SHINE

I was in my school library the moment that I found out about "Shine" and I had to be subsequently warned that if I made such a noise again I would be banned for a week from using the library. I had been checking the official website every day for an  update and finally it was and the news was amazing. I immediately went to the websites of my local music retailers to see when it would be released in Australia. They all posted that the 21st of October was the date. My 17th Birthday was on the 24th of October so I was thinking how wonderful a birthday present it was going to be. Unfortunately I found out a few weeks later that "Shine" was being released in Australia on the 3rd of February 2003. I almost died. But my parents were having difficulty finding presents for me so with a little persuading I was able to get them to order it for me from AMAZON.COM. It's debut in my room was a very memorable occasion...

Allegretto:

Unlike "Born" I had known about "Shine" for some time and had heard samples of it. Allegretto was a track that I had already heard parts of but nothing compares to the full version of a track. Once again BOND have managed to put together a track that is not only highly original but works amazingly as an album starter. It immediately involves the listener and grasps the attention for the whole track. One thing that I wasn't expecting from hearing the sample was the ingenious pizzicato interlude in the middle. I love that, the dark and mysterious sounds. That is Why I love the string quartet medium, the diversity of sounds that can be produced is second to none and BOND really explore the effects open to them.

Shine:

Shine was released as one of their singles for the album and in my opinion it is really wonderful in it's eclectic influences. I actually find that I prefer the version on the single as I like Haylie's cadenza in the middle and I feel that the drum accompaniment detracts from it. But still, It is a really great track and shows the evolution that bond have undergone.

Fuego:

I find that Fuego is not as great as Shine but all in all I find it hard to dislike any song by BOND. The Album has wonderful diversity. Allegretto is clearly a dance track, Shine is Indian, and now Fuego is Spanish. The variety is the key to keeping the listener interested. What makes the track more intriguing is the fact that the melody is produced through a series of short dabs at the strings. Ingenious. However, listening to the sample of the re-mixed version being released on the new mini-album u have to say that I enjoy it far more. It emphasizes the notes more whereas in the version on "Shine" has them in rather a blur.

Strange Paradise:

You would have to be a fool not to like this track. The development of the piece is perfectly structured and each time I listen to it I waft into a different world. One free from all the stress that comes along with life. The highlights of the different voices once again captures the critics attention, proving yet again that the string quartet medium is completely without blemish. Who knew that Tony Bennett's original hit "Stranger in Paradise", which also features in the opera "Prince Igor", would be smashed to pieces by BOND's rendition so many years later. That's it BOND, Sock it to 'em!

Speed:

I was intrigued by the name of this track before I listened to it. An online retailer mentioned in a spoiler for the album that this track featured heartbeats and motor engines so I figured that this track would be very different. And it is. Although quite confusing on face value, if you listen attentively and try to pick up each part you can really see what a masterpiece it is. I particularly enjoy the section toward the middle where the violin (I think) plays a fast moving pattern that seems impossible. Really I can hear that this piece would have taken many tolls during recording. Many rests for the fingers would have been highly necessary!

Big Love Adagio:

The more I listen to this the more I love it. It is so complex and full. Each part goes off on a tangent and they all play away producing such a full tonal quality. It is quite hard to pick this up in the first few listens but once accustomed to the tune you will find it easier to hear the individual parts. Then you will be able to realize that the melody is not just made up of one of the girls playing the melody but the combination of sounds produced by multiple melodies playing at once. And yet it is not confusing at all, just a magnificent work that has no question about it. Sheer Brilliance.

Kashmir:

Led Zepplin's famous classic has been covered by a myriad of artists but I think that furthest away from the minds of Led Zepplin's fans was that a string quartet would ever cover it. And with such a triumph. When I noticed that it was included in the track listing I was at first skeptical but after listening to the track I couldn't help but think to myself how stupid I was to ever have doubts. BOND's style is such that they can pretty much pull off anything if they handle it the right way. This was made clear in Kashmir. Recording it in the distinctive BOND style, Bond have managed to silence not only me but also a number of critics.

Gypsy Rhapsody:

This track explores the cultural side of ethnicity. While the album on a whole is very eclectic, this track delves deeply into the heart and soul of the Gypsy culture. Totally traditionally sounding it provides not only more diversity, but it also gives Haylie the opportunity to play in a genre that she loves so much.

Libertango:

I have always loved a good tango. My favorite track from the "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack is the "Tango de Roxanne" and in my opinion, nothing speaks louder than a tango. BOND's tango is amazing. Not only does it boast a ripper melody line, but it also has an element of infectiousness. I am an imaginer, music makes me see things, and listening to this track I can so clearly picture Haylie, Eos, Tania and Gay-Yee sweating under the harsh stage lights as they grip tenaciously to their individual instruments, performing this piece that shouts sensuality and style. The goose-pumps definitely return during this number!    

Sahara:

I was looking forward to hearing this track. I knew that Haylie had written it and when it finally began I knew I was in for a treat. Loving all things to do with Africa, as I already mentioned, I was immediately swept across the seas to the rolling plains of the African deserts. As you can see, music has quite a sensational effect on me. Some call it scary but I just call it fun. And at the end of the day, music serves a purpose, to entertain. This is the way that music entertains me and I really love tracks that play up to my over-active imagination. Haylie has created an imaginative masterpiece...

Ride:

Nothing could prepare me for this track. Knowing full well that Eos wrote it I was expecting another slow, Godfather-esque piece. How wrong I was. This track displays the ultimate marriage of classically developed skill with modernistic classical values. There is so much going on in this track and as I have already specified, that is one thing that I look for in a piece. What is a real hats off to Eos is that it displays brilliance and yet not a semblance of classical convention. In fact I am struggling to find any genre that indicates conventions any where near to the mark of Ride. definitely a track that I could not live without!

Space:

Ride ends and we are left quivering from the after effects. And then we are suddenly propelled, as it were, into the furthest reaches of the galaxy. Or so we are led to believe. In fact, my only qualms with this track is its name. Apart from the introduction, where we hear the sounds of a satellite blinking away contentedly, the rest of the track doesn't resemble ideas of space in any way. To my imagination at least. In fact I find that I am once again re-visiting the African Safari, only to be whisked away to India, and then to Ireland. To my point of view, this track contains not just one cultural idiom but many, featuring, as mentioned, African, Indian and even a hint of Irish. Had I been in charge of naming the tracks I would have called this track something like Journey, or Epic. Journey because it shifts ideas constantly, and Epic because the overall sound of the track is very epic in nature. The piece itself is great. Once again it is a little different and adds further diversity to the already multicultural album.

Bond on Bond:

I was probably looking forward to this piece the least of the lot as we had already been treated to a taste of BOND's spin of the classic James Bond theme on the DVD. Nevertheless, it is good to finally be able to listen to it without having to watch the DVD. Not much can really be said apart from a comment about its originality. Raised eyebrows are what always greets my mentions of BOND doing the James Bond theme but the overall feeling after I display it to others is that it works on the level of originality. The James Bond theme in itself is really nothing special and I usually pass it off with a shrug. But I love to listen to the way that BOND have worked their way around it which is refreshing and clearly defined. They are BOND...and that is all...

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