Tales Of Heaven & Hell Soundtrack CD

The Dark Musical Side Of Clockwork Orange.



This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel includes: Wendy Carlos; Ann Feldman (vocals); Tom O'Horgan (various instruments); Matthew Davidson (samples).
Theatrivox: Jeffrey Johnson, Stephen Rosser, John Olund, Gregory Purnhagen (vocals).
Includes liner notes by Wendy Carlos.
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
Personnel: Jeffrey Johnson (vocals, chant); Ann Feldman, Gregory Purnhagen, John Olund (vocals); Matthew Davidson (sampler).
Liner Note Author: Wendy Carlos.
Synth history firmly holds Carlos-- a pioneer, a visionary, and amply talented. From Switched-On Bach to Clockwork Orange to Sonic Seasonings to Beauty In the Beast and others -- Carlos is matchless, an innovator, working wonders. On Tales of Heaven and Hell the magic continues in an eerie music drama full of all the things Carlos fans love. Seven pieces carry you through a sombre, introspective, and somewhat disturbing territory, a sonic Dante's Inferno. A twisted and warped return to Carlos' legacy is offered in the 17:47 "Clockwork Black" which will make chills run up the spine of ye olden ones familiar with Carlos' bizarre discography. This isn't music for blank smiles and sunny mornings. It paints a Boschian or Morality play backdrop of torments and gnashings of rotted teeth. "Clockwork Black" is dark and foreboding with demonic titterings and Latin chantings intermingled. Finally, in the 12:49 "Seraphim," eternal light and righteousness, prevail, and a wearied rest comes through. This is a deeply moving piece in a good way after the oppressive pathos overlaying much of Carlos' dark drama she offers. Carlos is always a unique trip. ~ John W. Patterson
"Contains genuinely scary material," reads a sleeve note. "Use caution when listening alone or in the dark." The warning is akin to the kinds of ads they used to run for 1950s horror movies, and Carlos' album of largely instrumental, classically influenced music often recalls the scores of those movies, complete with Latin recitations, creepy sound effects, and whimpering and moaning female voices. But the effect of this "musical drama" is more likely to be mirth than terror, if only because such clichés have been so overdone in soundtrack music. While there are passages of genuine musical interest, the overall conception of Carlos' first album of new material in 12 years is just too silly to take seriously. (Carlos has titled one passage "Clockwork Black," a reference to her score for the film A Clockwork Orange.) ~ William Ruhlmann