MCMXC a.D.

I have been listening to this album since I received it as a young child for Christmas, back in 2001. It is truly my favorite CD and it is never far away from my stereo system. Nearly 15 years have passed since I first listened to this CD... but it has never failed to soothe my symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, acquired merely 6 months before I originally heard this beautiful album. I also own every Enigma CD that was released after this one -- however, this particular disc is my absolute favorite by them, and my favorite album of all time.1.) The Voice Of Enigma - If you first hear Enigma by listening to this album in its entirety, this first track will, depending on your musical tastes, either make or break the album for you. If you enjoy soothing, spacey sounds in your music, this is definitely your CD. If you're not familiar with this style of music, I suggest that you do give this album a good listening-to on YouTube before purchasing it. A female voice ushers in the track with, "Good evening... This is the voice of ENIGMA... In the next hour, we will take you with us into another world... A world of music, spirit and meditation... Turn off the lights, take a deep breath, and relax... Start to move slowly, very slowly... Let the rhythm be your guiding light..." At the end of the track, we hear the medieval sound of Gregorian chants -- and unless you weren't around yet or were living under a rock in the early 1990s, you will DEFINITELY recognize the next track as it starts.2.) Principles Of Lust: (Sadeness/Find Love/Sadeness) - This is a three part melody clocking in at 11:43 in length, the first part of which is known as "Sadeness." This song was very well known back in late 1990 to early 1991, consisting of a classic dance beat, Gregorian chanting, Japanese flutes, as well as a seductive Frenchwoman who whispers throughout this part of the track, "Sade, dis-moi," referring to Marquis du Sade, who this track was named after. Sade was a French writer who wrote some pretty saucy stuff on sex, and why it had to be painful to be pleasurable. After about 4 minutes of this, we fade into the next part, "Find Love." This section of the track has more of a jazzy beat, combined with the synthesized sounds of dripping water, trumpets, and erotic breathing from the Frenchwoman of "Sadeness." This continues until around 9 minutes into the track, in which "Sadeness" makes a comeback with a beautiful piano piece, which then develops into the original "Sadeness" until the track fades out at nearly 12 minutes long.3.) Callas Went Away - This is a perfect example of "candle-shop music." It is very soothing with its combination of an '80s style electronic beat, as well as the beautiful voice of Maria Callas, the late opera singer after whom this track was named. Definitely one of the most beautiful parts of this CD.4.) Mea Culpa - I have to admit, the beginning of this track seemed a bit uncanny to me upon first listening to it, with the marching drums fading in from the sound of rain, sampled from Black Sabbath's self-titled track. But the eventual, relaxing sound of Gregorian monks makes up very well for its initial creepiness. Approximately 30 seconds later, a strong beat is brought in and we hear the same Japanese flutes and Frenchwoman from "Sadeness." And if you've ever been to a Catholic Mass, you may recognize "Kyrie Elieson," which is what the monks are singing in this song.5.) The Voice & The Snake - Strangely enough, back in 2001, my 4-year old self was never scared or disturbed by this track, even though at the time I knew quite a few grown adults were beyond terrified by it. Lots of spooky synths and a group of people reciting from the Book of Revelations in the Holy Bible.6.) Knocking On Forbidden Doors - If you were at all disturbed by "The Voice & The Snake," this track will likely make up for it. The synths in this track are very late '80s/early '90s, an era which, in my humble opinion, had the best synthesized sound effects. I mean, really. It makes you feel like you're listening to a drum machine, keyboard and a cassette deck. It's an amazing instrumental track - simply beautiful.7.) Back To The Rivers Of Belief: (Way To Eternity/Hallelujah/The Rivers Of Belief) - Every single time I listen to this track, I always feel like I'm in one of the concourses at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, WI, my hometown. Which makes sense because that's where I was when I first heard this song. In any case, the first part of this track samples the jingle from the film "Close Encounters Of A Third Kind." A choir can also be heard singing in this part. After about 2 minutes into the track, the next part brings the same beat from "Sadeness." The main chord of this track changes from F-Major to F-Minor at this time as well. The same woman from this track repeats the lines "Turn off the lights... Take a deep breath and relax." This part continues until around 6 1/2 minutes into the track, when everything finally comes together and a male sings, "Take me back to the rivers of belief... Take me back to the rivers of belief, my friend... I look inside my heart, I look inside my soul... I promise you, I will return..." And exactly at 7 minutes and 07 seconds into the track, the music stops completely, and a male voice recites Revelations 8:1 from the Holy Bible: "And when the lamb opened the seventh seal, silence covered the sky..." The beat and music starts up again, and the Japanese flutes are heard until the man sings "The Rivers Of Belief" -- only at the end, this time he says, "I've been reaching out for you... let's hope one day, we'll rest in peace... on my Rivers Of Belief." Which ushers in the same "English Horn" heard when the album first starts... said horn fades out, concluding "MCMXC a.D."All I can say is, this is a beautiful album that everyone should hear at least once in their lifetime. It certainly helped me get through daily life, especially when daily life became challenging, living with PTSD. I highly recommend this CD. :)

Killer

Great cd kinda Cool and werid

Item is fantastic and giving hours of wonderful memories to an old rocker

I was hesitant to purchase this as “used” but I’m so glad I did. This CD arrived quickly and it was all that I hoped for.

Love this music. I’ve listened over and over never gets old

Good one.

I've heard of this music but never really listened to it, I heard the first song in a advertisement for stereo speakers and decided to purchase the CD. I like the whole CD music list, it's different and enjoying and relaxing music. I can say it's probably not for some.