Reviews

Aside from a few distinct passages, this comes encased in 80's production so densely plastic it hard to appreciate seldom segments that do gel. Davis obviously sought Miller's direction for late-career relevance but with Tutu vibrancy ended up backfiring.

Here's the thing, recorded in the 80's it has a heavy synth feel to it. You've got your opinions on synth, it means synthesized, NOT synthetic. They are still real instruments, being played by real people. Add the haunting melodies of Miles Davis and you get an incredible juxtaposition of old and new. Now for the not so good part. This album was really the forerunner of the bland soft jazz that has been regurgitated for the past two decades. Sadly it created the groove for programmed backgrounds with moderately talented horn players to try their thing. IT'S STILL GOING ON. Heck, it's pretty much soft porn music. If you're familiar with that type of soulless jazz, you might get a feeling of it from this album, but this album has soul, make no mistake. Every classic has a thousand pale copies. I think if you can leave all preconceptions behind, you'll enjoy this album. It's solid.

As other reviewers have written, this record does have that "80's" sound to it, and well, being that it was recorded in 1986, are you surprised? However, it has a sound that Miles and Marcus Miller basically created themselves, which is something to admire and respect. I know some jazz "puritans" will scoff at the use of electronics and drum machines here, but hasn't jazz always really been about innovation and stepping out of the typical, mundane aspects of standard 1234 song writing? At the time, that's exactly what Miles and Marcus were doing. They were approaching music in new ways, just as Miles did in the 50's-70's, and in the 80's, that involved electronics and drum machines and etc. Regardless, there is good stuff here. I love the moody "Portia" and was especially pleased with the Jamaican-dub influenced "Don't Lose Your Mind". I've been listening to 70's dub (highly recommended) a lot lately and even though the two styles intertwine, I was surprised to hear a boppin' bassline with jazzy reggae rhythms and even a slight echo-like keyboard on this release. In all honesty, if I was at a cocktail lounge in 1986 and heard this, I'd likely give it 5 stars. However, I'm a young one (born in 81) and I'm sure I'm slighting this release because of it. Nonetheless, young or old, there is music here to appreciate.

The first time I heard the first chord of the title track slashing its way through the air, I stopped in mid sentence and listened. For me it seemed to fill in a lot of missing pieces of a vast musical puzzle. A great many possibilities were opened. The point of this recording is not to compare it to what Miles had done before it. The obvious continuity of Miles' style notwithstanding, the album itself was a bold experiment in imposing his musical ideas upon the environment wherein "jazz" ideas should not be able to survive. Yet Miles and Miller pulled it off. To my ears, and taste, more than anything, it is the vibe of the album, the musical mood, that most appeals to me. Perhaps its effect on me is too personal for me to be 100% objective about it. But the music succeeds in all manner of ways. It is a great accomplishment.

This album by a great master was panned by the critics but it is a masterpiece. On it, Davis shows he can use his trumpet to paint in a different style and this is his Picasso, his modern art work. And perhaps this is why the critics at the time didn't value this work appropriately. They were used to Davis using softer brush strokes to paint impressionistic pictures in their mind and didn't know what to make of the electric guitar and synthesizer that pushed him into a new genre. Listening to some of the tracks, you can see the paint splat against the canvas and Davis working fevorishly but deliberately like a musical Jackson Pollack. I highly suggest they and you listen again and this time with open ears.

Reviews

Just a short note here - This disc is an unbelievable bargain because it has the best of the Ragossnig & Feybli Spanish guitar favorites. Can't figure out why is it going so cheaply in ANY condition, but it is not to be missed if you are looking for these two artists. We are pleased that other reviewers feel the same about this recording. You won't regret adding this one to your classical guitar collection!

