Draughtsman's Contract, The (The Composer's Cut Series Vol.1) - Michael Nyman Band

Advantages: Absolutely delightful with plenty of different musical styles to keep things varied
Disadvantages: "Asuka Strikes!" is really horrendous

...thematic material and the biggest highlights of the first half of the series. The album comes with a ten page booklet that includes pictures, lyrics to "Cruel Angel's Thesis" and "Fly Me to the Moon", as well as brief notes from Hideaki Anno and Shiro Sagisu. As all the music is composed in the form of concert arrangements, this has given the freedom for the music to be quoted whenever necessary. There is actually not all that much music composed for the series alltogether (the total underscore amounting to some 150 minutes in full), which results in each episode pretty much introducing at least one new piece of music while editing the other cues to fit the show where necessary (some cues are normally used over and over again to save money). Therefore each cue is an easy standalone piece that doesn't necessarily need visuals to back it up... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Almost abjectly gorgeous
Disadvantages: To some, cleverness for its own sake

.... Musically, he is more confident than on Liberation, which occasionally flavoured/diluted the chamber pop with more conventional synth outings. Here, it's nothing but drum, bass, acoustic guitar, string quartet, piano and reeds (the latter supplied by a man who would massively shape the next few DC albums; Joby Talbot). The most glaring outside influence on the record is the composer Michael Nyman; an influence so laughably blatant that Hannon sent him a copy with a jokey note requesting that he didn't sue. (Presumably with some success; they ended up collaborating). Nyman's classical chamber music was best known at the time as the soundtrack to several visually ravishing but fundamentally unwatchable Peter Greenaway films, as well as the score to Jane Campion's "The Piano". And it's on that instrument that Nyman's style is most easily... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: A good mix of songs
Disadvantages: Doesnt help you get through the housework

...A cd thats a couple of years old now but still fun to listen to. I mean this cd says its meant to help you through the housework but I personally dont think it really does,if anything it distracts you,because you just start singing along to all the great tracks this album has to offer, you get caught up in the music and completely lose track of what you were doing - maybe a good thing in a way :-) Housework vol 1 is a double album that has some cracking songs that you just dont seem to hear on the radio anymore such as The Beach Boys - Help Me Rhonda and Don McLeans - American Pie. The songs on this album just make you feel good and really help to lift your spirits,but I honestly think its marketed wrong,this is a feel good album for anyone just not people doing the housework.I dont think the title of the album really represents... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful