Billie Ray Martin - 4 Ambient Tales mp3 download

Jorius

This is a completely overlooked and under-rated record that slipped through the cracks. It probably should have seen a wider release through licensing than it did and gotten more attention than it did. You should really search this one out if you like Billy Ray Martin or the Grid or want some CHILL get down blues for late nights and rainy Sundays. Basically, this is a blues record when you get right down to it. At the time this came out (late 93), I was expecting more from it when I first heard it, like beats and things. The kind of stuff that the two were up to! Now I'm particularly glad there isn't anymore and this record is as stripped down as it is.

Umi

I think this is one of the greatest ambient/vocal records of all time. I was familiar with Billie from her work with S Express & Electribe 101, and had just bought her cover of Psychic TV's "Persuasion", so this was quite a change in style. The Grid's soundscapes & BJ Cole's pedal steel guitar perfectly complement the moving and heartfelt lyrics. Listening to this at night in my bedsit back in 1994, it sent shivers down my spine. No longer in a bedsit, but the music still has the same effect...! Absolutely essential.

Fordrelis

Beautiful, haunting vocals against a backdrop of lush sound and the soaring pedal steel guitar of BJ Cole makes Wishing You Well one of my favourites of all time. After catching it on Coldcut's "Solid Steel" radio show in 1994, it took over five years to find a copy of this EP on vinyl (released on Apollo at the end of 93, I believe). The other tracks perfectly complement Wishing You Well, with Planet of the Blue being the other stand out track to my mind. Hearing Wishing You Well on the radio was my first introduction to Billie Ray Martin's vocal talents and the other musical material I have heard of hers (for example on Deadline for My Memories) has failed to come up to this standard of depth and emotion. Maybe it's just hi energy's not my style : ). I couldn't recommend this enough to lovers of intelligent ambient music and she's recently released it on CD as well - no excuses!