Track Listing

1. Shepherd Moons
2. Caribbean Blue
3. How Can I Keep From Singing
4. Ebudae
5. Angeles
6. No Holly For Miss Quinn
7. Book Of Days
8. Evacuee
9. Lothlorien
10. Marble Halls
11. After Ventus
12. Smaointe

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2017 in Music
• Released on: 1991-11-04
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
The success of her first international hit, Watermark, confirmed Enya as less a singer or songwriter than a sonic architect: working with producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan, the classically trained pianist built vaulting cathedrals of sound, framed by luminous piano, shimmering synthesizer orchestrations, and, above all, the seemingly infinite layers of vocal harmonies she applied to every song. The deeply romantic Celtic pop on its 1991 successor, Shepherd Moons, sustains the same spectrum of hushed reverie and surging, rhapsodic releases, as well as its mix of ballads, floating midtempo pieces, and forays into Celtic and Latin-- and it's every bit as seductive. The terminally hip will sneer, but it's no accident that "Caribbean Blue", the best known song here, managed to sneak onto modern rock, top 40, and adult-oriented radio playlists. --Sam Sutherland

CD Description
"Heavenly" is the best way to describe Enya's ethereal voice. The Irish new age singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalistis a formidable talent with a repertoire filled with gentlenuances and subtle turns. Peaceful and mesmerising, Enya's expressive arrangements float and flow alongside musical imagery, lyrical poetry, and stunning vocals which are unrivaled, yet often copied. Based on Irish folk-roots, Enya's musicis timeless and seamless, without boundaries or limits. Herexquisite vocals sweep through interwoven overdubs and multi-textured instrumentation warmly gilded by airy synthesizedstrings and keyboards.
Her otherworldly voice is trance-like in such songs as the tranquil "Shepherd Moons", "Angeles", "Evacuee", and "Marble Halls". Accessibly lilting, awashin synth strings, "Caribbean Blue" is this album's answer to "Orinoco Flow", Enya's gigantic worldwide pop hit. The song, as all the others, transports the listener to another place. "How Can I Keep Singing?" is Irish folk music at its best. "Ebudae" is a percussive march with a mushrooming synth, and with its delicate vocals, one must marvel at the beauty of Enya's keening voice.

Customer Reviews

Smooth as Auditory Silk
Are you in the mood to become so completely relaxed that you're totally unaware of your surroundings, all your stresses melt away (at least temporarily) and you find yourself easing uncontrollably into the realm of sleep? If yes, then this is the CD for you. This really is a great CD. In typical Enya style, you are enraptured by the wonderful wafts of sound which carry you away gently. The touches of Irish folk add some reality to the whole experience. Great music!

Really tranquil, relaxing music
This album will make you float around the room even whilst doing the dreariest of tasks! Listen to this when you need an evening of relaxation. Soft lights, glass of wine and the soothing, mellow sounds of Enya - guaranteed to make you chill-out. Well worth buying!

TAKE THIS CD HOME
Calling Shepherd Moons a near carbon copy of Watermark puts it quite mildly. Like Watermark, Shepherd Moons opens with the title track, a calm instrumental, has another brief instrumental titled after a Dora Saint book smack in the middle ("No Holly for Miss Quinn"), and concludes with a number incorporating a striking uilleann pipes solo, "Smaointe...." In general, Enya's own musical style and work remains the same, again assisted on production by Nicky Ryan and with lyrics by Roma Ryan. Shepherd Moons does have one key factor that's also carried over from Watermark -- it's quite good listening. Though the total continuity means that those who enjoy her work will again be pleased and those who dislike it won't change their minds, in terms of finding her own vision and sticking with it, Enya has increasingly polished and refined her work to a strong, elegant degree. "Caribbean Blue," the lead single, avoids repeating the successful formula of "Orinoco Flow" by means of its waltz time -- a subtle enough change, but one that colors and drives the overall composition and performance, the closest Enya might ever get to a dance number. Some songs call to mind traditional Irish music even more strongly than much of her earlier work, while two other tracks are haunting rearrangements of old, traditional numbers. With her trademark understated drama in full flow many other places, especially on the wonderful "Book of Days" (replaced on later pressings with an English language version done for the film Far and Away), Enya shows herself to still have it, to grand effect.