enjoy more of David Finck's bass -- and  it is here, to be sure. But the arrangements and the production are all, almost continuously, either flattening the group dynamic or overwhelming it.

Finck's playing has lots of exciting surprises and just as many thoughtful places to consider and enjoy the music. His bandmates, on the other hand, seem intent on jamming every moment with trills and triplets and turn-arounds to the point where, sometimes, it's hard to get a thought in sideways, much less get a nice meditative flow going.

Even so, this is still a quite enjoyable album with lots of good moments and, if you can dig it out, with loads of great, imaginative bass.
1680408
Excellent balance between performance, style and practicality
1525949
Most tunes from this, and their past albums, would be hits in most other decades. My whole family can listen to this and dig it, and man, I dig it to. So excited when I saw this come up on Prime, and bought it after being reminded how great they are - just want to burn a copy for the car, for everywhere, forget that it's free, this is worth owning outright.
60114
you're obviously going to want this one as well.  I'm not only a fan of the performances, but also the format of the show as well as the intimate setting. (which as the presenters describe, was a matter of circumstance more than design)  The presenters themselves are extremely knowledgable about music and very well spoken without the hype that most Americans are used to when music performances and performers are being discussed.  Quiet, serious discourse on the songs and excellent performances.  I can't think of anything better.

One other thing, it's actually cheaper to buy these separately than in the box set which is very unusual.
1750992
Highly recommended--there is scarcely a clinker among all the songs on this CD. Also, the Deluxe Edition is very much worth it, as there is a striking difference in the recordings of the seemingly duplicate songs. And both versions are just awesome to listen to.
3389137
Once again I find myself astonished and delighted that a subject one might have thought too insubstantial to merit more than an article in an obscure scholarly journal has, in fact, attracted a writer to produce a thoughtful, interesting, and thorough treatise for the general public. Anyone with any interest in American folk or popular music has probably long ago made LONG STEEL RAIL part of her library, but those whose interests are more casual or general would do well to do so also. Mr. Cohen neatly weaves his narrative of railroad song into the broader fabric of American history, so that his reader can easily appreciate how such songs reflect the changing concerns, fears, and values of our society. The stories of many of the songs are fascinating in their own right: for example, the litigation over rights to "The Wreck of the Old 97", the mixed origin of "Casey Jones", the pluck and luck of Elizabeth Cotten, composer of the ever popular "Freight Train".

The accompanying discography and bibliography are as remarkable for their completeness as for their accuracy.

This book is a rare gem. I recommend it to any who have a passion for America or for folk music (in the broadest sense of the phrase).
2505992
The original recordings are revealed for the fine achievements they were: beautifully balanced, clear and vivid:  the sound of the bass drum in Nightride and Sunrise couldn't be more spine-tingling in modern full-digital Technicolor, but it doesn't stand out unnaturally either.

Collins is a first-rate musical landscape-painter. He doesn't just give us the bold sweeping brush-strokes, important as they are; he shows how the landscapes team with minute life. Rustling string textures aren't blandly homogenized-tiny details catch the ear, and then vanish again. Woodwind bird calls or horn calls can be acutely expressive-some passages remind me of Sibelius's comments about quasi-human voices in the nature sounds around his forest-home. But exaggeration is alien to the Collins approach. Nothing is forced, almost everything is fresh and vital.

In fact the insight Collins offers often derives from nothing more than taking Sibelius at his word-e.g., holding to the tempo as the finale theme emerges from the scherzo triplets in the last movement of the Third Symphony.  It isn't only in the symphonies that the Collins touch is refreshing. Pohjola's Daughter comes to life as effectively as the symphonies, and this disc contains a real rarity, an entirely satisfactory Nightride and Sunrise.
2716355
I had bought this when it was first released many years ago and since lost it in my moves.  Worth having and keeping.
1697945
I have this box set. Mine came with with an 8 page booklet written by Dr. David Doughty who has written liner notes for Brilliant Classics in the past. This is a valuable collection of Handel's chamber music, well played and very well recorded. Typical of the period, Handel does recycle some works that exist in other versions but there aren't enough examples of this to cause any sense of dispair to the purchaser. In fact, I find it interesting to hear music re-arranged by the original composer as it tends to reveal other aspects that might be hidden in the composer's first thoughts.

The playing on these recordings is consistantly at the highest level. David Reichenberg's oboe playing is so fetching at times, he actually puts gentle sobbing into music. It is uncanny and very moving. I have never heard an oboe tone similar to his before and it stopped me cold, freezing me into a transfixed state leaving my consciousness empty except for total concentration on the music. That singular experience, rare in occurance is reason enough for me to own the entire set. While the rest of the works in the box set may not reach such etherial heights, it is certainly highly accomplished and brings very fine listening.

I could not find fault with the recording quality in my set. I also could not locate any dropoff in sound compared with the original CRD release. There is also nothing missing in the content when compared with CRD. I'm not sure what the other reviewer was referring to and he admits to being unable to locate his copy now. Perhaps it was some other, earlier incarnation. Whatever it may have been, it does not seem relevant to the set offered here. Anyone seeking Handel's chamber works need not harbor any fear or reservation with obtaining this excellent music, and at a very excellent price.

