Search - Oregon :: Jade Muse: The Best of Oregon

The Restful Mind

04/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Who would've thought that the acoustic, uncommercial music of Oregon would be enjoying a renaissance in the 21st century? It is gratifying to see the care that has been taken recently to preserve the music of this one-of-a-kind group.
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Over the last few years, the Oregon back catalog has been honored with a number of impressive releases such as "Our First Record," "In Performance," and "Best of the Vanguard Years." Now, the trend continues with "Jade Muse," a very satisfying collection of songs from the 1970's that is sure to please long time Oregon fans.
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One look at the CD package will tell you this release is something special. The standard plastic jewel case has been replaced by a one-of-a-kind oversized design, made without any plastic and including a paper sleeve for the CD, recalling the way vinyl records are packaged. On the cover, gazing serenely out from the deep black background, is a golden image of Kwan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion.
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The 16 songs are taken from the years 1970-1979 and tend to be relatively obscure with the exception of "The Silence of a Candle." Included are two songs from albums by Vasant Rai, which were produced by Collin Walcott. Also included are two songs from Larry Coryell's album, "The Restful Mind." As usual, Oregon does more than just create music on this CD, they create an aesthetic that can only be described as "exquisite." If you're a fan of Oregon's 70's aesthetic, you'll love this CD. Highly recommended."

Great compilation, poor manufacturing control.

It's Me, | Houston | 04/15/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a wonderfully done compilation from Oregon. The music and packaging is first rate. However, as with the manufacture of the "In Concert" CD, there are a number of CD's that have major manufacturing defects - scratches, blotches, and other inconsistencies that lead to skips, etc. I've seen this same issue with 3 separate versions of "In Concert" and 1 of "Jade Muse" so I assume that Vanguard has some work to do . . ."