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"Closer" (11/11/2003) Easy Listening Groban, Josh, Warner Bros. Records (Record Label)Personnel includes: Josh Groban (vocals); Leo Z. (piano, keyboards, programming, background vocals); Angie Passerella (acoustic & Classical guitars); Dean Parks, Ramon Stagnaro, Michael Thompson (guitar); Joshua Bell (violin); Devis Mariotti (flute, whistle, background vocals); Eric Rigler (Uillean pipes); David Foster (piano); Mark Hammond (keyboards, programming); David Fall (drums); Raphael Padila (percussion); Jochem Van Der Saag (programming); Richard Page, Andrea Sandri (background vocals); Deep Forest. Producers: David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, Leo Z., Mauro Malavasi, Eric Mouquet. Recorded at Chartmaker Studios, Malibu, California. This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Personnel: Josh Groban (piano, background vocals); Dean Parks, Norbert Gallo, Michael Hart Thompson , Ramon Stagnaro (guitar); J'Anna Jacoby, Joshua Bell (violin); Eric Rigler (Uilleann pipe); David Foster (piano, keyboards); Mark Portmann, Walter Afanasieff (keyboards, programming); Eric Mouquet, Mark Hammond (keyboards); David Fall (drums); Rafael Padilla (percussion); Paul Schwartz (programming, drum programming); Courtney Blooding, Andrea Sandrei, Marco Marinangeli, Richard Page (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Humberto Gatica; Pierre Jacquot. Recording information: Blue Studios (09/26/2003); Chalice, CA (09/26/2003); Chartmaker Studios, Malibu, CA (09/26/2003); EMM Studio, France (09/26/2003); Leo Z's Studio (09/26/2003); Sony Studios, Culver City, CA (09/26/2003); Wallyworld, LA (09/26/2003). Photographer: Olaf Heine. Arrangers: Klaus Derendorf; Eric Mouquet; Jeremy Lubbock; Mark Hammond; Mark Portmann; Paul Schwartz ; William Ross; David Foster; Walter Afanasieff. In a short period of time, Josh Groban went from being a talented vocalist ready to enter college to the new prince of romantic music with a best-selling debut album and highly rated PBS special. The successful combination of his classical crossover croon, boyish good looks, and association with ?berproducer David Foster helped Groban become a sensation. His sophomore studio disc, Closer, stays comfortably within the boundaries built by his debut collection as Foster once again helms a modest set of pseudo-classical pop songs dreamily sung in various languages. Listening to Groban, it is easy to understand why this MOR style suits him so well as his maturing voice is not grand enough to fully embrace operatic material yet remains too rich and technical for typical mainstream pop music. On Closer he works within his limitations and the result is a more consistent listen than the scattershot debut with his voice sounding comfortable performing these emotional European-inspired pop songs. The best tunes bookend the disc as the atmospheric opener, "Oceano," sets an ominous tone while the mysterious "Never Let Go" is a welcome collaboration with Deep Forest that allows Groban to successfully move away from the saccharine ballads and grow as a vocalist. However, there is still plenty of romance included for the PBS crowd as "When You Say You Love Me" painfully cries out like a rejected Celine Dion cut and the Celtic-infused bombast of Secret Garden's "You Raise Me Up" plays like the sequel to his debut's most famous song, "To Where You Are." In addition to his improved vocals, Groban contributes three co-writing efforts that include "Never Let Go," and shows that there is a future for him to evenly match his skills as a vocalist and a songwriter. Although the disc still focuses on bland rose petal confessions, its highlights point in the right direction and bring Groban Closer to creating an album that eliminates the sick sweetness while remaining a tasty, satisfying treat. ~ Aaron Latham Powerhouse vocalist Josh Groban may not be all things to all people, but he's certainly many things to many people. An international sensation, Groban is a Broadway-ready belter, romantic crooner, and classical/pop crossover phenomenon. Groban largely shies away from the more operatic side of his musical personality on CLOSER, leaning more tow

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"Party Tyme Karaoke: Love Songs, Vol. 1" (06/06/2006) Easy Listening Karaoke, SybersoundUnlike a lot of karaoke discs, some volumes in Sybersound's Party Tyme Karaoke series give karaoke enthusiasts the benefit of being able to choose between instrumental and vocal versions. The discs typically begin with the instrumental versions and then repeat the program with the vocal versions of the same songs. The renditions of the songs are functional -- the vocals tend to be somewhat buried in the mix, just loud enough to guide you without overpowering your voice -- but hardly substitute for the originals. Party Tyme Karaoke: Love Songs, Vol. 1 includes instrumental and vocal versions of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You," Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," Olivia Newton-John's "I Honestly Love You," Heatwave's "Always and Forever," and Rod Stewart's "Have I Told You Lately." ~ Andy Kellman

