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Gordon Lightfoot - Complete Greatest Hits

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Gordon Lightfoot

April 02, 2002
This is a rare combination of quality and quantity. There are a lot of good songs, mostly because GL wrote and performed so well. Obviousy it is still a small fraction of the songs that he wrote in total, but I like the ones they included. Just from listening, the recordings all seem to be in a studio, so the quality is good.

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This Is The Life

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Amy Macdonald

August 19, 2008
I would describe her voice as a mix between Natalie Merchant & The Cranberries. Every now and again it reminded me of a calmer Alanis Morissette.

It's bright and very instrumental. The CD begins with a song that sounds like waking up in the morning and ends beautifully with a sign off song "The Road to Home."

Very folk, inspirational, and you can't help but tap your toes to every song. It makes me think of the music you hear in Starbucks while drinking your coffee and chatting with your friends.

My only complaint is that all the songs sound a bit alike and the lyrics are a little difficult at times to recognize. Overall I enjoyed the Cd.

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Little Voice (2 CD Set)

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Sara Bareilles

March 18, 2008
With its incessant piano hook and heart-felt lyrics, "Love Song" caught my attention immediately as one of the most impressive debut singles I've heard on pop radio. So is it true with the rest of "Little Voice" which demonstrates that Sara Bareilles has an incredibly bright future ahead as a compelling chanteuse of original piano-based pop rock music (I'd like to think of her as someone with the melodic richness of a Sarah McLaughlin coupled with the sarcastic, hip lyrics and excellent musical chord writing of a Randy Newman.). Her stylistic influences range all over the map, from the fusion jazz of "Vegas" to the soft rock pop of "Love Song". Lyrically and musically, her most impressive songs include the short, but quite delightful, "Fairytale" ... Read More:

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Till the Sun Turns Black

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Ray LaMontagne

August 29, 2006
This is so good it hurts. I have listened to it over and over with rapt attention. The texture is rich, the poetry, thoughtful. The final five tracks create a beautiful sequence, particularly the couplets eight and nine and ten and eleven. Tracks ten and eleven form one song in two movements and create such a haunting experience that I was frightened on my first listening. I cannot recommend this high enough, and this is after a couple months of consistantly listening to this album. It is my favorite LaMontagne album thus far.

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Comme Si de Rien N'Etait

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Carla Bruni

August 05, 2008
I was curious to hear this CD given Bruni's notoriety over the years. Overall it's a dull outing. The production is virtually identical from song to song, with Bruni's average voice (sounds like a French Dido) mixed far forward with almost no reverb in every song. And there's nary a backing vocal or harmony track anywhere on this CD. Just the same presentation song after song. Was the producer asleep?

And the writing? Well the first tune, "Ma Jeunesse", grabbed me until I realized it's a virtual carbon copy of the Beatles' "For No One", down to the French horn solo. (Paul & co. should sue for copyright infringement.) Beyond that, I didn't hear any great melodies here.

Overall she'll remain more famous for her "off ... Read More:

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Soundstage: Sheryl Crow Live [Blu-ray]

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
starring: Sheryl Crow
directed by: Various

November 11, 2008
This is a wonderful DVD of Sheryl Crow. I saw tow of her concerts in this year of 2008, and she really tries to touch her fans ( something I think that has rubbed of of Stevie Nicks on her). These soundstage concerts really try to put anyone in the concert if they have not been able to attend one live. Sheryl's performance is truly a good show to experience.
She has a good mix from her new CD along with a mix of her big hits throughout her career. If you are getting it, enjoy.

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Red Letter Year

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Ani DiFranco

September 30, 2008
listen to this garbage:

"I won't rent you my time
i won't sell you my brain
i won't pray to a male god
cuz that would be insane
and i can't support the troops
cuz every last one of them is being duped
and i will not rest a wink
until the women have regrouped"


2008, and Ani is still trying to sell feminists and baby lesbians on the idea that women are being kept down and that a "male god" that half of them don't even believe in oppresses them with its maleness somehow. Ani is cynically selling class warfare and men vs women activism like its still 1960. She's the feminist equivalent of Jesse Jackson at this point. Don't even get me started on the anti-soldier rhetoric
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Pata Pata

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Miriam Makeba

July 06, 1998
There's little one can say about Miriam Makeba to those who don't have the privilege of knowing her. You have to listen first. I consider myself twice as fortunate, as I was a small boy when her songs started to play on the radio in Brazil. This album in particular has a long story with me, but to make it short, I'd say that if you like the vibe and charm of real African music, it's a must.

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Songs for Christmas

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Sufjan Stevens

November 21, 2006
This is what introduced me to Sufjan (and I have never been the same!). My mother, who is in her mid 50s, loves this set. I secretly look forward to Thanksgiving because I can put the album in my cd player for the next couple of months...and we play it while we're taking our tree down so we can enjoy it one last time before putting Christmas stuff up. It has many traditional Christmas songs, as well as some he has written, and some stellar renditions of old hymns that will be familiar to many. This has to be the best Christmas album ever.

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Essential Leonard Cohen

Childrens Toy Shop > Music > Folk
by: Leonard Cohen

October 22, 2002
If you are a Leonard Cohen fan--you NEED this CD--over an hour of Leonard---and, very, very affordable!
I was worried that I'd get ripped off because I'm in Canada --NOOO!
I'm both impressed with the CD, the price, and the service.
I got it on Amazon.com--and worried about the border stuff.
Thought I'd pay 50 bucks for the border stuff(been there, done that)--Hey, I LOVE Leonard--so I'd pay whatever! I WANTED THE CD!!
NOPE! The price I was quoted when I got it on the internet was the price I was charged
Ola Meawasige, in Canada.