Customer Reviews
Light-hearted and chill-out. - By: Pink Gilbert, 19 Jan 2008 
I have loved this album since it was released. It is sounds strange the first time it is heard. If you like it will become part of your life & part of your soul.
I saw the Penguin Cafe Orchestra play at Islington Union Chapelin 2007 when they played three concerts. It was one of the most astounding concerts I have seen. The atmosphere was electric with excitement that was shared by both the audience & the players alike.
The music was, apparently, created by Penguin Cafe's founding member so that he & his friends could meet & share a common interest. Not many works are created for nine musicians from very different disciplines; two violins, a cello, a saxophone, an oboe, pianist & trash percussion. The musicians obviously love playing their own innovative brand of small-scale orchestral works.
The music is light-hearted, deceptively simplein sound but (I imagine) quite complex to play. Within each piece the music apparently repeats itself but each repetition is also slightly different from the one before. It is more like & echo than a carbon-copy. The overall effect if quite reassuringly familiar & ever so relaxing.
Many of their pieces are so catchy that they have been used on numerous adverts as was their most famous piece 'Telephone & Rubber Band' that is on this album.
Tonal Poetry. - By: L. S. Van Meer, 01 Nov 2007 Saw them live years ago & they still sounds as fresh now, you would be amazed at how many T.V. adverts & programs use them as background music. So sad that Simon Jeffes is no longer with us....Helen Liebmann, you stole my heart that night at the Festival Hall!!
Penguin Cafe Orchestra - By: MISS SARAH J EVANS, 10 Jan 2004 Amazing cd! It's totally different from the "norm" which is refreshing. It's hard to describe which genre this falls into, all I can say is, it's relaxing & a bit like Gladiator music for want of a better description! On a par with classical music with a twist.
A little treasure - By: , 02 Oct 2000 This CD is a big surprise. A friend of mine gave it to me, thinking that I might appreciate it. The first time I listened to it I kind of liked it, especially the "Telephone & Rubberband" song which is famous from a mobile phone advert. One or two instruments arein the foreground following a small melody which melts into the background music becoming more & more complex & harmonic. There are influences of Spanish, French & Irish tunes. The second time I listened I was hooked. Little independent films spring to mind of which these melodies could be the soundtrack. I certainly recommend buying this. You won't tire of listening to it.
