DAVID ELIAS: The Window (Folk 5.1 Surround & Stereo SACD)

David Elias

The Window (Folk 5.1 Surround & Stereo SACD)

© 2003 David Elias (783707737829)

CD permanently out of stock. Sorry!

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Award-winning folk style acoustic production featuring gifted players and highly acclaimed songwriting. Get the MP3's here or downloads at links elsewhere to own this out of print masterpiece.

notes

"The Window" is out of print! You should check out my other 5.1 SA-CD called "Crossing" here: http://cdbaby.com/elias7

*** This award-winning SACD is out of print but you can get the MP3's here or at iTunes ***
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Take a deep breath......Let it go......."The Window" is a recording for anyone looking to rediscover the folk tradition in a contemporary format. It has the songs and the musicians performing that are capable of recreating what many consider to be a lost or at least an endangered art. Already selling thousands of copies and winning various awards, "The Window" is something of a landmark achievement in allowing an old style of songwriting and live studio recording to be captured in today's most advanced digital format (Direct Stream Digital). The results are an astonishingly realistic presentation of an articulate writer (voted 2005 'Best Songwriter' IOMA) communicating through a highly articulate band of acoustic musicians.
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Hybrid SACD Plays on any CD Player with Amazing Quality.

There is a TON OF AMAZING PRESS on this disc at
http://www.davidelias.com/windowpress.htm

DIGITAL NOTE: 'Summer Wind' from this disc is my #1 digital download track out of all my songs online. It features John Magnie from the Subdudes on accordion as well as Ross Martin on electric/ambient guitar. It is a symmetrical folk song in my opinion - you can figure out what I mean if you listen to it.
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"The debut SACD by David Elias, titled The Window, has become a surprise hit in the Acoustic Sounds catalog. Surprise, that is, because it was an independent release by an independent artist on an independent label. There was no major label promotion machine in effect here. But word spread quickly, grass-roots style, that this was a disc of serious sonic and musical merit." - Highly Recommended by Chad at AcousticSounds.com

"When describing the sound of Elias' previous Super Audio CD release 'The Window', I described it as "a reference quality recording". 'Crossing' [new SACD from David] is clearly in the same category..." Brian Moura, HighFidelityReview.com

"The Window is definitely one for your collection, even if all you have is a humble old Compact Disc player, the fact that it is also available in high-resolution is just the icing on an already scrumptious cake." - Stuart Robinson, High Fidelity Review

"I love this disk [The Window]. GREAT music and performances, very nice recording, both stereo AND surround!" - Michael Bishop, Grammy-winning Recording Engineer, Telarc

MusicTAP said this about "The Window":
"The Window represents trips through Americana ala Guthrie and Lightfoot via loneliness and beauty. With an organic feel to the subtleties of the emotional strains of the instruments and providing the haunting ravages of time, David Elias becomes the voice of the soul in transit. Softly evaluating the feel of a summer wind and bemoaning the slides of seasons. With folk music as its braces, The Window becomes a bridge into the lore of life." Matt Rowe, MusicTAP


HERE are some other quotes from people in the music industry:

"The detail of the instruments and vocals on the album are outstanding and really show what a well made high resolution audio disc can sound like. This one is bound to be a favorite of folks music and bluegrass fans as well as SACD fans who want to listen to a well recorded album." - Brian Moura, High Fidelity Review

"Poetic moments set against silky and spacious sound. A must own SACD/CD for revealing systems...The Window is a reference caliber Super Audio CD." - Epinions Review

"Every single one of David's songs blows me away!"
- Jimbob, WholeWheatRadio.org
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"I have played this album to a number of people, all of whom have different musical tastes and all of whom come from a wide variety of backgrounds..in Canada, in England and in Australia. Yep...I knew they'd be dumbfounded and as knocked out as I have been and it all goes back to what I said at the beginning of this review...this album's appeal goes far beyond the 'genres' it will be associated with..but that's quite alright!"
- Colin Lynch, Scout's Digest Review
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According to the Sony SACD Project team, 'The Window' is the very first hybrid multichannel SACD to be released by an independent (unsigned) aritst. This project was recorded at Immersive Studios in Boulder, Colorado with the best technology available to capture all the ambient characteristics of a live acoustic band. Instruments include guitars (acoustic/electric/baritone), mandolin, bouzouki, upright bass, drums, accordion, keyboards, dobro/weissenborn/lap steel.

The backing artists performing on this disc are all exceptional in their own right, coming from the bluegrass and fusion sides of the sidewalk. Read all their names below.

