Track Listing

1. Water From A Vine Leaf
2. Into The Paradise
3. Time To Get Wize
4. Harry Flowers
5. Touch Of The Night
6. Story Of Light
7. Gringatcho Demento
8. Hazy Shade Of Random
9. Best Friend Paranoia
10. Monkey King
11. Deus Ex Machina
12. Water Babies

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24536 in Music
• Released on: 1993-04-05
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Before joining the a-list as deskman to the likes of Madonna (Ray of Light) and the All Saints, William Orbit was a jobbing producer working with Laurie Mayer and Rico Conning as Torch Song through the eighties before producing his own instrumental material as Strange Cargo, the first volume of which was released back in 1987. This, the third in the series, has an eastern theme, which extends from the sleeve art through to occasional samples that cut through the bleeping electronics. It inspired an extreme of love it/hate it reviews on its release and was in fact dropped before finally seeing a release on Virgin. Despite all of this baggage, the album has grown to be the most widely acclaimed of the four to date, with the opening "Water From A Vine Leaf" featuring the vocals of Beth Orton the epitome of ethnic ambience while "Gringatcho Demento" clearly sets the seeds to the later Hinterland. Looking for an album that sits between trance, techno, dub and world music? Look no further -- Kingsley Marshall

Customer Reviews

Largely overrated
How this album got 5 stars? beats me completely. This is mediocre music at best, with clean sound arrangements perhaps but cruelly lacking inspiration. Melodies are flat, tracks all sound the same and the sound itself is a poor re-rendition of electronica/ambient sounds of the beginning of the 90s. I put 2 stars just because 1 star would be "I hate it", and that cannot qualify as this soporific collection merely leaves me totally indifferent. I bought it partly based on the Amazon rating (will teach me) and partly because I didn't know what this famous William Orbit was doing by himself: well, not much, and to be frank I wouldn't be worse of not knowing...

One of the most amazing things I have heard
This album represents the whole world of ambient music. I've been a fan of William Orbit for a long time, but consider this to be his best album to date, perhaps twice as good as the rest of his works.
The album starts with the great groove of Water from a Vine Leaf. The production work on this track and the next, Into the Paradise, are brilliant, and showcase Orbit's musical power. Time to get Wize and Harry Flowers are more chillout-based tracks, and show off William's thoughtfulness when it comes to actually composing good melodies. The next track, A Touch of the Night, is just as good as Water from a Vine Leaf. The Story of Light, the track I heard which made me buy this album, is also brilliant, with a wonderful use of interesting effects throughout (effects which are heard throughout the album, but never quite dominate the entire track). Gringatcho Demento lets Orbit use his guitar, and when he uses it, he is pretty good at it. A Hazy Shade of Random includes another good melody with a strong drumbeat, which contrasts to the next three tracks. Best Friend, Paranoia is one of my favourite tracks. The Monkey King and Deux Ex Machina are the most ambient of the tracks, with eerie samples appearing throughout. A lot of people say these tracks are too random, but if you spend time and actually listen closely, William has put a lot of effort into these two tracks, which is why The Monkey King is possibly one of my fav Orbit tracks of all time. The album finishes nicely with Water Babies (haven't we heard this tune in Time to Get Wize?).
I recommend this album to everyone and anyone who likes ambient and chillout. The ethnic feel that goes on throughout is lost in Strange Cargo 4, which is a shame. Buy this album, and guard it with your life.

A masterful example of electronic music with true soul
From the outset this CD is a classic, even years after its initial release it sounds unique & fresh. So much other `electonica' fails to deliver in the `repeated listing' test. This disc does. Every listen brings forward new textures & themes buried deep within a multi-layered production. `Water from a vine leaf' is a total landmark track taking you through a real melodic journey. `Into the paradise' throbs with the driving beat of a club you have always imagined but will never see. The whole work is washed over by organic sounding analogue effects and Williams' trademark experimental reverbs & effects. These now `world recognised' production skills (Madonna - ray of light )lift every track beyond the ordinary. Other standouts include 'My best friend paranoia' which speaks knowingly to whole generation of `comedown kids' while `water babies' lullabies their children. Find out why Madonna describes William as a `genius' and why my babies were born to this CD...........