Once more with feeling

Advantages: Subtle, romantic, emotional songs
Disadvantages: None

...For anyone who wasn't around in the 70s, and has since heard Joan Armatrading, they'll probably think "wow, she sounds just like Tracey Chapman". Of course, anyone who wasn't around in the 80s either will probably say "who's Tracey Chapman?" but that's another story! So, yes, Joan Armatrading emerged as one of the most famous black female singer songwriter of the early 80s, and is still touring and producing strong material. Tracey Chapman came along around 10 years later, sounding strikingly similar, but with an American slant on things. This is a collection of Armatrading's best material. It is an excellent introduction to her work - a perfect collection of intense, emotional songs, presented in a quiet, restrained kind of way. "Down to zero" is a very touching song about rejection, and insecurity. "Love and Affection...

rsmith 26.02.2001 · Read review
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Review of Love And Affection - Joan Armatrading

Me, Myself all the way from America

Advantages: Some really good sounds here
Disadvantages: Only 14 tracks

...I dug this out of my dusty CD collection the other day, thinking 'I've not heard this for a while'. Listening to the CD again I couldn't figure out why it had been allowed to gather dust in the first place. It certainly won't do so again. I found it hard to believe that the album was from way back in the 90's (1990's honest!) So who's Joan Armatrading? She's a singer/songwriter is who she is. She came originally from St Kitts to the UK at the age of 7 apparently. She recorded her first album at the age of 21 (1973). Has performed with numerous backing artists of note, including Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. To date she has recorded 22 albums (including compilations. All songs on this compilation were written by Joan. OK, so what's on this CD? 1. Love and Affection Some wonderful guitar work backing...

John1958 20.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of Very Best Of Joan Armatrading, The - Joan Armatrading

The key rocks

Advantages: fast moving, lots of guitar
Disadvantages: not enough singing

...After listening to Joan Armatradings fabulous Walk Under Ladders, this album is very different and not at all soft and peaceful, instead, there is a lot of synthesizers and Joan Armatrading's voice can hardly be heard above it all. It has a lot of rock type songs and music that is more aggressive than Joan's usual songs like 'Drop the pilot ', and 'I love it when you call me names'. There are a few slower tracks like ' I love my baby' and 'the dealer' for those of you who prefer the slower pace ones. This album is quite a mixture of more modern music compared with Joan's earlier work and can grow on you , although it is not everyones cup of tea. I love 'Everybody gotta know' and 'what do boys dream', they are great soothing songs, but i'm not so keen on 'drop the pilot' because it seems to spoil the tranquillty of the other slower...

mandella2 03.11.2007 (04.11.2007) · Read review
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Review of Key, The [CD On Demand] - Joan Armatrading

Joan Of....Arc Does Triumph.

Advantages: Truer To The Historical Legend, Leelee Sobieski Stars, Great Performances, Charlotte Church Vocals, Inexpensive, Captivating
Disadvantages: You Might Well Have A Tear In Your Eye By The End, Two Sided Disc, Long Film.

...JOAN OF ARC - RATED 12 This is one of the best versions of the legendary Joan of Arc I've seen. The acting is excellent, no cardboard characters. Many well known stars, excellent story line, plus some backing vocals by Charlotte Church, make this a must see movie. DIRECTOR, CAST, WRITERS: Directed by Christian Duguay. Starring: Leelee Sobieski, Chad Willett, Jacqueline Bisset, Powers Boothe, Olympia Dukakis, Neil Patrick Harris, Robert Loggia, Maximilian Schell, Peter Strauss, Jonathan Hyde, Maury Chaykin. Guest appearances by Shirley MacLaine also starring Peter O'Toole as Bishop Cauchon. Written by: Michael Alexander Miller, Ronald Parker DVD FEATURES: · Picture Format: PAL 4:3 Academy · Colour Mode: Colour · Region Code: 2 · Feature Duration: 180 minutes approximately · Audio Content: Dolby Digital Stereo · · Special...

