Different Trains / Electric Counterpoint by Pat Metheny & Kronos Quartet

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Stunning Work. A brilliant concept, brilliantly executed. Steve Reich has always been at the forefront of conceptual music, and there's no better example than Different Trains. A must for anyone who appreciates those who push the boundaries of beauty and sound.

Wonderful. I love Electric counterpoint II it is so relaxing

Awesome Album. This album is one of the best examples of minimalism i've ever seen. This type of music is man't for a lot of people, but for those who do like this style, this is a must-have!

Wonder: induced by music. Reich's Different Trains, featuring the Kronos Quartet and Pat Metheny, put me willingly under a spell as late-night, public radio played a track: America Before the War. Born long after WWII was won, I was treated to a profound feeling of nostalia for times, places and sounds that I never experienced myself; so powerful is Reich's mastery of his art. The music itself is precisely performed to conduct the listener from the repetitive sounds of cross country travel by rail into the realm of the extraordinary as outbursts of whistles and human voices find their way to be sampled, repeated and fully integrated into one wonderous crecendo. Listen to hear the pattenrs and take a sonic journey without leaving your home.

Spectacular Aural Imagery!!. I was very fortunate to hear the Kronos Quartet perform this piece ("Different Trains") at the University of Maine the year this CD was released. Not being familiar with either Reich, the piece, or the KQ at the time, I was completely blown out of the water by the uniqueness of the idea, the emotion of the narrative, and the jarring comparison between Reich's life and the lives of so many others. Several jazz perfomers have tried similar "voice-matching" techiniques--Victor Wooten and Jason Moran, most recently--but hearing a child's message on an answering machine replayed on the bass guitar does not match the emotional impact of the narrative Reich provides. It is such an abstract notion with such concrete results. Kronos is impeccable in their performance, as usual, and they provide the flair and brass needed to pull off such a feat. I played this CD (along with Gorecki's Symphony #3) every year in my Holocaust class for juniors and seniors in high school. They are as blown away by the whole concept as I originally was. It is a technically impressive and emotionally draining exerience. "Electric Counterpoint" is, quite sadly, the overlooked portion of this CD for me. I am a huge Pat Metheny fan, but I look to his other CDs for his best work. I know it is my loss. . . . Bottom Line: Whether or not you like Steve Reich and/or the Kronos Quartet, you need to give this CD a listen--it is a challenge and a delight. I'm not sure how one could fully appreciate the piece without the lyrics and explanation from Reich, though. Might be worth just buying the CD somewhere. . . .

extremely good listening experience. a moving, entrancing, inspiring, strange nostalgia of things not experienced.

Haunting in parts. I bought this album because I'm a big fan of Pat Metheny. If I were judging this album in comparison with the others albums in his catalog I'd have to rate this one as weak. However, looking at it on its own it's a good album. There are parts of the first half of the album that are very haunting. I can picture this album being great for those late-night computer work sessions.

Gorgeous Combination. Although I could not connect on the first run through, I refreshed myself with Kronos' Howl and Early Music, then came back for a second go. This work, as a whole, is absolutely gripping. I won't take it all the way to spellbinding, but it's ever so close to that. I was totally consumed and left blinking my way back to reality. Some people have commented to me in the opposite view, but I think that it is Pat Methany that lays out the soundscape foundation from which Kronos springs out from. Kronos can easily overpower less experienced musicians, but in this teamwork they have found an excellent balance to promote each other's strengths. I rate this a classic. A must have. Thanks for the music :)

monetary concerns, only rating the song Different Trains. It really was not just of iTunes to allow a user to purchase the first two movements of Different Trains individually, only to leave the last, after the war, locked up in "album only" format. So the user pays ten dollars to listen to the song, instead of three. That is not neccesary. While I did not purchase the album, Different Trains has been a favorite of mine for years. It was revolutionary, moving, and wholly innovative. I wept upon first listening. The Kronos Quartet is the best version by all standards. If I wanted to purchase Different Trains, which I did, I would have no choice but to pay for the entire album as well, which is ridiculous.

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Different indeed. This is absolutly compelling listening... Dynamic- Dark- Uplifting- Sombre- Thrilling- Driving- Certainly a counterpoint..

Dark and Beautiful. Wow, what an amazing recording. I felt I could hear optimism in the first recording, death in the second and a sense of rebuilding or repair in the third. Music built around vocal samples is such genius. The Electronic Counterpoint tracks are beautiful and I could easily listen to them all day. I already had these tracks but these are different recordings. Difficult to pick standout tracks from something that is really a whole but Different Trains movement's 2/3 and Counterpoint 1 really worked well for me.