[blessingx]

Everyone goes through different moods and lately I've been looking for just really beautiful music. You know awe inspiring. Open, not cynical or angry. I don't care the genre, though I think some genres lend themselves to what I'm looking for. I certainly need some Classical. I'll list a few below and please suggest anything you think fits the bill. Please only truly great albums in your opinion though. Much thanks for suggestions in advanced. Hope this thread will be of use for others also.

1. Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - In The Heart Of The Moon
2. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
3. Bill Evans And Stan Getz - But Beautiful
4. Djivan Gasparyan - I Will Not Be Sad In The World
5. Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours
6. Hem - Rabbit Songs
7. Glenn Gould - A State of Wonder
8. In the Mood for Love Soundtrack
9. John Prine - Souvenirs
10. Kate Rusby - Little Lights
11. The Langley Schools Music Project - Innocence & Despair
12. Philip Glass - Solo Piano
13. The Planet Sleeps - Various Artists
14. Sigur Ros - Takk
15. To Kill a Mockingbird Soundtrack
16. The Tony Bennett And Bill Evans Album
17. Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day

 

[keanej6]

Mono - You are there

 

[Masonjar]

Mojave 3 - ASK ME TOMORROW

Mahler - Symphony #5, Adagietto

 

[OGTL]

I know exactly the music you are talking of, and these are the ones I have had the privilege to discover so far:

Jon Anderson - Olias of Sunhillow
Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Harmonium - Si On Avait Besoin 5ieme Saison



These are the ones that stand out, for lacking any kind of bias, evil, anger or display of "attitude". I'm not sure exactly what makes them stand out, but they are the incredible mind altering ones. I'll be checking out some of the ones you mentioned, thanks.

 

[tjkurita]

John Coltrane: A Love Supreme.
Pierre Fournier: Bach Cello Suites.

 

[Asr]

Massenet's "Meditation" from Thais is one of the most eminent beautiful pieces from the Romantic era. I don't know of any good recordings of just Meditation by itself, but I absolutely love Renee Fleming's recording of the entire opera, and when it comes in at the end of Act 1, it's like heaven opens up!

 

[Stephen_Ri]

Brian Eno and John Cale's Wrong Way Up is a beautiful pop record.

 

[kuviaq]

All Sufjan Steven's records except "Enjoy Your Rabbit".

Stereolab: "Dots and Loops" and "Sound Dust"

Neil Young: Harvest, Harvest Moon, the new Live at Massey Hall 1971 (Obviously lots more here)

Lots and lots more, but those are some current faves.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Do you have other Ali Farka Toure discs? I strongly recommend "Savane" and "Talking Timbuktu." I can't get enough of those. The discs follow me from the headphone rig to the car and back. Here are some others I love:

"Ella & Louis," by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong;

"Waltz for Debby," Bill Evans Trio;

"Getz and Gilberto," Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto;

"Sextet," Cal Tjader, Stan Getz, et al.;

"The Trinity Session," The Cowboy Junkies;

For a little pop, try "Tower of Love," by Jim Noir. Catchy, happy, fun, and I should put catchy in there again. Give it a listen or two and the hooks won't let go.;

"The Coast Is Never Clear," Beulah. More great hooks;

"A Ghost Is Born," Wilco. A bit melancholy, but beautiful nonetheless.

The recommendation of Stereolab's "Sound-Dust" is great. I love that disc.

if you like Bach, I'm crazy about any of his pieces recorded by Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music.

Edit: anything by Galaxie 500. How could I have forgotten them?

 

[FalconP]

There are so many. The following CDs are tuneful, blissful, and approachable to anyone with an open mind, and yet IMO are among the best in their genres.

Celtic/Celtic fusion

1. The Chieftains -- Water from the Well; Another Country.
2. Old Blind Dogs -- The World's Room
3. Kila -- Tóg É Go Bog É
4. Cathal McConnell -- Long Expectant Comes at Last
5. Patrick Ball -- Secret Isles: Celtic Harp vol.3 (that is, if you insist on picking a winner out of the 4 volumes)

Portuguese

1. Anything by Madredeus; but if you have to choose, then O Paraiso.
2. Dulce Pontes -- O Primeiro Canto: no longer in traditional fado territory; but rather an awe-inspiring synthesis of mythology, folklore and literature, sang by an absolutely stunning voice.

General World Music; On top of the World Music thread:

1. Ruben Gonzalez -- Chanchullo. Probably the most impressive release from the whole Buena Vista Social Club series. A fantastic swan song of this superb Cuban pianist.
2. Ryuichi Sakamoto and the Morelenbaums -- Casa. An illuminating tribute to Bossa Nova grandfather Antonio Carlos Jobim, showcasing Jobim's influence by classical impressionism.
3. Nusrat Fetah Ali Khan and Michael Brook -- Night Song (innovative Sufi-electronic fusion)
4. Lila Downs -- Border (very touching narrative songs on the Mexican Border)
5. Omar Faruk Tebelik -- One Truth (a wide-cast net of middle-eastern styles.

Ambient/New Age

1. Raphael -- Angels of the Deep (blissful, floating underwater magic)
2. Al Gromer Khan -- Space Hotel (Indian-inspired electroambient music that rewards close listening)
3. Penguin Cafe Orchestra -- When In Rome (Live performance from this unclassifiable, quirky, upbeat, mainly acoustic act)

As for classical, most music by Vivaldi, Hadyn and Mozart are joyful and beautiful. I'll go back to that later.

 

[ken36]

Anetha Faltskog (The blonde from ABBA, has a beautiful voice and some great solo CDs)

 

[hudsong]

Múm - Green Grass of Tunnel, or just the whole Finally We Are No One album.

 

[ShaolinRasta]

Donald Byrd: "A New Perspective"

 

[kwitel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by blessingx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Everyone goes through different moods and lately I've been looking for just really beautiful music. You know awe inspiring. Open, not cynical or angry. I don't care the genre, though I think some genres lend themselves to what I'm looking for. I certainly need some Classical. I'll list a few below and please suggest anything you think fits the bill. Please only truly great albums in your opinion though. Much thanks for suggestions in advanced. Hope this thread will be of use for others also. Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate - In The Heart Of The Moon The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds Bill Evans And Stan Getz - But Beautiful Djivan Gasparyan - I Will Not Be Sad In The World Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours Hem - Rabbit Songs Glenn Gould - A State of Wonder In the Mood for Love Soundtrack John Prine - Souvenirs Kate Rusby - Little Lights The Langley Schools Music Project - Innocence & Despair Philip Glass - Solo Piano The Planet Sleeps - Various Artists Sigur Ros - Takk To Kill a Mockingbird Soundtrack The Tony Bennett And Bill Evans Album Vashti Bunyan - Just Another Diamond Day

Hey Blessing-some great music youv'e got here already listed...
My all time favorite "beautiful" music has to Peter Gabriel's "Last Temptation of Christ" soundtrack.
Other notables:
Ludovico Einaudi-buy anything of his that you can get your hands on-stunning yet simplistic/minimal romantic, modern piano.
Deep Forest-all albums
Enigma-the first one (forgot the name-im at work)
Enya-first two (forgot their names-lol)
Philip Glass-The Hours soundtrack
Aphex Twin-Selected Ambient Works-(what a beautifully minimal piece of electronica)
and Talk Talk-Laughing Stock (just a for a little variety)

 

[ken36]

Hymne A L'amour-Elaine Paige