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"Christmas Eve and Other Stories [Box]" (11/02/2004) Easy Listening Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Lava Records (USA)Trans-Siberian Orchestra includes: Paul O'Neill (conductor). This release includes a bonus DVD. Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Al Pitrelli (guitar, keyboards); Chris Caffery, Alex Skolnick, Paul O'Neill, Angus Clark, Tristan Avakian (guitar); Jon Oliva, Robert Kinkel (piano, keyboards); Jane Mangini (piano); Carmine Giglo, Mee Eun Kim (keyboards); David Z. , Johnny Lee Middleton, Jeff Allegue (bass instrument); Jeff Plate (drums). In 2004, Trans-Siberian Orchestra finished their "Christmas trilogy" with the massive -- some would say ponderous -- The Lost Christmas Eve. Wasting none of the holiday season's precious shopping time, the Christmas Trilogy box set landed two weeks after that album, giving the band's loyal fan base a set to give -- some would say inflict -- to their friends. Then again, maybe they'll just want to hold on to the set since there's a DVD with appearances by Jewel and Michael Crawford and the lavishly illustrated booklet includes all the lyrics and background stories. You really should dabble in Trans-Siberian's dramatic, huge world of Christmas music through the eyes of classic rock before laying down the money for the set. If you just need a bit of this 60-piece, the first album is the most inspired, but it's not enough for most who get hooked. Although the next two albums gave diminishing returns, Trans-Siberian producer/mastermind Paul O'Neill kept pouring his heart into the music and always offered some genuine thrills. Great presentation and a packed DVD make up for a lot of note-spinning on the third disc, and what was a wintry night made for besides curling up with a precious, hope-filled story, no matter how cumbersome? ~ David Jeffries What would happen if members of Savatage decided to write some Christmas songs? Easy: Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This "supergroup" is the brainchild of Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill (respectively the leader-keyboardist and the producer of Savatage). They hired Al Pitrelli (Asia, Savatage) to play guitars, Robert Kinkel to help with keyboards, John Middleton (also a member of Savatage) on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums. Lead vocals are shared by six vocalists, while some of the backing vocals are handled by Savatage lead singer Zachary Stevens. Christmas Eve and Other Stories is a concept album: all the songs are built as chapters of a book, each telling part of a larger story. The plot here is of a young angel sent down to Earth to find and bring back to the Lord "the one thing that best represents everything good that has been done in the name of this day." The angel's quest takes him all over the world, through Russia and Sarajevo, until he finally hears the prayer of a father. This last piece is the strongest moment on the album and makes for a miniature story within the larger story. It is basically told in a trilogy of songs: in the first, "Ornament," we hear the father's prayer, explaining how he hasn't seen his daughter in many years. In "Old City Bar," the angel finds the daughter, standing alone outside a bar, and talks to the bartender who, out of a random act of kindness, takes all the cash from his register drawer and gives it to the girl so she can go home. The third song, "This Christmas Day," has the father praising God, thanking him for bringing his daughter back to him on this night of all nights. It is a very touching story, pondering the thought that "If you want to arrange it/This world you can change it/If we could somehow make this/Christmas thing last/By helping a neighbor/Or even a stranger." Musically, the band has taken some traditional Christmas songs ("O Come All Ye Faithful," "O Holy Night," "The First Noel") and mixed in some modern rock music. The result is stunning and very impressive. It is filled with energy that simply blows you away. The already classic "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" is a gripping instrumental based on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (although you might have to listen carefully to hear it). Fans of progressive music should like this one. And if you're into the more recent works of Savatage (like Handful of Rain or De

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"The Time-Life Treasury of Christmas: 2 CD Collection [2001]" (09/11/2001) Easy Listening Various Artists, Time/Life MusicThe Time-Life Treasury of Christmas combines both volumes of the series into a two-CD set. Christmas Spirit features some of the season's liveliest pop hits, such as Perry Como's "Home for the Holidays," Ella Fitzgerald's "Jingle Bells," and Julie Andrews' "Joy to the World," as well as mellower songs like Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Andy Williams' "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Meanwhile, Christmas Memories gathers more nostalgic Christmas favorites, including Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Johnny Mathis' "Sleigh Ride," Elvis Presley's "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and Guy Lombardo's "Auld Lang Syne." Comforting and traditional, The Time Life Treasury of Christmas is a worthwhile collection of some of Christmas' biggest hits. ~ Heather Phares If you want that old-fashioned holiday feeling of spending Christmas in your grandparents' house while they pull out some of their favorite Yuletide LPs and play them on a well-worn phonograph (that's for records, kids), THE TIME-LIFE TREASURY OF CHRISTMAS is here to help. This two-disc collection is based around well known Christmas recordings by some of the biggest crooners of the pre-rock era. The original smoothie Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" is as unassailable as it is ubiquitous. Ella Fitzgerald sounds just as transcendent singing "Jingle Bells" as she did on any other tune she ever tackled. Even when Elvis Presley pops up, rock & roll is eschewed in favor of the lovelorn Christmas anthem "Blue Christmas."

