There is a current resurgence in solo female artists making chilled out atmospheric music, Dido obviously springs to mind amongst others. What we should not forget is that it is a style that has always been in evidence and one of the best innovators of the genre is Enya.
What you first notice ... Read review
The Memory of Trees - Enya
To many people, Enya has become synonymous with new age music. Her haunting voice, clear ... more
and crisp above richly woven musical arrangements and adaptations, represents some of the best in the genre. Her performances onThe Memory of Treesjustify the Celt...
The Memory of Trees - Enya
To many people, Enya has become synonymous with new age music. Her haunting voice, clear ... more
and crisp above richly woven musical arrangements and adaptations, represents some of the best in the genre. Her performances on The Memory of Trees justify the Ce...
A review by steerpyke on Memory Of Trees, The - Enya June 27th, 2004
Author's product rating:
Originality
Groundbreaking
Lyrics
Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks
Flawless
Value for Money
Advantages:
great atmospherics
Disadvantages:
fairly short album
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
There is a current resurgence in solo female artists making chilled out atmospheric music, Dido obviously springs to mind amongst others. What we should not forget is that it is a style that has always been in evidence and one of the best innovators of the genre is Enya. What you first notice about the music is its haunting quality and the use of vocals as much as an instrument as to deliver specific lyrics. About half the tracks are instrumental and of the others, many are not in English; Latin, Spanish and Gaelic are all used. This is not as off putting as it may seem as this is not the sort of album you would sing along to. The words blend in to be more part of the music than something that sits on top. It is very much a back ground sound and creates a soft and relaxing vibe. Even though it contains the single Anywhere Is, its not really an album where individual tracks matter, only the overall feel of the piece. Where as the current queen of chill out pop Dido seems to stick to a formula, and produce music that is all very much in the same vein, Enya is a master of the craft and weaves together many different styles and feelings to create unique body of work. This is all the more impressive when you realise that all instruments are played by the lady herself. Reminiscent of Clannad (she is related to them and has appeared on some of their albums) as well as parts of Sinead O`Connors "Lion and the Cobra" debut album, this album shows Enya to be the high-priestess of chilled mood music, long may she reign.
Advantages: Excellent musical quality Disadvantages: Not enough...
This album is relaxing and mellow, making it good to work and listen to, or just to collapse and listen to. Some of the songs are wonderfully Enyaish, like Athair Ar Neamh, and also China Roses. Other elements of the album can be a tad moody in places, but still excellent. If you need something to relax with then buy this. As with all of her albums it is just too short, forgiven by the fact that she must spend a lot of time working on the way her ...
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Advantages: Wonderful, blissfully fascinating Disadvantages: too short!
...It's been too long since Enya's last album, The Memory of Trees. She does seem to take her time between albums, which I suppose isn't too surprising given that her work is all original; no covers, and I imagine all those effects and multi-layering takes time to record. Anyway, A Day Without Rain doesn't disappoint, apart from its relative brevity in these days of 16 - 20 tracks on most albums, and playing times of around an hour. It's surprising, therefore, that this has only twelve tracks. Nevertheless, it has twelve *quality* tracks. Wild Child is possibly the most 'commercial' here, and it's very good; I tend to prefer tracks such as Flora's Secret - wonderful imagery of the lovers in the long grass - and Only Time. Great to listen to: close your eyes and be carried away! Oh, and so what if this CD sounds similar to Enya's previous...
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Advantages: If you haven't heard Enya before, she is worth it Disadvantages: Nothing new, very short
...I can't criticise Enya's talents - she writes all her own songs, and the music, plays the piano in the tracks and her voice is sublime! This new album by Enya is in the similar style to her previous works, the last album being in the Memory of Trees (ignoring the compilation set)
This album features 12 tracks, thought the whole album is very short comared with her other works, which hardly gives the feeling of value for money. Unfortunately, I don't find anything particularly new or refreshing in this album, and find it all very reminiscent of Memory of Trees.
There is the usual mix of English and Gaelic, vocal and instrumental tracks, but nothing which will capture the imagination, with the possible exception of the final track, Lazy Days, whch does have a cracking tempo to it.
If you haven't heard Enya before, then this is...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: If you hadn't heard her before, you would enjoy her soothing vocals and relaxing tunes. Heals the heart, cultivates the soul. Disadvantages: For those who know Enya well enough, the album can be a disappointment as she has offered nothing new. Her faster tunes are missing the magic of Orinoco Flow and Anywhere Is.
...There are divided opinions on RAIN. As a follower of Enya since 1989, thought I could shed some understanding to these polarised commentary.
I used to admire Enya for her talents; her voice, her unique instrumentation, her powerful instrumentals. I mean, who could forget the melancholic piano in Watermark, or her outstanding vocals in poignant tunes such as How Can I Keep From Singing and Marble Halls in the album Shepherd Moons? Those interested in New Age music should find Pax Deorum in The Memory of Trees a treasure as well.
Unfortunately, with ever higher expectations (of the listeners) on etheral tunes and romantic lyrics, Enya (as the self-professed perfectionist) somewhat falls short. Before RAIN, there was Paint The Sky With Stars and A Box of Dreams (CD Box set). We were treated to the best of her works, waiting...
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Album Notes: Solo performer: Enya (vocals, various instruments). THE MEMORY OF TREES won the 1997 Grammy Award for Best New Age Album. These are specifically those trees held sacred by the Druids of ancient Irish mythology; but there is just enough ambiguity in the title of Enya's latest album to please her enthusiasts, who tend to interpret her hard-to-classify music in deeply personal ways. Enya's distinctive style--an ethereal, hypnotic sound based on orchestral synthesizer and piano work, with multiple vocal layers which turn Enya's voice into an angelic choir--stands out on THE MEMORY OF TREES. Saved by strong, simple melodies from being lumped in with other New Age, Enya never loses track of the heart of each song. While most of the material here is tinged with melancholy and mysticism, "Anywhere Is" is a joyous, spiritual anthem to confusion and indecision. And Enya's lyrics, written in English, Spanish, Latin and Gaelic by longtime collaborator Roma Ryan, are often equally enigmatic. It doesn't matter--this is a musical landscape, and the listener is taken there by Enya's unmistakable voice, then left there to enjoy the scenery.
Album Reviews: Q (2/96, p.65) - Included in Q's 50 Best Albums of 1995. Rolling Stone (1/25/96, p.73) - 3 Stars (out of 5) - "...Even the instrumental tracks seem to carry soothing hidden messages, urging listeners to chill out and shift their focus to the beauty that presumably surrounds them..." Q (1/96, p.120) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...the only genuine global star of new age and ambient..." Entertainment Weekly (12/8/95, p.68) - "...With its layered, breathing-lesson choral harmonies cushioned in sullen keyboards, the album is....wistful....A gorgeous formula..." - Rating: B Dirty Linen (4-5/96, pp.67-68) - "...she ingeniously mines territory that was previously the exclusive domain of pop, folk, and world music artists and works that product into her unique ambient-based talent and around her sublimely pure voice..."
Titles on disc 1
1.: Memory Of Trees
2.: Anywhere Is
3.: Pax Deorum
4.: Athair Ar Neamh
5.: From Where I Am
6.: China Roses
7.: Hope Has A Place
8.: Tea House Moon
9.: Once You Had Gold
10.: La Sonadora
11.: On My Way Home
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Listed on Ciao since : 20/10/2000
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