Search - Enya :: Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya

Beautiful and Never Long Enough

Lonnie E. Holder | Columbus, Indiana, United States | 08/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have discovered that Enya generally leaves a lot of blank space on a CD, and this collection that culls compositions from her first four CDs and adds two new songs maintains that tendency by using a little less than 58 minutes of the 80 minutes available on a CD. However, you always get carefully crafted quality versus quantity on any Enya CD.



Enya has released six original CDs in the course of her career, with one of the five being a re-release of her debut album "Enya." I am excluding miscellaneous singles and participation in projects such as "Lord of the Rings." This collection has selections from Enya's first four CDs, thus excluding her most recent CDs, "A Day without Rain" and "Amarantine." Also, the collection favors "Shepherd Moons" and "Memory of Trees" with five and four compositions from each, respectively, over "Watermark" and "The Celts," with three and two compositions from each, respectively. Considering that "Shepherd Moons" sold more than 10 million copies it is easy to understand why "Shepherd Moons" received the most emphasis. However, I have listened to all these CDs and I think that Enya is remarkably consistent, crafting and performing her music carefully with skill as exacting as her artistry. While I have yet to purchase "The Celts," I enjoy "Paint the Sky with Stars" because it is a collection of some of her better known works in addition to the crème de la crème. When I am in a certain mood I can listen to Enya for hours.



This CD begins with "Orinoco Flow" ("Watermark") and "Caribbean Blue" ("Shepherd Moons"); both songs had videos receiving a lot of air play on MTV in the 80s. Both songs enticed me to purchase Enya's music, which I have added to a collection that extends from pop to alternative and progressive. After the enthusiastic "Orinoco Flow" and the fairy tale sounding "Caribbean Blue" the next song is the contemplative "Book of Days" ("Shepherd Moons"). The gears change a bit with "Anywhere Is" ("Memory of Trees"), which retains a contemplative theme, but with peppy beat and strong rhymes.



The next piece is one of two songs written specifically for this CD, "Only If." This song keeps the speed of the previous song and is an interesting song, if a bit less complex than many of Enya's songs. "The Celts" follows, its tune forming mental images of Irish dancers for me. "China Roses" ("Memory of Trees") follows and manages to capture the wonder of the universe and the beauty of heaven all in one song. This song transcends the poetic to the surrealistic both lyrically and vocally. The next track, "Shepherd Moons" ("Shepherd Moons"), is an instrumental in keeping with the dreamy vision of the previous song.



Once again the CD changes pace with "Ebudae" ("Shepherd Moons"), which appears to be sung in Irish Gaelic and makes a great listen, though I am unable to understand a word. "Storms in Africa" ("Watermark") is the next track, yet another instrumental and one that keeps a fast beat with a vaguely African flavor. "Watermark" is yet another instrumental from the same CD, one that is delicate and introspective with its strings and somber piano.



"Paint the Sky with Stars" is the second of the two compositions written specifically for this CD. This song is quiet and beautiful and dreamy, and could easily have been a part of "Memory of Trees" or "Shepherd Moons." The next song is "Marble Halls" ("Shepherd Moons"), which is a fairy tale of knights and maidens and longing for a true love lost. Enya's voice reaches beautiful emotional highs and makes me want to watch an old movie about King Arthur.



The following song was the last song on the CD "Memory of Trees," and every time I hear this song I feel as though the CD must be nearing an end because it feels as though we must awaken from the fantasy Enya has woven for us. "On My Way Home" returns us to this place and time, but with a longing for the place we leave, the poetry that has been woven for us. Yet, we rejoice for we return to a place of familiarity and keep the feelings we gained from this glorious music.



The next track is the instrumental title track to the previous CD, "Memory of Trees." While "Memory of Trees" is nominally an instrumental, there are voices that punctuate portions of the music. Feel the forests and the beasts great and small, real and mythical, populating the forest.



This CD ends with on the serious note of "Boadicea" ("The Celts"). The ending perhaps puts a bit of perspective on Enya's music, or perhaps reminds us that we must leave the aural journey on which she has taken us, not to return until we restart the CD.



Enya is not for everyone. Her music is beautiful and poetic. She deals in imagery and fantasy, sometimes in imagined history, but rarely in the here and now. Her music is often delicate. Her voice is beautiful. She is one of a kind.

"

Enya

K. O'Connor | arlington, tx USA | 11/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"in my opinion the extra tracks are worth the extra money"