Product Description

Renowned for his work as a film composer, with scores including, Moulin Rouge and Romeo & Juliet, 'As If To Nothing' isCraig Armstrong's second full album. Teaming up with various artists including, Bono and The Edge, Mogwai, and David McAlmont, Armstrong adds a new dimension to his distinctive orchestral style. The single 'Wake Up In New York', with Evan Dando, is also included.

Track Listing

1. Ruthless Gravity
2. Wake Up In New York
3. Miracle
4. Amber
5. Finding Beauty
6. Waltz
7. Inhaler
8. Hymn 2
9. Snow
10. Starless II
11. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
12. Niente
13. Sea Song
14. Let It Be Love
15. Choral Ending

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5610 in Music
• Released on: 2002-04-15
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
As If To Nothing follows Armstrong's soundtrack work for Baz Luhrmann's Romeo & Juliet and the recent musical extravaganza Moulin Rouge which explains why the second "artist" album from the multi-award winning Scottish composer is perhaps predictably heavy on evocative cinematic atmospherics. Steering closer to his debut Space Between Us than his melodic pop songwriting tendencies (which have in the past resulted in tracks such as Texas' "I Don't Want A Lover"), Armstrong creates a sensuous aural massage built upon the harmonic and string-based musical foundations laid by the arrangement of the dramatic opening track "Ruthless Gravity". Despite the unifying musical thread giving the album a somewhat symphonic feel, the continual shift in mood keeps it intriguing throughout. The epic orchestral compositions also benefit from a diverse selection of vocal contributors. Former Lemonhead, Evan Dando is first up, lending a melancholy voice to the acoustic desolation of "Wake Up In New York" while Mogwai's charmingly evocative Indian-influenced tones immediately transcend the gloom. U2 frontman turned political crusader, Bono, pipes up on the mediocre "Stay (Faraway, So Close)" while it's left to David McAlmont to provide the album's most pompous theatrical moment "Snow". But, despite the odd sniff of pretension, As If To Nothing remains a comfortable if somewhat safe blanket of orchestral ambience. --Christopher Barrett

Customer Reviews

GENIUS
An often misused and inappropriate word in the english vocabulary, but believe me this is spot on when describing the work of my fellow Scot.

Never heard of Craig Armstrong ? Possibly.

Never heard any of his work ? Unlikely

So much of his work is played on TV [ commonly as background music, even on Programmes like Football Focus & MOTD. ]

My first introduction to the work of Craig Armstrong was in a friends car during a long drive on winters night, when with this CD playing loudly I was literally blown away.

This is music to positively chill to.

Only problem Craig, there isn't enough of it around, and how I long for some new material.

Going back to the heading GENIUS, Craig Armstrong, I for one certainly think you are, and given the high esteem in which a certain Bono holds you, then he obviously thinks so too.

Do yourself a favour, buy it, and acquaint yourself with Armstrong.

simply beautiful
This is the guy who collaborates with massive attack. This is very chilled music, relaxed keyboards and swirling orchestral pieces.

The track with bono - stay faraway so close, this version tingles the spine. The other track i really love is the first track ruthless gravity - its actually used in layer cake so you can visualise with the music from the movie.

I love this album. Very good....

Brilliant... in places
After hearing the music on the Volvo XC90 advert, which was supposedly similar to Craig Armstrong's 'Finding Beauty', (though by the time I found out what the music was I'd forgotten what it was like), I took a gamble and bought this album, already intimate with 'Weather Storm' and 'Finding Beauty' itself.

I loved those songs. I love neo-classical music, classical with a rhythm section and sometimes vocals, a la Rob Dougan (quite possible my favourite album ever) but I was disappointed to find only two songs on this album that on first listen I wanted to hear again. And one of them I already knew.

The other song was 'Inhaler', a gorgeous rocky instrumental that just merges into a classical backdrop, recently featured on another car advert.

The problem with this album, I have found, is that the songs could be brilliant - the score is great - but they are ruined by annoying little things, such as the bizarre beep that relentlessly occupies 'Ruthless Gravity', and that woman throughout 'Waltz'. Her sample could be used effectively, but always just seems out of time with the score.

Despite these annoyances, the more I listen to it, the more I love this album. I've taken a shining to 'Amber', 'Snow', at least part of 'Miracle' (until Mogwai ruins it) and the reworking of U2's 'Stay (Far Away, So Close!) featuring Bono himself. Here however, dare I say it, I think it was recorded on one of Bono's bad days, because I've heard him sing this better before, especially on the Boston DVD. Maybe he had a hangover, I dunno.

So mixed emotions really. Some of it is brilliant, but I just cannot listen to it all the way through without skipping major sections. Which is a shame really.