Search - Cusco :: Water Stories

For everyone. Worth at least 3 times it's price...

Michael T | Arizona, USA | 10/19/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, many people will like this album better the second time they listen to it. Especially if your new to Cusco. Like every Cusco album this one has instrumentation and flavor unique to any other (Cusco, or not). Every song has it's own special quality, no same-as-that-last-song feel here. Many can change or enhance your mood.Some picks: Sun of Jamaica, and Alcatraz, these songs are more universal then most on the CD. They are great for anything, driving, imagination, playing PC sims/games, dreaming of flight, anything. Java is much like this, but it seems to have more of a, well, ceremonial theme. Bur Said and Jebel at Tarik are even more ceremonial. Aurora is as beautiful as Mystic Islands' (another Cusco release) Lonely Rose, if you are in a soft or heart-broken mood it may make you cry. Let me stress one more time: most songs you will need to listen to more than once to get the full effect, this is especially true with the last track, Chorus.This is a 10 star album, a timeless masterpiece (really!)."

A good collection of early Cusco

barry31502 | CHESTERFIELD, MISSOURI United States | 02/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1990 CD, like Mystic Island released in 1989, is an excellent collection of songs from Cusco's earlier CDs that, at the time, had not been released in the States. Both were put together by Higher Octave after their successful first American release, Apurimac, to satisfy new-found fan demand for their earlier music. Water Stories was later released on the Prudence label in Germany, where it was considered a "best of" compilation. Early Cusco CDs are catchy, almost always fast-paced instrumentals that are on the edge of New Age. The group challenges the boundaries with pop, cosmopolitan rock, jazz and classical. Not as mature as some of their later albums, but make no mistake, this is outstanding New Age music. On Water Stories, their trademark panpipes and keyboards are used on selections related to the bodies of water that popped up on Desert Island, Cusco II, Cool Island, Virgin Island, and Ring der Delphine. The songs range from the upbeat "Waters of Cesme", to the beautiful "Lake Erie" (an interesting arrangement of the traditional Scarborough Fair), to the almost classical "Aurora" which uses the strings of the Munich Symphony Orchestra. The final cut, "Chorus", is from Musik Mantras 2, a haunting Johannes Walter production which includes some of Cusco's music. If you want a one-stop sample of some of the "pre-Apurimac" music that made Cusco one of Japan and Europe's (and now America's) favorite contemporary instrumental groups, Water Stories is a good choice."

Go Places Music

barry31502 | 10/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The music on this CD will grab hold and take you places you *want* to be. Thrilling from beginning to end."