STELLAR MUSICIANS: The musicians recorded with David on this disc are all luminary in their own right. Featured are:

Sally Van Meter (Good Ol' Persons): Dobro, Weissenborn, Lap Steel
Matt Flinner (Matt Flinner Quartet): Mandolin, Bouzouki
Ross Martin (Tony Furtado Band): Electric and Baritone Guitars
Eric Thorin (Open Road Bluegrass): Upright Bass
Marc Dalio (Tony Furtado Band): Drums
John Magnie (The Subdudes): Keyboards and Accordion
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MORE ON SACD: Today there are SACD titles available from many legendary artists including Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Alison Krauss, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash and others. SACD is getting more of the listening community's ears, over 2000 titles worldwide with more being added every day... Why? You'll hear why immediately when you listen to 'The Window'.

This hybrid SACD plays on ANY CD PLAYER. It was recorded in Philips/Sony's new ultra-hi-resolution format called DSD. This is a pure DSD recording! There are exceptional songs and musicians playing them on this disc. The result is something that audiophiles and all music lovers can enjoy.
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FROM MUZIK REVIEWZ.COM:

"David Elias and his CD 'The Window' is the most spectacular and superb piece of art I have ever heard. Like a fine painting, he has taken and put all the strokes of the brush to the canvas and the outcome of this is the production of 'The Window'." - Mary Rudy
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A PILLAR OF PRAISE:

"The Window is not dependent on praise. Like a pillar, it is going to be visible in the musical landscape for a very long time...",Peter Fjagesund, Norway (read more below)
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OASIS CD MFG NOTERIETY! The Window was picked by Oasis CD Manufacturing to be their SACD showcase demo-of-choice. They liked the Digipak design and layout so much they decided to make it their indie-sample of SACD manufacturing - pretty cool!
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SONGWRITER RECOGNITION: Often compared to John Prine, early Bob Dylan and Springsteen, and even Nick Drake, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt and other powerful lyricists and songwriters, David Elias is recognized by many for poetic high-image lyrics and sparse but poetic acoustic arrangements.

Performing frequently in the SF Bay Area as both a solo act and at high-energy foot stomping shows with The Great Unknown, he's been referred to as "the best songwriter in America". Read lots of reviews on the web site at www.davidelias.com
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A WORK OF ART: Here's what Queenie from BeSonic's review team said about David's music and the 4th track (The Old King) in particular:

"Soulful and sophisticated, David Elias is a master of understatement in a loud, overstated world."

The Old King (BeSonic Song Review)
"This beautiful piece of art is worth listening to time and time again. It is a simple guitar song that has been made into a lament for a dead King. An understated melody is almost whispered by David, as if in respect for the dead. One of the most basic tenets of songwriting is fulfilled as David is clearly telling a story, but leaves the listener to divine the significance of that story. Gorgeous instrumentation helps to complete the mood of this song, with echoey pedaled guitar and a distant sounding drum, the song evokes the mood of another time."

"A work of art. Beautiful, gothic-tinged ballad for sophisticated listeners."
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'The Window' was a final nominee in the 2003 Surround Music Awards, Horizon Category for emerging artists held in Beverly Hills, California.
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reviews

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  • Thumbs Up!
    author: David Picarsic

    David Elias is one for you to select if you like good acoustics.

  • David I love your SACD
    author: Jo Cools, Belgium

    The Old King is my favorit song but the entire album pleases me. Music, lyrics and the (DSD)recording is fantastic! extraordinary! Great stuff! I received The Window & Crossing SACD's (in high speed) and have been listening non-stop. These is are of my best SACD's. David go on!

  • If you want to know what SACD is all about
    author: S. Whittenton

    ...then get a SACD player and this SACD. Every time I queue it up in my 5 disc changer/player, even if I start doing something else in the interim, I stop and sit and smile for at least a song or two when this one comes up. David's voice and acoustic guitar, the supporting musicians, the clarity of the recording, the overall production of the album are second to none. Many, if not most, other SACD recordings are mixed into the SACD format either after being recorded before DSD/SACD format was invented or after being recorded on the more typical/standard studio equipment; a true DSD recording, such as this one, is still a rarity. If you're an acoustic music fan this one is a must have.

  • Love It
    author: Scott Truman

    when do I get to record with that band????? that trance of a rhtym is gorgeous. the recording is absolutely beautiful. dont know how I havent came across this yet. nice...

