You may have noticed that most of the music reviews in this and previous issues are positive ones. That could either mean that a) I love all music no matter how bad it is; b) I'm taking cash incentives to promote certain recordings; or c) For a bi-monthly with limited space I decided it was best to present a few well-chosen gems that stood out among the many recordings in the market place because of their gentleness, musical integrity and/or originality. The correct answer will be found in next month's issue.

SECRETS OF LIFE
Donald Walters (Crystal Clarity Sound & Light)

Available in CD and Cassette. In the number one slot this month (Uh-oh! I'm starting to sound like a D.J.) Secrets of Life by Donald Walters stands out for its wonderfully creative merging of music and simple affirmations. Brief sayings like Look upon every setback as but a stepping stone to success are followed by lovely, soul-stirring music. This marriage of the spoken word and music allows you plenty of time to contemplate the meaning and significance of the affirmation in your life. Funny thing about timeless advice, you think you've heard it all before, and indeed you probably have. But once you think you've learned it so well that you don't need to hear it anymore, you probably haven't. As for me, I'm keeping my cassette player on auto-reverse.

Donald Walters has taken the spoken excerpts found in Secrets of Life from his new book by the same title, published by Warner books. A prolific writer of over 60 books and numerous recordings, he is a direct disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda.

• Style, Melodic neo-classical
• Instrumentation, Lightly orchestrated instrumentals using digital samplers. The final selection is sung by D. Walters.
• Feel, Warmth, purity and calmness.
• Performances, Very good
• Compositions, A childlike purity in these compositions makes them most effective for establishing an undercurrent of trust as we hear the comforting, fatherly wisdom.
• Arrangements, Light orchestral arrangements. There is one vocal selection, the final piece, a lullaby entitled Nightingale sung by D. Walters.
• Tempos, All reasonably slow.
• Recording Quality, Excellent
• Remarks, Great for inner healing and positive programming.
• Warning! This recording may be offensive to the terminally hip.
• For more information regarding Secrets of Life and other works by Donald Walters call 1-800-424-1055
  

THE MASK AND THE MIRROR
Loreena McKennitt (Quinlan Road)

For folk enthusiasts, Canadian singer/harpist/composer Loreena McKennitt is definitely worth checking out. Her sumptuous voice, pensive melodies and creative arrangements are an impressive trio. The Mask and the Mirror is an extremely well done recording which blends Celtic, Spanish, French, Middle Eastern and popular musical influences with striking musicality. There is such a diversity of unusual colors here that it required several listenings to take it all in. Be forewarned that there is a decidedly mournful quality to much of this recording. If you're looking for light-hearted, this ain't it. But if you're looking for an extremely creative folk recording with a lot of intensity, look no further.

• Style, Celtic-Middle Eastern-Folk (Got that?)
• Instrumentation, Vocals, Celtic harp, guitars, keyboards, fiddle, cello, percussion, accordion, bouzouki, bodhran, tamboura, tabla, strings and many more ethnic instruments.
• Feel, Folk ballads in this genre are not generally known for being cheery. They are a bit more intense and have a darker character. Mostly in minor keys, they well capture the feeling of the period (15th century) and locale which inspired them.
• Performances, Outstanding.
• Compositions, Excellent.
• Arrangements, Next to Loreena's voice, the most impressive part of this recording to me is the creative blend of ethnic instruments and the musicality of the arrangements. I'm personally not fond of some of the electric guitar use and the jazz fiddle solo in this context; but all in all, the work is exceptional.
• Tempos, Mixed. Nothing too upbeat.
• Recording Quality, Excellent.
  

CELTIC LEGACY,
A GLOBAL CELTIC JOURNEY
Various Narada artists (NARADA)

Narada's latest offering to the ever-growing popularity of Celtic recordings. A combination of traditional and original selections performed mostly on acoustic instruments.

• Style, Celtic and nouvo-Celtic.
• Instrumentation, Most selections are performed by a small group of acoustic instruments, varying from piece to piece.
• Feel, Light and relaxing.
• Performances, Good overall. Some better than others.
• Compositions, Good to Fair.
• Arrangements, Although most of the instrumental arrangements are reasonably good, some tend to meander. The most disappointing aspect of this recording, however, is the choice of certain vocal arrangements. Two of these in particular tend to stand out so much, that the airy mood created by the other selections is disturbed. The problem, I think, is one of having too much variety in the tempos and arrangements.
• Tempos, I wouldn't recommend this for quiet massage ambiance, but for light backgrounds where a variety of tempos is appropriate this would do fine.
• Recording Quality, Very Good.
• Remarks, Although this recording has some shortcomings, it is certainly worthy of consideration for any lover of Celtic music.
  

EARTH SPIRIT
R. Carlos Nakai (Canyon)

Solo Native American Flute. That's all.

A golden oldie in more ways than one, Earth Spirit by R. Carlos Nakai has been around for awhile, but if you haven't heard it yet, I strongly recommend you give it a listen. The plaintive call of a solo flute echoing across the centuries. The first time I heard it I was half awake, listening to the breeze and the sounds of people going about their business. The music seemed to lift me above the mundane busy-ness of life, as if I was viewing it all from a timeless vantage point. A slight mournful quality seemed to shed a tear for a civilization so distracted that they barely remember who they are and why they are here. Now when music can do that, we're on to something.

• Style, Native American
• Instrumentation, Solo Native American Flute
• Feel, Timeless
• Performance, Excellent
• Compositions/Arrangements, Some improvised, some traditional
• Tempos, All Medium Slow
• Recording Quality, Good
• Remarks, For meditation, healing arts, or anytime you're looking for profound simplicity. Great with trickling water, rustling leaves and quiet sunsets.

If you can't find the reviewed selections at your local store, most of them can be ordered through the Present Moment book store in Minneapolis, MN. Their toll free telephone number is 1-800-378-3245. Ask for John.

All reviews by Robert J. Resetar, a composer/orchestrator currently living in the Minneapolis area. His musical scores and orchestrations have been heard on network TV, recorded and performed by major orchestras.

If you would like to have your recording considered for a review in Atlantis Rising please send it to Robert Resetar, P.O. Box 23528, Minneapolis Mn 55423. No selections will be returned and due to the constraints of space only a limited number will be selected for printing. Please include information on where readers can purchase them and what formats they are available in. Preference will be given to alternative styles that are especially calming, colorful or unique.