Product Description

Recorded during a rare live performance by David Helpling and Jon Jenkins, Beyond Words captures the intensity and power of their music. Joined by long time friend and collaborator Matthew Stewart on drums and additional keyboards, David and Jon re-imagined these tracks for the stage in a performance that drew a standing ovation on that special evening at the University of California San Diego. This limited edition of 300 Beyond Words in special eco-wallet packaging will only be available while supplies last.

Review

Ambient masters David Helpling and Jon Jenkins are back with a beautiful live album to support their 2007 CD TREASURE. BEYOND WORDS - Rare live Treasures was performed at the University of California San Diego on August 25th, 2008.

"Grand Collision" is a spectacular way to kick off what must have been an exquisite night of music. Helpling, Jenkins and Matthew Stewart on Drums, Electric Percussion and Keyboards create a massive amount of ambience that honestly doesn't sound much different than the studio album. I say this as a tribute to the musicians, the acoustics of the venue and this superb quality of this audio recording. It's not easy to accomplish a feat like that. Super impressive.

When you feel the wide audio spectrum of the second track "Treasure" live, I found it to be six-minutes of awe-inspiring composition that fuels the mind. The drums & percussion, can always sound weak and feeble live in the wrong recording hands, but that is not the case here. The drums and percussion match the majesty of how that part of the production sounded on the studio album.

The longest track on this CD is "The Knowing," which runs just over nine minutes. The groove that Jenkins and Helping establish on keyboards/synthesizer and Zendrum is gorgeous and emotionally powerful. Helping then takes the track higher with his Electric guitar and Guitar Loops are which hypnotic and beautifully haunting. David's appreciation of the rhythmic quality of U2's The Edge is quite apparent and I loved it.

The drifting tenderness of "The Frozen Channel" had me floating peacefully through the fourth track. The high keyboard notes in this song hit hard and deep.

The main pattern in "This Day Forward" is easy to latch onto and follow with your heart. The little touches in between are really special and touching. These guys always want to grab you emotionally so you will connect with the music. I did.

"The First Goodbye" is a lovely way to spend six minutes. Various rhythms work together to produce a track full passion and musical integrity.

BEYOND WORDS features stellar audio sound from two of the best ambient artists ever. RARE LIVE TREASURES will give you all you want in this type of CD. This is a limited edition release of only 1,000 copies in special packaging, so I'd hurry and get your copy before there gone. --Terry Wickham - mantaraypictures.com