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"Definitive Hits" (03/27/2001) Easy Listening Alpert, Herb, Interscope Records (USA)Personnel includes: Herb Alpert (trumpet); Janet Jackson, Lisa Keith (vocals); Tijuana Brass. Producers include: Herb Alpert, Jerry Moss, Burt Bacharach, Jose Quintana, Randy Badazz. Compilation producers: Herb Alpert, Larry Levine, Mike Ragogna. Includes liner notes by Herb Alpert and Quincy Jones. Digitally remastered using 20-bit remastering technology by Doug Sax and Robert Hadley (The Mastering Lab, Los Angeles, California). Personnel: Herb Alpert (trumpet); Lisa Keith (vocals). Audio Remixers: Don Hahn; Bryan Stott. Liner Note Authors: Quincy Jones; Burt Bacharach. Arrangers: Herb Alpert; Juan Carlos Calder¢n. How self-serving can one musical genius be to have a label he co-founded release a collection of his best-loved songs? But this is not just any self-serving genius. This is the guy who brought the world Dolores Ericson covered in shaving foam. This is the self-serving genius who scored the best James Bond film that wasn't really a James Bond film ever. This is the self-serving genius who set the music to elevators and waiting rooms around the world. This is Herb Alpert. From the opening charge of "The Lonely Bull" (complete with homesickness-inducing crowd noise) to the closing washes of "Making Love in the Rain," this album chronicles one of the most prolific and constantly contemporary careers in the music industry. Taking his Tijuana Brass in their jalopied "Tijuana Taxi," Alpert blows from the "Heat Wave"-inspiring "Mexican Shuffle" to the bouzouki blitz of "Zorba the Greek." Perhaps his most famous film-related song, however, is the Burt Bacharach classic "Casino Royale," a song that could inspire even Woody Allen to take on the world's most dastardly criminals. Bacharach also gave Alpert one of his most famous ballads, and one of Alpert's peachiest vocal offerings, with "This Guy's in Love With You." Alpert has a groovy thing going with Nat Adderley's "Work Song" as well. On this collection, Alpert swings from the authentic Latin punch of "Fandango" to the smooth American drive of "Route 101," and from the funky crescendo of "Rise" to the hip pop hops of "Diamonds" and "Keep Your Eye On Me." Along the way, Alpert offers delicious delights like the minor-keyed rag "Whipped Cream," the sweet blooms of "Lollipops and Roses," and a bee-utiful spin through "A Taste of Honey." How sweet it is to have all his hits together at last. ~ Matthew Robinson Before his run at the top of the easy-listening charts, Herb Alpert was already a music-industry veteran, writing and producing hits for Sam Cooke and Jan & Dean. Alpert also deserves a place in history as co-founder and owner of A&M Records, one of the most successful independent labels of all time. A solid 20-track compilation spanning Alpert's career, DEFINITIVE HITS covers the trumpeter/singer/label executive's glory years--the 1961-'68 stretch between "The Lonely Bull" and the Burt Bacharach-penned vocal showcase "This Guy's in Love with You." However, it also conveniently gathers material from the post-Tijuana Brass period when Alpert specialized in easy-listening fusion hits like the disco-tinged jazz-funk of 1979's "Rise" and the adult-contemporary R&B of 1987's "Diamonds," which features A&M Records' then-new star Janet Jackson on lead vocals. But, of course, the real meat of the collection is the brilliantly arranged suburban exotica of "Spanish Flea," "A Taste of Honey," and "Whipped Cream," along with other fine examples of Alpert's Latin-tinged pop.

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"Somewhere My Love" (09/15/1987) Easy Listening Conniff, Ray, Columbia (USA)Personnel: Ray Conniff (trombone). The lushest of all Conniff albums, this one features the theme from Dr. Zhivago. ~ Cub Koda

