Various Artists - Compounds + Elements: An Introduction to All Saints Records

ALL SAINTS RECORDS WAS ESTABLISHED BY BRIAN ENO IN 1991 AND FOCUSES ON A CONSISTENCY OF APPROACH RATHER THAN ANY SPECIFIC GENRE. FROM BRIAN ENO, HAROLD BUDD AND JOHN CALE TO NEW ARTISTS VACABOU AND MARCONI UNION, WHILE SONICALLY DIVERSE, THEY ALL APPROACH THEIR MUSIC FROM A NEW AND ORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE. THIS IS WHAT MARKS THEM AS ALL SAINTS ARTISTS.

COMPOUNDS AND ELEMENTS IS AN 18-TRACK INTRODUCTION TO ALL SAINTS RECORDS, FEATURING A SELECTION OF WORKS COVERING THE LABEL’S RELEASES TO DATE AND ITS UNPARALLELED ROSTER OF ARTISTS. Album Description

The Elements of a Solid Release

This is an incredible compilation that highlights the variety of music that has been issued on this label that was founded in 1991 and named after a street in West London.

There is an interesting flow to the 18 tracks and provides a fabulous and inexpensive means to experience the art of Brian Eno, John Cale, Harold Budd, Wobble and others. It is much more than a sampler thrown together and tossed into the marketplace. November 29, 2008

BEWARE

Problem one: When you try to download this album with the Amazon MP3 Downloader, it instead sends you to a completely different album titled "The Elements" with an Italian-language label. The present MP3 download WILL NOT get you the album the others on this list are reviewing! Nor is the genre the same: the Italian album is guitar-based adult-contempo-New-Age stuff, not minimal techno. I'm sending this info to Amazon and will modify this review if things change (and Amazon tells me), so check back - but right now if you're looking for an album featuring Brian Eno, you won't get it if you download what Amazon sends you!

Problem two: The tracks on this incorrect album are not complete songs in any event. They go a couple minutes and cut off abruptly in the middle.

Problem three: The download labels the artist for each track as "Various Artists," so even if you decide you like a track, you can't tell who did it in order to find it elsewhere.

Even for the price, even if you're looking for adult-contempo-New-Age stuff, it's not worth it to buy this album. July 10, 2008

A beautiful bargain

This compilation CD, offering a sampling of artists on the All Saints Records label, is proof that some things in this world *aren't* too good to be true -- 18 tracks of thoughtful, evocative ambient music, for a mere $2.99! Even if you're familiar with some of the artists here, others may well be new to you, as they were to me. This is ambient music at its best, both haunting & blissful, that should have you investigating full-length works by these artists. I'll soon be ordering several new CDs myself! Honestly, you can't go wrong here -- highly recommended! June 19, 2008

Great Compulation at a Bargin Price

Just added this to an order for fun, I enjoy ultra modern music, but not new age, what a miss nomer. I have researched and purchased additional music because of the selects on this CD.
January 16, 2007

Great Representation

"Compounds" is a great representation of this label's acts. I especially liked the John Cale numbers,and of course Eno's contribution. Particularly interesting was Vacabou.All in all,a very good collection and a good buy. January 9, 2007

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