I should state at the outset that I don't possess this album. I do, however, possess all the recordings on it in other manifestations, so I can say with confidence that (at under $5.00 as I write) this is stunning value. What it is, is the entirety of Konrad Ragossnig & Walter Feybli's The Latin American Guitar -- itself an excellent (originally) budget-priced CD -- plus Manuel Barrueco playing Villa-Lobos's Popular Brazilian Suite, bringing the total time to 59'40". RAGOSSNIG/FEYBLI The Ragossnig/Feybli album, originally recorded in 1973, consists of 44 minutes of eminently listenable and charming Latin American guitar solos and duets, and as such has been issued many times on many labels under many titles -- usually budget-priced, but I see the second-hand prices are being inflated, as is considered customary for deleted items. Konrad Ragossnig, although little known outside his native Austria, is an excellent guitarist (and lutenist); Walter Feybli is otherwise unknown to me, but here appears as a fine guitarist in his own right. A few pieces are solos by one artist or the other, and the remainder are duets. All the pieces are rhythmic and firmly tonal, and thus suitable for the general listener, even the Ponce. The solo pieces are indeed staples of the classical guitar repertory. But the gems of this album are the eleven South American Folksongs arranged by the late Len Williams, which (as far as I'm aware) have never been recorded elsewhere. The last-named is of course best known as the father of John. What is not so well known is that he was a first-rate arranger for guitar, and especially for two guitars (which I can also attest as former student of his Spanish Guitar Centre in London). The "Album of Spanish and South American Folk Songs for two guitars", to give it its full title (published by Schott, GA91) is a triumph of the arrangers art: the pieces are so simple to play that even near-beginners can manage them; when played by masters -- as here -- they are delightful. MANUEL BARRUECO Cuban Manuel Barrueco is one of my favourite guitarists of all time; not because of his rock-solid technique (which is becoming less uncommon these days) but because of his amazing musicianship and beautiful sound. He is equally at home with Romantic, Baroque or modern music, and the Popular Brazilian Suite fits right in with the rest of the album. SUMMARY Unless you hate Latin music on the guitar, you can't go wrong with this disk.

The previous reviewer is absolutely right: this is a superb collection, superbly played, by some of the very best guitarists you will ever hear performing this repertoire. Demonstration quality sound. A joy from first to last.

This CD is proof that price has no correlation with quality when it comes to music CDs. This CD is full of short guitar pieces by masters such as Villa-Lobos, etc, and every song is beautiful and well crafted. None of the music featured on this CD is cheap - it is top quality latin classical guitar music. Another reason to get this CD is that many of the songs featured on this CD are rare and not easy to find. Lastly, the sound quality is surprisingly good and most audiophiles won't be disappointed. Currently on amazon, this CD is going for 99 cents used. Spend a buck and get one of the best CDs of your guitar music collection.

Reviews

Revelation can be put into words, and other times it goes past that into pure feeling. This music captures both beautifully. 'Light is stronger than darkness' declares the chant in "A Prayer of Desmond Tutu", led by the archbishop himself. Lustrous words are at the spiritual heart of these songs. Composer James Whitbourn has turned lucid reflections of seers through the ages into choral psalms of illumination. Their confessional moments of clarity give form to hope, and beaming paths for the chorus. The monumental seven-section title piece "Luminosity" interprets brilliant quotes in spectral chorales with undertones of Indian trance. Conversely, "There is no speech or language" aptly describes the other side of revelation, the undescribable rush of emotion. Chorals are so sonorously beautiful that they escape words into pure tones. Whitbourn weaves these textures of emotion into evocations of soaring grace, or comforting solace, or jubilant release. "Alleluia Jubilate" is breathtaking, so radiant it stuns you into rapt stillness. This music is like dappling sunlight. It describes something deeper and wider than words can reach. It is trancendent and wonderful enough just for that. This ethereal and eerie music would also appeal to fans of David Axelrod; Ennio Morricone and his soprano Edda Dell'Orso; Angelo Badalamenti and Julee Cruise ("Twin Peaks"); Miranda Sex Garden; Lush; Bjork; Buddha Bar comps; and Goldfrapp.

Reviews

The depiction of Bonhoeffer is to my knowledge as close as it came come in portrayal of him. Sobering, gives one cause to pause to view their position.

Excellent production and telling of the fascinating true story of Deitrich Bonhoeffer and one attempt to stop the monstrous Nazi machine. Illustrates true self sacrifice and heroism, and the Biblical principal "faith without works is dead."

It was a very good film. Really enjoyed the background and history of Bonhoeffer. A very interesting person.

I've used this video to expose young adults in our church to great Christians. Bonhoeffer's journey speaks to many issues my students are grappling with: war, political engagement, the role of the church in society. There is great insight as you watch Bonhoeffer keep his focus on Christ and engage with the world around him.

Excellent factual account of Bonhoeffer's life and the significance of his activities as a scholar, philosopher, leader and in his elected role as an active anti-Nazi citizen. Ausgezeichnet!

Reviews

FINALLY- a film that dives into the complexity of being gay and christian. real people, pain-filled examples of abuse. clear scripture clarification. detailed accounts of how the bible is being misused. this should be shown and discussed at great detail in all churches- if more people watched this with an open mind then the face of christianity would better resemble that of the face of Christ. ALSO: the production values were A+. frequently films like this are made poorly, and the low budget shows. this was entertaining and quality film making!

I got an email confirming the item had been returned, but the strange part is it was never received by me & I actually had wanted this DVD!

Informative, creative and moving. A long over-due examination of the complex issues surrounding religion and homosexuality.

