Search - Hennie Bekker and Dan Gibson :: Island Paradise

A Nice Getaway...

John S. Geary | 06/12/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Whenever I listen to 'Island Paradise' I am enchanted by the sound of the island surf, instrumentals and birds--I feel as if I'm on the island of Trinidad, absorbing the scenery and scent of the Earth and Water.What makes this album so interesting is that there's a beautiful storm that takes up 3 tracks--when you imagine yourself the observer of a thunder and rain show...with the accompaniments of bamboo crackling, winds howling, and the surf pounding.Far from being altogether disruptive, the storm regenerates you and heals you--as much as it causes the land to regenerate and sprout green anew. Why I give this album a "4" is because, while it is not the best album I've ever listened to, it is worth listening to for the experience of venturing into an island paradise--storm and all."

Recycling is a good practice - but not on "different" CD's

John S. Geary | Vancouver, B.C., Canada | 08/07/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Having enjoyed other similar "Solitudes" CD's in the past, I was looking forward to this one. However, while listening to it, I realized some of the music was the same music used on the CD, "Algonquin Suite." I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, so I listened again, then played the AS CD and in one section, it was the same music, redubbed onto "Island Paradise." Granted, the nature sounds were different - but it seems someone has taken a short cut or two by just remixing old music tracks with new sounds. While the entire CD is not the exact same music, hearing even one music track that had already been featured on another disc, set in a different natural environment, really did take away much of the enjoyment for me. I won't be purchasing any of their works in the future."