Me at a rodeo in Canada, I don't usually wear a stetson!
Me at a rodeo in Canada, I don't usually wear a stetson!
Member since:07.10.2002
Reviews:46
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As I have said before in a review, Medwyn Goodall is one of my favourite composers of "new age" music. I find his music very relaxing and inspirational.
Druid is the first CD of a trilogy set. The second is Merlin (see my previous review) and the third is Excalibur. The set is released on the New World Company label and is available in most new age shops or on their website www.newworldmusic.com and is also available on Amazon, who incidentally have samples of each track to listen to. Unfortunately, you only get about the first 30 seconds of each track which whilst it gives a taster, is a bit inadequate, particularly on the first track.
There are five tracks in all on the album with a combined run time of approximately 42 minutes. It is a fairly short album but by the end of it you are so relaxed you are virtually horizontal, if not asleep. It is a perfect album for meditation, during a massage or just to have on in the background.
The first track is "Nine Maidens" which is just over 6 minutes. The track builds up as it progresses with a strong beat, tinkling higher notes and men ohming in the background. The lyrics eventually cut in with a haunting "Come dance with us". A great, great track and whoever is singing has the most seductive voice.The second track is "Mermaids Rock" at nearly 8 minutes long. This is a much lighter sounding track with lots of pan pipes and chiming bells in the background with the odd bit of tambourine. Some of the notes seem to cut right through you and send shivers up your spine.
The next track is "Nine Maidens (Reprise)" and is a slower, gentler purely instrumental track, echoing the first track, with the occasional almost pschadelic bit in there as well which definitely reminds me of early Pink Floyd. At 6 minutes long it is a similar length to the first track as well. If you are not chilled out by this track you never will be, it is like swimming in melted chocolate.
The fourth track is "Celtic Dawn" which is another lighter track has lots of higher notes to it with quite a slow pace. Pipes and flutes giving soaring notes and there are dramatic highlights with voices used purely as another instrument, giving lots of "Ah, ahs" with no actual word. At just over ten minutes, this is a long track, which you can just get lost in.
The final track is "Trewa - Home of the Druids", which is also just over 10 minutes long. The first two minutes of this track have a deep, resonance that almost vibrates through you. Lighter flutes and tinkling percussion then come in with a ethereal female voice, again used as an instrument, rather than singing lyrics. The track is punctuated with deeper male voices which add some drama.
This is undoubtably my favourite album of the trilogy. I can listen to it time and time again. The whole album has a truly magical quality and is, in my opinion, well worth listening to.
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