  • I Can't Stop Listening...
    author: Seachild

    Perfect instrumentation and gentle vocals move the listener through vivid scenes right out of a medieval funeral. The song [The Old King] evokes the intimate grief of those caught up in the drama of a dark era coming to its inevitable end. I don’t know how David wrote this, but I think he must have been there in a former life! Beautiful. This song gives me chills every time.

  • Long Live the King!!!
    author: Mike Kissel

    Man, what a beautiful, mournful, depressing song [The Old King].... I LOVE IT!!! The fact that' it's a live performance recorded and produced so magically is makes it even greater!!! Your voice is excellent, the lyrics, as I said, are very emotional, and the arrangement is perfect. That bass is indescribable!! What a great performance.

  • "Window" has it all. Sonics,Poetry,Music. Will transport you.
    author: Tom Huffstutler

    Window. has it all. Sonics,Poetry,Music. Will transport you.

  • Simply amazing!
    author: Steve

    I really enjoy The Window which I picked up a few months ago. It is unlike anything I ever heard and is simply amazing!

  • A wonderful piece of music
    author: Christpher Yeleighton

    It feels great listening both at work and at leisure time. Its warm tunes perform a soothing effect. It will also make a perfect gift for your loved one.

  • What a nice surprise!
    author: Larry Bogert

    I received The Window CD a couple of days ago and have been listening to it non-stop. It's terrific! I will be recommending it to all my friends. Thank you and your backup musicians (they're really good) for a truly enjoyable album!

  • fantastic album
    author: Al Wagner

    As I listen to this cd more I find layers of depth not heard initially, I find myself humming and whistling the songs throughout my day and it has been sometime since an album has affected me this way.All the musicians playing did a superb job and when I listen with my eyes closed I am in the studio with them. Fantastic cd all around. Do yourself a favour and buy a copy for yourself and get a copy for a friend they will love it too.

  • The Absolute Business...
    author: Richie

    Then, the absolute business. The title track, and its intro, are a musical journey into darkness- haunting, ominous, and downright startling in their production. This is a piece of music you'll be using to show off the quality of your hi-fi. Awesome...The Window is an important album, make no mistake. It gets played in our house on the sort of evenings that previously we would have reserved for Simon and Garfunkel, and is my personal favourite EVER night driving album. Need I say more?

  • David Elias - The Quintessential Singer/Songwriter
    author: Guy Michetti

    I have been listening to David's music alot this past week. And it's not because of the Fokker Feature over at songplanet.com, although I was really happy to see that David was on with Lucky and I listened to it yesterday. It was a great interview!!! David writes songs. Really good songs. He is an awesome talent and the world needs to hear him sing his songs. As a songwriter myself, it gives me faith that the music in the independent music scene is so strong, that people like David Elias will reach the widest of audiences. He's what I think many songwriters aspire to. He also knows almost intuitively what each song needs as far as instrumentation. Listen to "Freedom on the Freeway" and you hear all the elements I just mentioned. It's no surprise that he won honorable mention from Billboard in the 2004 song contest. As an artist listening to David's music, it inspires you to better your craft. Listen to "Summer Wind", this is a perfect example of melody, lyrics, vocals and instrumentation that is simply perfect. Of course it would be hard to make "Summer Wind" sound bad, the song is that strong! For those of you think David pay me to say this, please perish the thought. At songplanet, the listener is king and so I am only exercising my god given rights to be a listener who has found a great singer/songwriter and sharing that with the community. I hope David reaches a large audience with his music. He not only deserves to, I would think that people would be deprived of some wonderful music. all the best, guy

  • Fantastic
    author: talli

    Wonderful folk music and outstanding recording

  • great contemporary folk
    author: Harold Hill

    This is a first rate recording of some very fine folk singing. It is certainly worth the price, if you love this genre. CD Baby filled my order at warp 9. Eat your heart out, Amazon!

  • Very realistic SACD of absolutely wonderful Folk Music
    author: Teresa

    Never heard of David Elias, his SACD "The Window" was recommended by several posters on the High-Rez Highway as one of the best SACDs for music and sonics. I agree all the instruments sound REAL and David Elias on of the most beautiful voices in folk music. And all the Songs are fantastic, every single one! This is one of my best SACDs! Highly, highly recommended!

  • Remembered as one of the last poets on north-American soil
    author: Markus G. - RockMetalBands.com - Italy

    ...He'll be remembered as one of the last poets on north-American soil to release high-quality music under every aspect. Undoubtely being conscious of having written immortal songs is worth more than a truckful of bucks in the long run when your financial situation already sails on calm seas.

