Broadcasting From Home [Remastered] - Penguin Cafe Orchestra (The)

Old Penguin Heads Back - A Penguin Café Primer

Advantages: A Well put together Best of
Disadvantages: No Beanfields

This album is billed as "a Penguin Café Primer" , everyone else has a best of or, greatest hits. This is taken a step further, all greatest hits albums have a few "exclusive" tracks not available on any other of their albums , just so you have to buy it, so does this. In true PCO style the exclusive tracks are by other artists. So what do you get? Nineteen pieces from their first album in 1976 up to 1996. There are three versions of "Music For A Found Harmonium", the opener by PCO , one by folk instrumentalist Patrick Street, and one an ambient remix by the Orb from 1996 called Pandaharmonium (these are the "exclusive extras"). ALl are brilliant. The liner notes also tell the story of how the tune came about, and there's a transcription of the music in there. The album also contains "Perpetuum Mobile" and "Telephone and a Rubber Band ...

mikeydred 06.02.2001 (10.05.2001) · Read full review
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Review of Preludes, Airs And Yodels (A Penguin Cafe Primer) - Penguin Cafe Orchestra (The)

When in Rome - Really Enjoy It

Advantages: A wonderfully uplifting and enjoyable experience
Disadvantages: None

The Penguin Café Orchestra (PCO) was a group of eight or nine musicians led by the late Simon Jeffes who died of a brain tumour a few years ago. The instrumention is basically classical and acoustic and their music some of the most uplifting and relaxing sounds that you will hear. Probably Jeffes most famous piece of orchestration was the string arrangement on Sid Vicious' "My Way" but just let that go. This album is their "live" album from a concert at the Royal Festival Hall on the 9th July 1987. It is essentially a greatest hits package. Many of the titles seem very pretentious but they are very listenable, based on almost hypnotic three, four and five note motifs (I know nowt about music , so bear with me). The opening track is Air a Danser, two tracks later you get "Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter", see what I mean ...

mikeydred 24.01.2001 (10.05.2001) · Read full review
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Review of When In Rome - Live - Penguin Cafe Orchestra (The)

* P P P Pick up a Penguin Steam Steamer . .

Advantages: Quick, efficient.
Disadvantages: None as yet.

the recommended retail price is £40. They are available all over nowadays, and because of the weight, postage is cheap so you can get an on line bargain. It only weighs less than three pounds, is comfortable to hold, and is easy to keep clean. One thing I found it was very efficient at, was cleaning barbeques etc Electric of course, straight from the mains. I wondered if the company was going to recommend a circuit breaker, but after checking, one was not required. The owner's manual was very easy to understand. It works at at 110 degrees Celcius. *Ten degrees above boiling point) It has the standard 1Year Guarantee Home-tek International Limited is actually a subsidiary of a Chinese company, but that does not mean cheap & nasty these days. They do have a web site - http://www.hometekinternational.co.uk .. ...

smudgeybabes 18.10.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Home-Tek Penguin Steam Cleaner