We recently watched this video in class--everyone was moved. I would highly recommend this video to anyone with questions about the issues of gay identity, or gay marriage. The lives of those involved were portrayed with thoughtfulness and honesty; this film can bring the roots of mis-attribution of negative traits to the surface, so that they can be considered within a more grounded and realistic framework.

Who would have thought that the consecration of a bishop in New Hampshire of all places would send a fissure though the global church - not just the Anglican Church, but the church as a whole. But the consecration of an openly gay man has done just that, laying bare the divisions over sexuality that permeates the Christian Community. The Rt. Rev. Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire has become the symbol of our unease with our sexuality and its place in the church. The film begins with Anita Bryant, back in the 1970s denouncing the "gay agenda." Interspersed through the film are angry denouncements of homosexuality on the part of Christians, like Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Dobson, and the ubiquitous folk from Topeka's Westborough Baptist Church. But that is not the essence of the film. Instead it is the stories of real families who struggle with their children's sexual identity and their own religious formation. Five families are interviewed - including the family of Bishop Robinson, whose own spiritual foundations are not Episcopal, but Disciples of Christ. His parents still members of the same Kentucky Disciple church that he grew up in share their pride in their son and the journey they took to embrace him as he is, despite their earlier formation. Another famous family is that of former Congressman Richard Gephardt, whose daughter Chrissie is a lesbian. Some of the stories, like those of the Gephardts and the Robinsons are happy, but not all are. Mary Lou Wallner tells the story of her estrangement from her lesbian daughter Anna, largely on the basis of her faith formation and understanding of the Bible - an understanding she got largely from Focus on the Family. That story ends tragically in the suicide death of her daughter. But out of that tragedy came hope, for Mary Lou began to study and found that her previous understandings had been wrong. Now she speaks out on behalf of the gay and lesbian community. There is another family that is conflicted - they love their daughter and welcome her, but they can't accept who she is. That's a work in progress. Finally there's the story of Jake Reitan, a young gay man who grew up in a solid - Lutheran - Christian family. It took time for his family to embrace him as he is, but in the long run they became advocates, standing with him as Soul Force demonstrated at the Focus on the Family headquarters. The powerful statement these stories make is that this is a personal issue. Whatever your views of homosexuality or of the Bible, things change when it affects your family. How you read the Bible is influenced by your own experiences. That is true of me - I'm a graduate of a leading evangelical seminary, whose president is featured in the film (unfortunately affirming traditional interpretations of these texts that excluded), but when my brother came out, things changed. Our hang up is with sex, but when we realize that this is my brother, or my sister, or my son or my daughter, what do we do? Dick Gephardt says it well - when Chrissie came out, fearing that she might be disowned, he declared a parent's unconditional love. Love won out. As Mel White put it: "Once they realize who we are up close and personal that fear goes away." The film deals with the families, but it also deals with the texts. A series of speakers, ranging from Mel White, Peter Gomes, Desmond Tutu to Rabbi Stephen Greenberg, Disciples pastors Larry Keene and Steve Kindle, and an American Baptist woman pastor Sandra Sparks. Each of these speakers takes on our cultural presuppositions, formed by our faith traditions, and the Biblical texts - of which there are only about six, few of which even apply today in any real way. We hear that Leviticus declares a man lying with a man to be an abomination, but then it also says the same about eating shrimp. As Larry Keene, a Disciple pastor and former Pepperdine professor points out, the question isn't so much what the Bible seems to say, but how we read it and use it today. At the heart of the debate is the question of choice - is it a choice or not? The film takes on this question creatively, through the use of a brief, at times humorous, but pointed cartoon. This piece sits in the middle of the film, providing both comic relief and movement forward on the discussion. And as most reputable science states, this isn't a choice, it is one's identity. If so, then we must ask: what next for our society? We live at a time when the vast numbers of people are biblically illiterate and read the Bible in bits and pieces, influenced largely by their own upbringing. This reading is combined with great amounts of fear. It is true that our society's greatest fear is of male homosexuals - a fear of a feminization of a man. To be gay is to be - in the eyes of many - feminine. Gay men, such as White and Robinson, make it clear that this isn't true. But the fear is still there, and it's a fear we must address. Our fear leads us to plead with gays and lesbians to stay in the closet, but as Mel White points out, the "closet is a place of death." Young gays, feeling suppressed and forced into a closet, with no one to talk with, too often and very tragically, take their own lives. And why? Because our society is permeated by fear of the other and formed by outmoded interpretations of the Bible. Is this film biased? Of course it is. It is a strongly stated, but not in your face, statement of the dignity and equality and the humanity of our gay and lesbian friends, neighbors, and family members. It is a film that must be seen. At this point it is in fairly restricted distribution, but hopefully this will change - for the church must change so that the world might change. If the film begins (with the exception of the Anita Bryant outburst) with an introduction of the Robinson family, it appropriately ends with his joyous and yes controversial consecration as Bishop of New Hampshire. The world will never be the same - and that's a good thing.

