The San Sebastian Strings – The Earth

This was in my uncles collection. It is one of the weirdest things I have listened to. Not sure if I want to listen to it again or not. There is so much music out there I feel I would be wasting my time with this. Its good for one run for the experience I suppose. It is melodic and his voice is calming. I recorded it and may try to get it listened to one or two times to see if it grows on me.

I found this one in a thrift store, together with their other release Anita Kerr, Rod McKuen / The San Sebastian Strings - The Sea. I had no idea what to expect, but the artwork an the liner notes on the back cover tickled my curiosity and boy am I glad I bought both albums. Whether you put The Earth or The Sea on the turntable, it doesn't matter: in both cases you can sit back, preferably with a Cuban cigar and a great cognac and submerge yourself into some excellent vintage, downtempo goodness, here and there with the comforting sound of rolling waves and wind. Call it cheesy, call it something for the elevator, but really: it is definitely way better than that. It's the easy listening strings and Rod McKuen's subdued voice that creates an incredibly calming, intimate and introspective atmosphere; I once experienced it as if I'd created a time bubble in which I could hang around for about half an hour and feel as I did when I was a kid in the 70s. To me both albums 'sound' 70s, even though both releases are from the late 60s. The mix of spoken word with strings gives the whole thing a cinematic feel that you have to experience, simply by listening to these gems. Make sure you're alone, dim the lights a bit and put either The Earth or The Sea on, preferably after dark and enjoy. These releases regularly turn up in local thrift stores for a nice price and are available on Discogs for low prices, so you won't break the bank buying these gems. My copies have been played well and do have a bit of crackle and static in them, but even with that, it's a tremendous joy to put them on again and again.

What's not to love when poetry and easy listening Jazz jumps right into your ears?

This album combines classic string stylings with smooth spoken vocals in a fantastic way. Highly recommend.