There is a small reservation I need to mention in the spirit of full disclosure. The works individual movements do not get their own individual tracks on the CD. In other words, each work gets a single track even though it may consist of several short movements. The longest track is 14:30, and it consists of 7 short movements. So, if you want to hear part of a work, you have to fast forward "manually" until you find the part you want to hear. I didn't find this to be a problem at all since all the little movements that make up this works are very short, sometimes less than a minute. The Penguin Guide gave it a 1/2 star penalty because the little movements didn't get their own tracks but I think this is quibbling and nit-picking over what generally wouldn't concern the majority of listeners. The PG couldn't put it down on musical grounds and isn't this the real reason why we buy this music? The original CRD recording was also formatted this way, so Brilliant Classics cannot be blamed for this little inconvenience.

All in all, this is a valuable collection of wonderful music by one of the greatest composers. The outlay is minimal considering what you get and therefore, I think any fan of Baroque music, Handel or well crafted chamber music would profit from owning this set. Considering the bargain cost for a 6 CD set with documentation, this gets a very strong recommendation.
1349122
The NICOT has been a work in progress for the past few decades. My recollection is that the first volumes came out before 1980. It is still not complete, but it is getting close. Despite a few remaining gaps, it is definitely worth owning. Like any commentary set written by multiple authors, some volumes will be better than others, but there are none that are defective and the majority are outstanding.

The NICOT is written with the layperson in mind. Unlike some commentaries it does not presuppose a knowledge of Hebrew. Moreover, it is clearly and concisely written in a way that anyone can understand. At the same time, it isn't shallow and covers each verse more than adequately. It also notes variant readings and interpretations without getting bogged down in too much detail.

Much as I would with the complementary NICNT, I would recommend this as the one set everyone should buy. (I'd recommend the classic Kiel and Delitzsch right behind this.)
296164
Spurred on by Stewart Crowe's superbly informative, knowledgeable and enthusiastic review, I acquired this issue, complete with (to me) wholly indecipherable Japanese notes and was bowled over my the depth, detail and richness of the sound in this remastering by engineer Simon Gibson for Warner Music Japan. I had previously jettisoned my old EMI CD, which was hissy and papery and gave undue prominence to JB's famous groaning; this one is worlds better and although I confess I acquired a Marketplace copy at a third of the official asking price, I could well understand any Barbirolli-Mahler fan paying full the whack for such a wonderful account.

I don't need to add much to Stewart's encomium for the playing and sound; Barbirolli's pacing and phrasing are such that every climax, from the first three minutes into the Andante comodo, really delivers without delivering too much too soon too quickly. The listener is conscious - in the right way -  throughout of the beauty of the orchestral playing, the concentration and energy of the conducting and the immediacy of the sound all combining to create a truly joyous example of music-making at its most ebullient and profound. In this regard, and even in style, with his willingness to emote and take risks, Barbirolli reminds me of his contemporary Bernstein; no Mahler Lite here. The way he keeps the music dancing brings out all its infectious humour and restless energy; the Rondo is riotous and the concluding Adagio deeply moving, despite JB's vocal obbligato - which is now perhaps more endearing than annoying.

This one's the ultimate keeper.
1229269
I have heard Jochum's and Karajan's recordings of Bruckner and Tintner grasp of this material equals theirs.  The Irish and Scotish orchestras he uses are fully up to the task and the Naxos engineers did a great job getting this on disk just before Tinter's death.  Even if you have other sets this one is worth having because of the rarely performed editions he uses of the second, third and eighth symphonies.  Tinter's commentary in the accompanying booklet is informative and entertaining.  The inclusion of the 0 and 00 symphonies is a great bonus.
2505149
One of the few albums I own that I would never, EVER get rid of (the others: "Pet Sounds", "White Album", and George Harrison "All Things Must Pass").  Most of the cuts on this album are excellent, the remaining few are above average.  The Band shows a great musical flexability on this album; going from uptempo rock ("Look Out Cleveland", "Up On Cripple Creek") to ballads ("Unfaithful Servant", " Rockin' Chair") to country-Byrds "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" country-("Rag Mama Rag", "The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down"), and everything in between.  A monumental album and definitely worthwhile to add to anyone's music collection.
2424360
I first found these in a dusty side bin in beacon records in providence in 1977. They were appealing and well done back then, and frankly, even with the onslaught of so many more recent versions, and on period instruments, these hold up very well, and I'm glad they were put on CD. Igor Kipnis was a tremendously gifted harpsichordist, and plays these with both style and keen attention to the nuances of baroque ornamentation. Sir Neville Marriner's accompaniment with the so-called London Strings (the early ASMF) is very apt. (Although this may not be perfectly "au courant" with the period instrument police), I found in revisiting these recordings that Marriner injected slightly more emotion and a touch more passion into the orchestral playing than more recent renditions, where the orchestral forces often been whittled down to two anemic violinists, a hurdy-gurdy man and two whining chipmunks. (All joking aside,) I actually do like the fleet, "small group" approach to Bach's concerti (listen for example, to Rachel Podger's transcendent work with the Brecon Baroque) but there's room for a variety of approaches here, and Marriner loses nothing in nimbleness by letting the blood flow a bit. If you're looking for a solid, well executed set at a cheap price, this will do nicely.

By the way, this set also has been reissued on Newton Classics, much to my intense delight. Its unclear how much they've cleaned up the sound. While I don't detect vast improvement, I hardly have state-of-the-art equipment, and frankly was just so glad to find the set reissued, I'd settle for even middle-of-the-road sonics.