Loreena McKennitt - An Ancient Muse
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Free Music Notes for An Ancient Muse
Free Music Review: Hypnotic shades of the desert and beyond
Hit: 5 Stars
I've had this album for about a year, and I can tell you it really is one of my favorites! The blending of musical styles and instruments, not to mention the musical expertise of all the accompaniament is quite unique! Like many others, I am particularly fond of the Middle Eastern influence in such pieces as 'Caravanserai.' To me, pieces like this are written in 'camel time,'which is the cadence of camels crossing the endless desert, going somewhere, but a long, long way to go.... Excellent music for driving long distances, background music, music for contemplation and many other things as well, it is at once mesmerising, soothing and illuminating as well. While it has taken Loreena ten years to come out with something new, when you consider the work and expertise by all parties that has gone into this, it really doesn't surprise me at all; perfection takes a long time to master! I styrongly recommend this one, and if you like it (and I am pretty sure you will!) then try the new 'Night at the Alhambra' as well......Free Music Review: As Beautiful & Enchanting As Ever...
Hit: 5 Stars
Ever since my first time listening to BOOK of SECRETS five years ago, I've been mesmorized by Loreena's beautiful voice and her creative style for poetic classics like Lady of Shalott and The Highwayman. Now after an almost ten year pause, Loreena delivers her angelic vocal and music talent vibrantly in AN ANCIENT MUSE with everything I've come to expect and hope for.
Listening to these pieces feels exactly as Loreena describes making them; like being on a journey through distant lands and ancient times. Among my favorites are CARAVANSERAI, THE ENGLISH LADYE AND THE KNIGHT (a brilliant recreation of Sir Walter Scott's poem of love and war through the Crusades), BENEATH A PHRYGIAN SKY, and NEVER-ENDING ROAD, a beautiful finishing piece that leaves you yearning for more as did DANTE'S PRAYER
in BOOK OF SECRETS.
Thanks again Loreena for sharing your beautiful talent with the world. I highly recommend this to anyone with an appreciation for great quality music.
Free Music Review: A Continuing Journey
Hit: 5 Stars
I have been a Loreena fan for 10 years. I love the album, especially the more Celtic tunes (Themes from the middle ages, set in England, Scotland and Ireland). Some people have written that this is more of the same. Of course! If you have most of her music, and have seen her on stage, you will understand that there been some long standing themes to her life and music. One of them is 'The Old Ways', and another is the migration and influences of the ancient Celts. The latter explains the integration of eastern instruments and sounds. Loreena's music has always been easily identfied by her unique sound. The Old Ways is about a way of life, developed over hundreds of years, that many feel is closer to ideal than the current modern way. There is much more to this, and I encourage anyone interested to look into this themselves by reading Loreena's writings on her albums and at quinlanroad.com. She is also a fan of Dante, Shakespeare, and the book "How the Irish saved Civilization".Free Music Review: Wonderful and Worth the Wait
Hit: 5 Stars
Being a long time Loreena fan, I highly anticipated this album. I was hoping for more masterpiece songs like "Marco Polo" or "Samhain Night" (two of my favs). However, this album went in a different direction, and I love it! The songs are at a slower pace than a lot of her previous work, but they are melodic and rhythmic. There are echoes of previous songs, which gives it a familiarness, yet the styles are different. I love the Middle Eastern influences. Back in 2003 I made my own CD of all my favorite Loreena songs and played it at my wedding. There are definitely two tracks from this album that I can add to my list of favorites... "Caravanserai" and "Kecharitomene".
The way Loreena can mix Middle Eastern rhythm with Celtic melodies is unique, and I've never heard anything else like it. I'm very excited to have a new Loreena album, and I really hope she doesn't wait ten years to release another one. Also, Loreena, please play some live shows in the U.S.!
Free Music Review: More like Dead Can Dance than Enya
Hit: 5 Stars
I read about people talking about Loreena McKennitt as if she were like Enya. McKennitt was born in Canada of Irish and Scottish, hence the connection some people make with Enya, and the fact that some of her earlier material has a very distinct Celtic sound. However, in my mind Loreena McKennitt has always stayed at a safe distance from a mainstream sound (a little more common in Enya's work), and this album is another confirmation of that.
After a ten year absence from the studio, McKennitt came back in 2006 with an album inspired by her trips through many Asian and Mediterranean lands. Her musical caravan in "An Ancient Muse" comes with a sound that often reminds of the Middle East. The end result of the album brings her closer to the likes of Dead Can Dance and further from her traditional Celtic sound. Still, this is an album that is bound to rejoice her fans, who will be happy with the well-rounded and balanced nine tracks on it.