“A Sense of Place” by Eric Tingstad

I am glad I finally made this post. It has really been a very long time.

One of the qualifications for an album to appear on great-anonymous-albums is that it needs to have at least 75% filled with good numbers. This album doesn’t carry that many good songs but the the ones that are good as so good that I couldn’t afford to give it a placing here. Add to it the anonymity of the artist and I thought it was a must to have it reviewed here.

The name Eric Tingstand may hardly ring a bell in many people’s minds but Eric and his collaborator Nancy Rumble are Grammy Award winners in the New Age category. Eric is a classically trained guitarist and plays fingerstyle guitar and Nancy accompanies him on Woodwind instruments such as the Oboe and the English Horn. Their music classified more under New Age is full of classical overtones and traditional folk sounds like music from the Scotish Highlands, American Indian etc. Eric’s more popular albums are made in collaboration with Nancy Rumble but this one is a pure Eric Tingstad one.

This is an album that is soothing, relaxing and has a calming effect on your nerves. A very good album for a long ride in the woods or in such places where there is green, wide spaces or pastures or by the sea or anywhere where the beauty of the nature surrounds you.

Review of the best songs followed by the not so good ones, in the order of sequence on the album.

1. Appalachia Calling – A pleasant starter setting the ground for what’s to come.

2. Monongahela – A song that seems to take off where the opener left following a similar rhythm. However this time more pleasant tunes pour forth from the guitars.

3. A sense of place – The Title track is a stealer and the first one I go for when I play this album. Listening to this song just the day before I left my previous job and company (hopefully my last) made me immensely sad. Everytime I listen to this song the pleasant feelings are different. Best off if you listen to it when you are unwinding or trying to relax and not in the mood for something like Van Halen. A very soothing number. Credit goes to the saxophone player on this number too.

5. Magnolia – Beautiful twin guitar acoustic treat. Soft and lovely.

7. Caste by the Lough – The flute is heard on this number augmenting the guitars and it sounds only as beautiful as the guitars.

8. Sissinghurst – Another lovely number smooth and slow with lovely tunes.

11. In Moonlight Blue – A lovely number to end the album. Piano is heard on this lovely composition. Other intruments, violin/oboe/horn are used too, to make this a lovely concluding number.

The rest of the songs aren’t bad but I cannot put them in the same league as the other seven reviewed earlier.

4. Spirit of the Rydal Mount – Qualifies more for a filler but it isn’t a bad song.

6. Sovereign of the sea – Begins wth long chord strumming. Very rhymy and slow.

9. American Blend – Faster and more upbeat than other songs of the album but also becomes the odd one out. Not impressive either.

10. The Craftsman – Again not a bad one but qualifies for filler status only.

As I wrote earlier the album is seriously worth a listen for the first seven songs I reviewed. You won’t go wrong on them.

Listen to MP3 clips of the songs here.

For more information in Eric, his band and his works check out www.erictingstad.com.

You could download the album for free at UnlimitedDownloadCenter.com.