  • I Knew They'd Be Dumbfounded...
    author: Colin Lynch, Scouts Digest Review

    I have played this album to a number of people, all of whom have different musical tastes and all of whom come from a wide variety of backgrounds..in Canda, in England and in Australia. Yep...I knew they'd be dumbfounded and as knocked out as I have been and it all goes back to what I said at the beginning of this review...this album's appeal goes far beyond the 'genres' it will be associated with..but that's quite alright!

  • Great existential Folk artist and a great recording
    author: R. Epstein

    This is a great CD, and David Elias is a great discovery. He has the clarity of having his own voice, not a commercial voice contrived for some manipulative aim. The band is tight as a drum, each musician contributing to the whole. I have the impression or illusion that I can hear the great specific sound separation of the SACD even though I just have a regular old $200 Sony mini system. I am especially fond of David's ballads, if they can be called that, where he sings as if he doesn't want to disturb the quietness of some carefully balanced set of relations around him. "We're only here to disappear" is a simple but profound line which resonates after it is gone.

  • Zu Herzen gehend, zärtlich, sanft Sehnsucht weckend und Erinnerungen
    author: JS (Joerg Sommermeyer)

    Einfach, nicht simpel, vielmehr schlicht und vollkommen. Bestechender, innovativer Surround-Sound, eine klare, natürlich-delikate, dezente Band, besetzt mit lauter Meistern ihres Fachs. Und dann diese magische, unglaublich präsente Liebeserklärung in jedem einzelnen Ton, zu Herzen gehend, überwältigend, wehmütig und wissend. Zärtlich streichelt der Sommerwind uns durchs Haar, sanft Sehnsucht weckend und Erinnerungen: Haut, Meer, Sonne, Wind, Glücksmomente, ihre Vergänglichkeit und all das Positive, das unser Leben lebenswert macht!

  • Wow, a SACD that made me listen and love folk music.
    author: Mhantra

    Wow, a SACD that made me listen and love folk music. Never thought it would happen. Most of the things I would have said have been said (see below) but I can say the artistic value inherant here is phenomenal in both the music and technical areas. This is a prototypical SACD.

  • David Who?
    author: Phil Kane

    I had never heard of David Elias. I only purchased this disc because I read a review that drooled over the ultra high quality of the recording. The SACD soundstage was said to be incredible. Well, now that I've listened to the recording, I can say that everything I read is true. However, I unexpectedly discovered in the process of listening, that David Elias' music is every bit as wonderful as the high quality recording that presents it. David's music is a breath of fresh air, nothing pretentious going on here. There are hints of folk, bluegrass and celtic music. Wonderful melodies, great arrangements and really fine musicians. I really love experiencing art such as this.

  • Every “great” recording requires “great” music, and that’s what this disc is all
    author: Stuart M. Robinson - High Fidelity Review.com

    The result can truly be considered a work of greatness. From the moment the disc begins, one is instantly grabbed by the intimate soundstage; Elias sings the majority of lines no louder than a whisper, almost as if all the songs are lullabies, but it sounds as if he’s doing so while sitting on your lap, such is the feeling of a real, confined acoustic space and a close proximity to the performers. The experience is startling, even to a hardened listener such as myself.

  • Bound to be a favorite of folk music and bluegrass fans as well as SACD fans
    author: Brian Moura - High Fidelity Review.com

    'The Window' features David Elias and an all star band performing 13 tracks written by Elias. The music was recorded live at Immersive Studios in Boulder, Colorado on November 24th, 25th and 26th, 2002. The sessions were captured direct to the Sony Sonoma 8 Channel Direct Stream Digital (DSD) workstation by Gus Skinas of the Sony SACD Project's Boulder, Colorado office. The detail of the instruments and vocals on the album are outstanding and really show what a well made high resolution audio disc can sound like. This one is bound to be a favorite of folk music and bluegrass fans as well as SACD fans who want to listen to a well recorded album.

  • The Perfect Gift CD For Yourself or Another Folk-Music Connoisseur
    author: Queenie -- Singer-Songwriter

    It's soothing, relaxing music that is better than any major-label artist CD you have bought in the last 20 years. David Elias and his band have captured the old Simon and Garfunkel sound, yet the tone of the CD is modern and refreshing. The perfect gift for folk-music fans who love quiet yet provocative music. David will make you laugh with his often tongue-in-cheek lyrics and he'll bring tears to your eyes with his profound musical sensitivity. The simple track "The Old King" makes this entire album worth the purchase price, but the entire album pleases me, the most finicky of listeners. His music is soothing but it isn't cheesy like some folk music. It would be a wonderful listen in the car when you are trying to calm down. You won't be disappointed by this beautiful CD, which I have called a "work of art".

