GLORIOUS, Mother Earth [Maxi-Single], Lean & Mean W/O II
Written: Dec 13 '03 (Updated Dec 13 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: This song has something for everyone - alive!
Cons: Why settle for a piece when you could have the whole pie!
The Bottom Line: Two versions of one of the best Melodic Symphonic songs ever made! If you buy it, you'll thank me. If you don't, no harm. Highly recommended! 5 stars
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| daumco's Full Review: Mother Earth [Maxi-Single] - Within Temptation Mov... |
Hello, Many of you may have read my long winded review of the album Mother Earth by that fabulous Femme Fronted, Dutch Symphonic Metal group known as Within Temptation. If you did, then you probably have a good sense of what this band is like.
Unlike the album, whose original release was August 21, 2001, this single was only released on October 13th of this year, along with a five song EP and a DVD+, which is a five song video, plus the five song EP.
Mother Earth (the album) is a true masterpiece, that has generated more spinoffs than the old Archie Bunker TV show. There are now a total of ten releases of music (not counting video) from the original blockbuster album and since singles have not been released on my personal favorites, I expect more.
A blockbuster, you say? I never heard of it. Well that's not surprising. Very little import music gets heard on the radio, especially mainstream radio and most import music is not offered in the stores either, therefore, since it doesn't get heard, nobody buys it and since nobody buys it, it doesn't get heard, the old vicious circle.
Surprise!!! Despite the odds, Mother Earthis being purchased. It's not being played on the radio but "Mother Earth Junkies" (a term from a buyer) are buying the album for big bucks without hearing any song but Mother Earth. See my Conclusion.
I suppose it's rather unusual for a single to be released 26 months after the album but Mother Earth seems to have a life of it's own. It just won't go away, quietly, into obscurity.
Within Temptation band members are: Sharon den Adel (Vocals), Robert Westerholt (Vocals, guitar), Martijn Westerholt (synths & keyboards), Ivar de Graaf (drums), Jeroen Van Deen (bass), Michiel Papenhove (guitars).
Track List
1) Mother Earth (studio version) 4:02 (shorter than album)
2) Mother Earth (live at Lowlands) 5:32
There is no doubt in my mind that Sharon den Adel is one of the truly great sopranos in the world and her singing surely adds greatly to the song but, to me, the song and the arrangement stands on it's own.
"Mother Earth" starts with lush keyboards a flute and the choir, before the guitars, synths and a very timely French horn raise the tempo and intensity. Sharon's incomparable voice joins in @ 1:03 sometimes accompanied by violins and soars above the choir and everything else, not obliterating but enhancing the amazing textures herein.
"Mother Earth" (live) as live tracks go this one is superlative. This version is a minute and a half longer than the studio version because of the addition of some instrumentation and some male choir singing @ 3:20. This version mimics closer the version on the original album release.
Conlusion
How is it possible that Mother Earth is still going strong, NO, growing stronger every day after 26 Months?
I'm sure word of mouth and hearing a friends copy has something to do with it and some have heard it overseas but that doesn't begin to explain this mini juggernaut. So I decided to initiate a mini survey.
Mystery Solved
I found the answer, to this mini mystery, to be surprising to say the least. Here is verbatim, what one of my respondents said.
"A couple of the people leaving comments on Amazon have revealed where all the interest is coming from.
Matt Drudge has a Sunday night show on radio. I hear it on KFI in L.A. For months he has been playing the song Mother Earth as an intro to one or the other of the opening hours.
Every now and then he reveals that the haunting song intro is Mother Earth by Within Temptation. Those of us who have been hooked like junkies then scramble to find a copy.
Mystery solved."
Similar Bands
Therion, Edenbridge, Evenescence, Lacuna Coil, Dreams of Sanity, Artrosis
Here is a link to my original review of Mother Earth by Within Temptation.:
http://www.epinions.com/content_102189993604
This review is part of Sleeper54's Lean and Mean Two W/O. Here is a link to the write off info; http://www.epinions.com/content_3600982148
Recommended:
Yes
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daumco
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