Reviews

This is a beautifully done series. Whoever made this truly loved ballet and fairy tales. While not all of the dancing is animated, the whole things is breathtakingly illustrated, one of the most gorgeous series I've ever seen. I only have one gripe, and that is only about the packaging, where the six discs are stacked within the case so they are more prone to scratches.

I have fallen in love with the series! I only saw a few episodes on TV. At first when I saw it about ballet, I was a little skeptical because I thought it would a girly, almost sissy, froo-froo (girly-girly). But it actually wasn't all about that. It had its balance to the girly aspect with darkness and such. I found it to a wonderful and great series. The ending is something I didn't see coming.

I watched the first few episodes of Princess Tutu online a while back, but came to a dead end by episode 9. Finally I bought it the other day, two years later, and I'm quite glad I did. It's lovely, although my friends find it slow at the beginning. I've only gotten up to around episode 14 but I've fallen in love. My only complaint I have is on the English dub and the 'Beginner Ballet' lessons. The English voice cast take 'weird' to the extreme with their either extremely high, low, squeaky, or tired voices, and it causes distraction. So normally I just turn on the subtitles and switch it to Japanese, which sounds much more pleasing to the ears. Then there's the ballet lessons, which are basically repeated footage from the first few episodes and Professor Cat (in English, mind you) saying something about vocabulary, and ending with an annoying, "Or you will marry me!" It doesn't teach anything, so I personally find it a waste of time and space on the disk. I'd read the plot beforehand, maybe watch the first episode online, and if you like I'd advis buying this. Overall, this set is a great buy, and if you're into 'chick-flick' anime, you'll love this.

Okay, so I started watching this series two days ago, and I already finished it. It's soo addicting and just all around a beautiful anime. It's basically-ugh, I really can't describe it! It's beautiful, it brings back memories of older fairy tales, and it's just amazing. The OST for it, too, is wonderful and has inspired me to play my violin again. The only, ONLY gripe I have about this anime is the ending, buuut I'm not going into details~~ ^-^ You'll just have to watch it to find out~

This series combines a twist on our regular stories which we have grown up loving with an original idea creating a wonderful piece. A must watch.

Reviews

The depiction of Bonhoeffer is to my knowledge as close as it came come in portrayal of him. Sobering, gives one cause to pause to view their position.

Excellent production and telling of the fascinating true story of Deitrich Bonhoeffer and one attempt to stop the monstrous Nazi machine. Illustrates true self sacrifice and heroism, and the Biblical principal "faith without works is dead."

It was a very good film. Really enjoyed the background and history of Bonhoeffer. A very interesting person.

I've used this video to expose young adults in our church to great Christians. Bonhoeffer's journey speaks to many issues my students are grappling with: war, political engagement, the role of the church in society. There is great insight as you watch Bonhoeffer keep his focus on Christ and engage with the world around him.

Excellent factual account of Bonhoeffer's life and the significance of his activities as a scholar, philosopher, leader and in his elected role as an active anti-Nazi citizen. Ausgezeichnet!

Reviews

I bought this as a baby gift for a friend. It was absolutely adorable and appeared to be well-made. I also bought the matching head band. It made a really cute outfit!

Reviews

I purchased this tutu as a birthday gift for a four year old girl. The tutu is adorable, however I thought the lights would be a little brighter. The picture makes it look like the stars on the skirt are lit up, but it has fibro-optic lights that hang from the waistband. All in all it is very cute and I am sure if the child is into dancing and dressing up, this is a perfect gift.

Really neat idea.. esp. if your daughter loves to dance. Expensive to buy it here. I have seen the same item in stores for less.

this is such an adorable tutu! it didn't work right away, but once i unscrewed and adjusted (wiggled) the battery case, it worked well. it fits my skinny 3 year old. it has a velcro tab that can be adjusted to fit small to big waists or as they grow. it's light weight and well made. the lights are located at the end of tiny plastic extensions sprinkled throughout the tutu. it gives the tutu extra shape. my only complaint is that I have found a few fiber optic lines on the floor after a particularly active dance session. absolutely worth the money (i purchased it for $20).

Reviews

I was supposed to receive this order 2 weeks earlier than they arrived and was very upset that they were not delivered on or about the estimated delivery date, I ended up shipping them back for a full refund.

These shoes are really sharp looking in person. They're light and the kids love them but the soles are very stiff and I can't imagine they'd be comfortable after hours of wear. I would not buy them again.

Nice shoes - not all that durable recommend the Adidas - but these serve the purpose wrt price

Reviews

I bought them for my nephew and I really like them. They are well made and looks nice. Great buy.