  • one of the most musical, detailed, and spacious recordings I've ever come across
    author: Epinons Review

    I've been crying for the longest time about crappy sound. 90% of mainstream CDs sound like every instrument, and every vocal was captured in some sound booth; and then run through Pro Tools a million times, with sterile and cold results. Thankfully that is not the case here. Produced by Elias and KC Groves, with Gus Skinas handling the DSD mixing and mastering, something wonderful (musically) was the result. How did Elias get Gus Skinas, a guy that assisted with the 5.1 mix for Floyd's Dark Side to assist him? My theory is that Elias met up with Skinas someplace and moved his hand through the air like a Jedi and told Skinas that he would assist. Disclaimer I cannot confirm or deny that Elias is in fact a Jedi.

  • Purchase the Art Masterpiece of Music that you need...
    author: Mary Rudy - Muzik Reviewz

    David Elias and his CD 'The Window' is the most spectacular and superb piece of art I have ever heard. Like a fine painting, he has taken and put all the strokes of the brush to the canvas and the outcome of this is the production of 'The Window'. An Art collecting friend once commented that every home should have at least one piece of art in it, that is when you come to appreciate the talents, love and energy that an artist puts into his work. Well Folks! This is that piece of art you need, and believe you will appreciate every second, every minute, every instrument, every verse, every lyric.

  • Supreme lyrics and amazing music
    author: Peter Fjågesund

    Who can describe these songs and do them justice? Not to worry, The Window is not dependent on praise. Like a pillar, it is going to be visible in the musical landscape for a very long time. First of all, the lyrics represent in their own right a beautiful collection of poetry, deserving of profound pondering and close reading, and achieving a perfect balance between sadness and stoicism, on the one hand, and black humour interspersed with melancholy carpe diem motifs, on the other. At the same time, these tracks offer a display of musical accompaniment and contemplative instrumental interludes by a group of kindred souls perfectly tuned to Elias’s material. While in complete control, these musicians miraculously bring out the energy and the vigour of the songs in the form of the laid-back and the almost subdued. All in all, The Window has all the immediacy and genuine unedited atmosphere of a successful concert recording and the fantastic sound quality of the studio. Favourite tracks? “Her Name Is A” is a future anthology piece among love songs and the jewel in the crown; “The Old King” is a profound poem on life and death, suggesting the silence of the tomb with the slow heartbeat of the distant drum and Elias’s slow, whispering words; “Half An Hour Away” is a tune so timeless in its Celtic simplicity that you believe you must have heard it in your mother’s womb or in another life. Then there is “The Window”, “Summer Wind”, “Go Down Easy”, “Season of the Fall”, and not to forget “A Picture of Nothing”, a slow, bleak and depressed C&W track sung, I believe, with a wry smile. It is indeed difficult to choose (Peter Fjågesund, Telemark, Norway).

  • "The Window's" music and lyrics are just FANTASTIC!
    author: Micah Solomon, President & CEO, Oasis CD Manufacturing

    "The Window's" music and lyrics are just fantastic! And needless to say the recording is just extraordinary. Great stuff! It reminds me of music from a beautiful era I'd forgotten -- very early Allman Brothers almost, twinged with bluegrass, but every time it gets close to the instrumental prowess of the great players taking attention away from the great lyrics of the songs themselves, the players expertly step back from the foreground. This is a MUCH different experience from almost any contemporary bluegrass, even though it is informed by the same. BRAVO!

  • Absolutely Fantasic
    author: Tony Flores - Epinions

    The sound of the album is absolutely fantastic. FINALLY someone did something simple like mic a band and record it. Well maybe it wasn't that simple, but that's how it sounds.

  • Amazing emotional songs...
    author: Uwe Steinmueller - outbackphoto.com

    David Elias is a Bay Area acoustic Singer/Songwriter who creates amazing emotional songs. If we could only keep 10 CDs of our maybe (800 CD and LPs) most likely 2 would be by David. During the last 6 years we heard David many, many times at the San Gregorio General Store and his music is as good also live. We just want to make you aware of this great musician. Play the MP3 tracks to get started. The new CD is a SACD (Super Audio CD).

  • ...it's become part of my life...
    author: Dawn Frank, Sony SACD Project

    You know, I'm listening to your record right now, I've listened to it about 12 times completely, and a few more times to particular songs over these last few months. I've always liked it, right from the beginning... but now... I have become so attached to it... it's become part of life, something that draws me to listen... it makes me feel very happy each time and am sorry when each song ends and I leave it behind.

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