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"Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album" (10/15/2002) Easy Listening Various Artists, Decca (USA)Includes liner notes by Joseph S. Szurly. Personnel: Arthur Grumiaux (violin). Liner Note Author: Joseph S. Szurly. Directors: Georg Ratzinger; Uwe Christian Harrer; David Willcocks . Though it may not intend to, with its title The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album addresses one of the biggest paradoxes of the holiday season: ideally, it should be one of the most joyous and relaxing times of the year, but thanks to shopping for gifts, social obligations, and heightened expectations, too often the holidays become stressful instead of pleasant. This collection of soothing instrumental and choral holiday favorites aims to restore some serenity to the season, and on at least one level, it succeeds; the gentle renditions of "O Holy Night," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Christmas Waltz" have soft, lush arrangements that are definitely relaxing. However, the arrangements skirt dangerously close to the sappy, string-laden territory of Mantovani, 101 Strings, and countless other easy listening instrumentalists, and the cutesy harp, piano, and xylophone flourishes on many of the tracks threaten to push the album into kitsch. Of course, the Christmas albums by Mantovani, 101 Strings, and the like were hugely popular, and this album's nod to those sweetly bland holiday releases of the past could be intentional, adding to the built-in nostalgia that the season evokes. In some ways, the retro feeling of The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album is more refreshing -- and yes, relaxing -- than the new age-tinged holiday albums that may very likely sound nostalgic a few decades down the road. The purely choral selections are simpler and more dignified than most of the intstrumentals on the album, though a few of the orchestral tracks later in the album lose some of the more obvious easy listening tendencies. An ultra-traditional collection, The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album could be either stuffy or comforting, depending on your taste in holiday music and, quite possibly, how much eggnog you've had. ~ Heather Phares

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"1000 Sound Effects [MP3/Madacy]" (11/07/2005) Easy Listening Various Artists, Madacy Distribution

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"Romance of the Panflute" (10/25/1990) Easy Listening Zamfir, PhilipsPersonnel: Gheorghe Zamfir (flute, pan flute). Directors: Karl Heinz-Schaffer; Jean Louis Bucchi. Arrangers: Karl Heinz-Schaffer; Jean Louis Bucchi. Romance of the Pan Flute offers a good introduction to the ethereal yet lovely sound of Zamfir, showcasing his mastery of tone and his light, romantic phrasing. Nearly all of Zamfir's albums are of equal quality -- if you enjoy this, you should enjoy his other records. ~ David Jehnzen

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"Beyond the Sea/The New Limelight [Digipak]" (07/20/2004) Easy Listening Chacksfield, Frank, Decca (USA)2 LPs on 1 CD: BEYOND THE SEA (1965)/THE NEW LIMELIGHT (1965). This Decca Phase 4 two-fer revives a pair of out of print LPs by English bandleader, pianist, and composer Frank Chacksfield, Beyond the Sea and The New Limelight, released in 1964 and 1965, respectively. Both albums contain romantic mood music with the first 11 tracks dominated by an ocean theme, including "How Deep Is the Ocean," "Sea Mist," "The Sea," "Moon River," and "Ebb Tide," while the remaining tracks focus on show tunes and standards like "Tonight," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "The Man That Got Away," and "Limelight." This is an enjoyable reissue from Frank Chacksfield's out of print catalog on Decca Records. ~ Al Campbell

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"One Heart" (09/25/2001) Easy Listening J.D. Martin, Slipstream Productions

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"Love Is Blue" (03/07/2005) Easy Listening Mauriat, Paul, Mercury

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"Music of Brazil!/Shangri-La!" (03/14/2006) Easy Listening Faith, Percy, Collectables Records2 LPs on 1 CD: MUSIC OF BRAZIL! (1962)/SHANGRI-LA! (1963). Originally released on Columbia. Adapter: Percy Faith. This discount-priced two-fer combines a couple of modestly successful Percy Faith albums on international themes: 1962's Music of Brazil! and 1963's Shangri-La!. Faith delighted in assembling collections of music with overseas flavors, but he never really ventured very far, usually preferring to present his interpretation of some other North American's interpretation of what the music of another clime sounded like. Music of Brazil! may have been released in the teeth of the samba fad of the early '60s, but Faith's take on the style derived from an earlier Brazilian craze of the early '40s, when the U.S. government was encouraging friendship with South America as a bulwark against Nazism. This is more swing music with Latin percussion, and it includes Faith's versions of hits like "Brazil," associated with Xavier Cugat. Of course, Faith had one of the biggest hits of his career in 1952 with "Delicado," and a new recording is included. Shangri-La! has even less legitimacy as a musical journey through the South Seas and the Far East, as its title, referring to a fictional utopia, suggests. These are Faith's arrangements of songs written mostly in Broadway and Hollywood for shows and films set in Asia and the Pacific Rim, such as Kismet and The King and I. The strings weave an alluring mystery, but the music was not made on location. ~ William Ruhlmann

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Easy Listening Music calling your name? Find all of the top Music gear that you want at BizRate. Compare prices from top brands like as well as . Browse ratings from merchants that sell Easy Listening Music and other Music. Narrow your choices down by price range, brand, merchant, and more. Find the product that's right for you: Closer by Josh Groban (CD - 11/11/2003) - Party Tyme Karaoke: Love Songs, Vol. 3 by Karaoke/Sybersound (CD - 01/09/2007).