Enya?
15 messages in this thread
I seem to remember a few people 'round here being interested in Irish
music… A couple weeks ago, I entered the 90s and bought a CD player, and
started a CD collection. One album I'd been wanting to get for a while was
by an artist named Enya, who had that MTV/VH-1 hit "Orinoco Flow (Sail
Away)" a year or so ago. I'm reasonably sure she's Irish, considering the
number of Gaelic songs on the disk. I've found two of her albums, one
self-titled and the aforementioned, "Watermark". Do any of the Irish
experts around here know more about her?
John,
Well, nice to see you have an appreciation for some of the better music of
our era. The "Watermark" album (which I've had since it was released) is
one of the best of my collection (although I haven't heard the other
one–let me know how it is). Yes, she is Irish, there was an interview
with her on VH-1 several months ago. Not an Irish song expert myself
(being of Scottish descent), simply love her music.
If you haven't already, you might also check out some of the albums by
Mannheim Steamroller. Chip Davis (the composer) has created some very
interesting arrangements. Also, I find Liz Story's albums to be very
refreshing in these days of heavy metal.
James Bayless
New Horizons Software, Inc.
Geez, Jim, if we have more in common, people might suspect a conspiracy.
Good thing we've been seen in public together, or they'd start saying we
are the same person. Oh. I never wear hats.
My local cable company dropped VH-1. The wonders of monopolies. They
picked up a consumer channel owned by the conglomerate that owns this cable
company.
Some of the songs on Watermark moved me like I haven't felt in a long time
– say, the first time I heard Elvis Costello. 🙂 Another Irishman! (Real
name: Declan McManus.) I've heard Steamroller, never heard of Liz Story.
I was somewhat surprised at liking Enya so much, because I've never really
been into New Age music or concepts. Enya seems more capital 'r' romantic
to me, than Stonehenge and the Druids and the Dolphins, if you know what I
mean. I remember liking a Kitaro album, but don't own any. So far, I've
got 12 CDs. A couple weeks ago, I was digging around and bought a great
old Jerry Lee Lewis album, and then saw it on CD after I bought my player.
I still think the dusty old album is more fun, and besides, it's a picture
disk.
John,
Well, I never like Elvis Costello much (though the girl I was dating back
when he was popular liked him quite a bit), so I guess we really aren't
that alike. Whew! (grin)
I really don't like the "New Age" moniker for this type of music, I really
don't see what it has to do with Tarot cards and Sabbats. Oh well.
I think I'm up to over 50 CD's now (but I've had a player for several
years), and several hundred LP's, mostly from my college days. I
definitely prefer the CD's, not just for sound quality, but for storage
space!
James Bayless
New Horizons Software, Inc.
John,
Do yourself a BIG favor… Get a Liz Story CD. My favorite is Solid
Colors. (In fact you could order it from Windham Hill right here on CIS).
If you Like Enya, you probably would also like Suzanne Cianni "Neverland"
CD. Another one you might find interesting is John Tesh (yeah, that's
right, theEntertainment tonight guy…very talanted keyboard player with
severla CD's out).
wmc
Whoops, I forgot… Her first album, self-titled, has a 1986 copyright.
Not much in the way of liner notes, but it looks like some of the tunes
were used as backgrounds on a BBC production of something called "The
Celts". There's also a spacey, over-arpeggiated (sp?) tune dedicated to
Ridley Scott. So we know she must have been inspired by Bladerunner, too,
one of my favorite movies. Overall, it's not quite as good as Watermark,
but it's still quite good. She seems younger, less musically
sophisticated. As for lyrics, the only thing that threw me for a loop on
Watermark was that the lyrics to Orinoco Flow get a little flip at the end
– she thanks her producer and another technician *in the lyrics*. Bizarre.
John,
Blade Runner too? I hope we don't start looking alike! AKK. :->
James Bayless
New Horizons Software, Inc.
Say, if you like Blade Runner then you probably like William Gibson's
novels. Some great stuff there, but with another demeaning name. I mean,
who ever coined "CyberPunk" anyway?
James Bayless
New Horizons Software, Inc.
I admit to liking cyberpunk novels to, especially Gibson's…
Lou,
Yeah, Gibson's stuff is very good. But also very depressing (at least to
me).
James Bayless
New Horizons Software, Inc.
It certainly paints a bleak future. I especially found the latest one,
MonaLisa Overdrive grim. Like all good SF it probably has a small amount
of prophesy and a great deal of blarney.
James,
you stay away from Liz…she's MY dream! (Solid Colors did me in…I keep
telling my wife I want to have Liz play all night for me on my next
birthday…she's amused by it all)
If you really like to get away from heavy metal may I suggest Suzanne
Ciani "Neverland" and "History of My Heart" CD's. Lighter than Liz…What a
coincidence…Liz is now on the radio I listen to while pounding on Ami…
but very enjoyable. For deeper excursions try "Himalaya" by David Parsons.
BTW, if you every get a chance to see Liz Story in person, don't miss it! A
wonderful musician who has no idea how much she gives the audience.. she is
her music when she plays.
Wayne,
The Liz Story album I like the best is the one after "Solid Colors"…hmm,
can't think of the name right now (still recovering from day-long plane
trip yesterday). I particularly like the last selection on that CD.
I'll check out the Suzanne Ciani and David Parsons stuff. Thanks.
James Bayless
New Horizons Software, Inc.
James,
…Unaccountable Effect…
wmc