 | |
List Price: $39.99 | | Label: Import [Generic]
Salesrank: 1251131
Released: March 23, 1999 |
|
| Used Price: $59.24 |
|
| Media: Audio CD |
|
Shepherd Moons Track Listing:
1. Shepherd Moons
2. Caribbean Blue
3. How Can I Keep from Singing?
4. Ebudae
5. Angeles
6. No Holly for Miss Quinn
7. Book of Days
8. Evacuee
9. Lothlorien
10. Marble Halls
11. Afer Ventus
12. Smaointe
Editorial Review:
Japanese reissue of the beloved Irish vocalist's 1991 & third album on a 24 karat gold disc limited to the initial pressing only. Her biggest album in the U.S., the quadruple-platinum 'Shepherd Moons' broke the top 20 & contains 1 1 of her greatest, including the chart hit 'Caribbean Blue', plus 'Book Of Days', 'How Can I Keep From Singing?' &the title track. 1999 release.
Shepherd Moons Reviews:
Beautiful (Need I Say More?) 
2006-08-01 - I am fond of an eclectic range of music, and Enya solidly anchors one of the extremes with her delicately crafted vocals and the airy and often ethereal music that supports her vocals. "Shepherd Moons" was released three years after her previous album, "Watermark," which propelled her to fame, largely on the success of "Orinoco Flow." "Shepherd Moons" was even more successful than "Watermark," perhaps because Enya's MTV videos were creative and unique and generated an audience that would not usually have been exposed to her music. However, "Shepherd Moons" shows that once the market was established fans were more than willing to purchase similar music.
The opening piece is largely instrumental with Enya's voice supporting the instruments. This music is simple, quiet and contemplative, led by a piano. "Shepherd Moons" fades slowly and the relatively lengthy fadeout provides a strong contrast with the more enthusiastic and catchy "Caribbean Blue," a dreamy song of filmy vocals and instruments with a lovely Latin introduction and exit. The repetitive-sounding exit is actually an overlay:
...Eurus...
Afer Ventus...
...Boreas
Zephyrus...
...Africus...
The next song presages the song Enya created for the Lord of the Rings. "How Can I Keep from Singing" is Enya's beautiful voice with a minimum of instrumental support. The mood of this song is somber, nearly ironic, as it extols the value of singing through the various tribulations of life.
The following song changes the pace dramatically. "Ebudae" appears to be sung in Irish Gaelic and makes a great listen, though I am unable to understand a word. The following song returns to an ethereal theme. "Angeles" is about angels and divine intervention. The airy and swooping vocals and instruments and harmonies provide this song with its own angelic feeling. This song leads to the second instrumental, "No Holly for Miss Quinn." As with the first instrumental, a piano is the principal instrument, and the composition is very classical.
"Book of Days" again changes the pace, speeding up as compared to the three previous songs and relying on Irish Gaelic words, which are just out of reach of understanding and make you listen harder to the words. This song is the most enthusiastic song on this CD and is glorious for Enya to allow her vocals to be relatively more powerful and stronger than on most of the other songs.
The pace changes again with "Evacuee." This song seems to evoke the evacuation program followed in the British Isles during the war. During this program children were sent to the country in an attempt to keep them from German bombs and missiles. This moving song catches the moment of goodbye, from the last hug until the train pulls out of the station.
"Lothlorien" is the final instrumental, again piano-led, though this time with additional instrument support. The next song is "Marble Halls," 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 last two songs are in two different languages. "Afer Ventus" is in Latin and "Smaointe" is in Irish Gaelic. The former song is a brisk overlay of beautiful vocals, wherein the quiet emotions are well communicated by the tone of the words rather than by the meaning. The last song seems to be about those lost, perhaps from our presence, but not from our thoughts. Once again, the vocals sketch an aural picture that is sufficiently strong that a listener need not understand the words.
The beauty of Enya's music is that it is instantly timeless. The music is neo-classical, influenced by a variety of sources. If you listen to "Orinoco Flow" or any of Enya's music from the 80s through today you will find it impossible to attribute her music to any particular decade. Some may consider whether one Enya album is any better than any other, but I have found that each album has its own strengths, and I like each for their content. Comparisons are unnecessary and undesirable. Let the music speak for itself.
There are several versions of this CD available. This version is a gold disk that provides a superior sound to the U.S. release. However, when this version is available the price is substantially greater than the U.S. release. I suggest you survey the available versions and choose the version that best meets your needs. Enjoy!
"Shepherd Moons"-Absolutely Gorgeous In Gold!
2002-05-08 - This Japanese import 24K Gold CD of Enya's "Shepherd Moons" is gorgeous in so many ways. The packaging and the gold cd itself is a thing of beauty. This CD has definitely been remastered and has a more fuller sound than the US version. Another plus is that this CD has the original version of "Book of Days"(Not the version that was featured in the film "Far and Away"). Along with "Watermark", "Shepherd Moons" is my favorite Enya CD. Enya's singing throughout the CD is absolutely exquisite and wonderful and the music is lovely as well.
Orinoco who? Shepherd's 24kt is pure Gold
2000-07-26 - I remember the day I first learned about Enya. I went to see a Ron Howard film called Far And Away. Being the true movie goer that I am I stayed to watch the credits and to my surprise came across the most beautiful song. It was wonderful. I watched for the name as the credits rolled by and discovered it was called Book Of Days by Enya. Well I went and bought the soundtrack since I didn't know much about her and found that her song was the only track I listened too on the CD. I said to myself "I have to get more of her music", so I went to the local store and found 2 albums in the long rectangular cardboard cases that they use to be stored in. One had a red and orangy yellow cover and the other was a dark, mysterious blue. I saw a sticker on the dark one that said "Includes the hits Caribbean Blue and Book Of Days". I decided to buy both. But I listened to Shepherd Moons first and was completely blown away. From the beginning title track of piano and vocal harmonies I was hooked and when I listened to Caribbean Blue I became a fan. I have noticed that some reviewers have said not to buy Shepherd Moons first but rather get Watermark, The Celts or even Memory Of Trees instead. But being a person who found Enya thru this album I must disagree. I never tire of it and I have listened to it since 1991 and still cherish every song. Ebudae (which was used in the Robin Williams movie Toys), How Can I Keep From Singing (which became a Japanese single), Angeles, Marble Halls, Afer Ventus (which is also actually a lyric used in Caribbean Blue)ect. I remember later when I listened to Watermark and heard Orinoco Flow I said "Hey! It's that song used in those Bahamas Vacationing commercials! It's sad, I know. But I love Watermark as I do every Enya album but Shepherd Moons was my first and now in a lovely 24kt Gold edition. The sound is so crisp and clear it makes the music even more brilliant.
The best Enya album of all time
1999-07-02 - I bought this album when I was a teenager, and at the age of 23, I still listen to it on a regular basis. The way that she uses her voice is an utterly amazing feat! Carribean Blue is the reason that I bought the album, and I ended up loving every last song on it (especially "How Can I Keep From Singing" and "Shepherd Moons"). Like her native Ireland, Enya is both soothing and awe inspiring all at once.
