Music for Native Americans – O.S.T.
Posted by Blogmaster in Native American Music, tags: Americans, Music, Native, O.S.T.
- ISBN13: 0072438282952
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Amazon.com
Commissioned to come up with a soundtrack for the 1994 Turner Network Television special The Native Americans, Robbie Robertson delivered some of his most haunting and evocative work to date. Combining the sleek atmospherics of 1991′s Storyville with traditional tribal chanting and instrumentation, Music for the Native Americans often manages to sound both contemporary and timeless. Unfortunately, Robertson’s lyrics are often as clunky as they are well intentioned–though brief, his liner notes are far more powerful and informative–and his gravelly speak-singing is consistently outclassed by Native American guest vocalists Pura Fe, Soni, and Jen, whose “Mahk Jchi (Heartbeat Drum Song)” is also the album’s highlight. File under “flawed but interesting.” –Dan Epstein
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This CD is beautiful. Theres a ephemeral, spiritual sound to it, yet at the same time its so very modern. I can’t think of a good way to explain it, but the music is wonderful. Someof the songs, such as “Coyote Dance”, “Ancestor Song” and “Twistd Hair”, call to mind beautiful spiritual images in your head. The sound effects and lyrics on “Twisted Hair” in particular still stand out in my mind. Others, such as “Mahk Jchi”, “Cherokee Morning Song” and “Akua Tuta”, blend traditional Native American music stylings with modern rhythms for a breath taking effect. Many of these songs incorporate other Native American artists, such as Rita Coolidge and Kashtin.
However, the most interesting songs on this CD are the ones that come from Robbie Robertson himself. The lyrics to “Ghost Dance”, “It is a Good Day to Die” and “Skinwalker” are haunting and will almost certain stick in your mind long after you’ve finished listening to this CD. The sound effects and soft-spoken voices meld perfectly together with the powerful and moving lyrics to create a magnificent effect. This is one of my favorite Native American CDs and I simply can’t recommend it enough, esecially for people unfamilar with contemporary Native American music.
Rating: 5 / 5
I recently purchased this CD and it immediately became an all-time favorite. It has a mix of sounds, with some performances by Pura Fe, Kashtin, and Coolidge, but the entire CD is imbued with a peaceful spirit that transports me to another time and place, a place of simplicity, truth, and so much beauty.
There are tracks that have fabulous guitar work by Robertson (like “The Vanishing Breed”), but the songs that captivate me the most are the ones in which he does the vocals. His voice delights me and the 2 spoken pieces, “Words of Fire, Deeds of Blood” and “Twisted Hair” are riveting.
The arrangements and musicianship are perfection. This is simply one of the most beautiful CDs I’ve ever heard in any genre, and that covers a lot of territory, as my tastes are varied.
The booklet insert, with poetry and imagery that compliment the CD info and lyrics is a joy…not to be missed are the insightful “tidbits” written by Robertson…(who would have known those were crickets ?)…the entire package is a work of art, exquisite and incredibly moving…and makes me grateful to be alive, and able to listen, learn, and enjoy.
Rating: 5 / 5
When I first saw the TNT original, The Native Americans back in 1994, I just had to own a copy of the wonderfully haunting soundtrack. I rushed right out and bought this Robbie Robertson CD. Originally, my favorite cut was “Cherokee Morning Song” (Welela/Rita Coolidge & family). Then, I latched onto “Skinwalker” – a huanting pop/jazz offering by Robbie Robertson. This one tells the story of modern day Native American life (read between the lines). One by one, each song will become your favorite. Then, before you realize it, the whole album will grab your heart … your very soul. Believe me … it will bring you tears, love and an ethereal wonder (check out the harmony of the cricket song to the Creator in “Twisted Hair”). Mahk Jchi is sure to grow on you until you are humming it all the time. Be sure to devour all of the liner notes and the lyrics. You will be telling all of your friends to listen to this one – forever! Happy listening.
Rating: 5 / 5
I’m listening to this album, as I’ve done countless times since
I received it a couple of weeks ago.
From the first bars of Coyote Dance, to the last bars of Twisted
Hair, this is music that must be listened to.
The subjects of the pieces themselves are not always uplifting,
but that doesn’t make them any less compelling, in fact more so.
Thank you, Mr. Robertson, for a truly fine body of work.
Rating: 5 / 5
I first heard this CD while on a houseboating vacation
at Lake Powell in Northern Arizona. We had beached the
houseboat at dusk in Face Canyon, which is on Navaho
Nation reservation land.
My girlfriend played Robertson’s CD, and commented that it was
a bit different, but to give it a listen.
Although I had never heard it before, the music and
the deep canyon surroundings sync’ed, and soon
created a mood the likes of which I had never experienced.
On the roof of the houseboat, under a full moon, we surveyed
this harsh but beautiful canyon land that was once the home of
the disappeared Anastasi people.
With the layered canyon walls rising high around us, deep time
was no longer an abstraction. One can literally see it –
hundreds of millions of years of time — folded back and
laid open before you in the exposed geologic layers.
Add Robertson’s remarkable CD and, as one absorbs such
stunning visual scenery of a lost world, in these
moving songs you can also imagine hearing the sounds
of the long disappeared native peoples who once called
this land home, as if their stories and songs were
rising up from the distant past, echoing off the
canyon walls, whispering: “we were here.”
This is especially true of “Coyote Dance” with
its echoing Native American chants.
“The Vanishing Breed” instrumental is an especially
haunting track. For some reason it reminds me of
Bach’s classic “Air on a G-string” — it creates a
similar spiritual sense of poignant longing for
people and places long past.
P.S. — If you like this CD, also consider his CD “Contact
from the Underworld of Redboy” — especially the
songs “Unbound” and “In the Blood.”
Rating: 5 / 5