RayMan_UK 04.10.2002 · Read review
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Review of Joan Of Arc (DVD)

Miss Marple Box set (Joan Hickson)

Advantages: Has the best portrail of Miss Marple ever
Disadvantages: No special features

...For me Joan Hickson will always be the best 'Miss Marple'. Possibly as she was the first one I saw playing the part. I'm surprised that it took the BBC so long to releace them on DVD From the acting to the setting to the pacing... everything seems just right. Every part of Joan Hicksons performance (which earned her two BAFTA nominations) was perfect. She plays Miss Marple as the 'rather nosey busy body' who the criminal always seems to dismiss as past it and harmless. She is seen as the old spinster alway knitting but with her razor sharp brain she can always solve the crimes faster than the inspector. Marple lives in her small village and knows everything that goes on there. Through this she knows the world. She is always saying 's/he reminded me of...' Unlike Poirot who always had a good relatioship with the Inspector...

mjc121 30.06.2007 (06.05.2008) · Read review
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Review of The Miss Marple Collection - Starring Joan Hickson (Box Set) (DVD)

Joan fails to spark

Advantages: poor dialogue, good to start but deteriorates badly
Disadvantages: poorly paced

...Every school kid knows the story of Joan of arc. The real question here, is does the film live up to the immortal tale of the girl who saved france from her enemies and claimed to have bought a message from god, the answer is simply no. Milla Jovovich is superb as Joan and the film strats brightly, the period costumes and scenery are superb and is truly believable of the time period, and all of the other actors involved are quite satisfactory, inlcuding John Malkovich, the trouble is i keep expecting Keanu Reeves to jump into his head (check out being john malkovich review), and for the first half of the film, the action is superbly violent and true to life, unfortunately the story just rubs out of steam and the film dissappears staright up its own backside. More times should have been spent on the victories the army achieved with joans...

mcpoeman 01.07.2001 · Read review
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Review of The Messenger - The Story of Joan Of Arc (DVD)

One of Joan's best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Advantages: Very readable and has you hooked - excellent storyline
Disadvantages: Cant put it down once you have started to read it.

...Once again another superb saga by the best author in the world! I have read all Joan's books and have copies of all of them.This book is is one the best I think. A lovely story about a man who had nothing when he left school who went to work with a removal man who later sold him the business for £5. He met his wife Edie who lived in a two up two down like Bob's family in time work really picked up and they were able to buy a larger house and start a family, then a few years later they were able to buy a still larger house with spacious grounds. Its at this point Edie forgets her roots, when they are able to employ a cook and a char lady, what fun when you meet these to humourous, colourful ladies,I had tears of laughter running down my face making it hard to read what they were going to get up to next. Then we meet up with Bobs...

pinkporkypig 04.03.2005 · Read review
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Review of Dream a little dream - Joan Jonker

Still Astonishing Today - w/ DVD UPDATE

Advantages: Hypnotic film with an understated yet compelling performance by Florence Carrez.
Disadvantages: -

...How did an illiterate, 19-year-old peasant woman in the early 15th century become such a headache for the Bishop of Beauvais and his English controllers? Well, that 19-year-old just happened to have made history by leading thousands of French soldiers to triumph over the English occupiers in the final phase of the Hundred Years' War (1337 to 1453). Even more amazing, that same woman had had no previous military training whatsoever. And yet the armies followed her bidding with little question, and for their pains, got results - big, history-making results, as in the eventual retreat of the English from France in 1453. That woman, as you might guess, was Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc to the French). Some Background. So how exactly did she accomplish such feats? We get some illumination on the enigma of Joan from...

zerbine28 25.03.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Trial Of Joan Of Arc (DVD)

Watching a lady take a bath

Advantages: Excellent examples of Miro work
Disadvantages: Could get very hot in the summer

...Alongside Gaudi Casa Mila the other art exhibit I definitely wanted to see while in Barcelona was the Fundacio Joan Miro which is an impressive collection of Miro work with many of the pieces being donated by the man himself. About the artist Miro passed away bin his 90th year in 1983 and is one of the great Catalan artists. Much of his work has links to Surrealism and abstract art, for me it his sculptures that are of particular interest and provide the most pleasure however that is not to say that I would discount his paintings and drawings it is just that on the whole I find that the sculpture has more of a ?wow? factor. Certainly it was the sculptures that most appealed to the children with the exception of the giant tapestry that covers a huge wall space and can be viewed from both ground level and also from a balcony where...

atticusuk 08.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of Fundació Joan Miró

I Can Hear Voices

Advantages: See review
Disadvantages: See review

...Historical films can be a curious affair. In order to satisfy the simple requirements of a modern day cinema audience, it is more often the case that the choice of subject matter tends to revolve around famous conflicts - these offer plenty of opportunity to dazzle the viewer with special effects and choreographed battle scenes. Luc Besson's epic film Joan of Arc - The Messenger has most certainly opted for this type of story telling. The plot of the film is simple - and yet confusing. The film essentially portrays the life story of Joan of Arc, from early childhood right through to her untimely demise at the age of nineteen. Raised in a French peasant village, we see right from the start of the film that Joan experiences holy images, and voices which (although we never actually hear them) instruct her in god's will. Deeply...

LostWitness 08.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Joan Of Arc (DVD)