The Official Enya Thread

explodingbird · #1 14th November 2006, 07:42 AM

So, I can count myself and Cyria (and I can't remember who else) among her fans.

Who is Enya? Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, an Irish-born singer/composer, who, with Nicky and Roma Ryan, has created some of the best-selling New Age albums in the world (although, personally, I hesitate to identify her as New Age. Her music kind of is more... ambient and... beyond description). She's best known for her minor hits Orinoco Flow and Caribbean Blue - and, in 2000, Only Time, a rather major hit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enya

Enya.

Last year, around this time, she released Amarantine, her first full-length studio album since 2000's A Day Without Rain.

So... let's discuss Enya now that I've gotten the intro out of the way.

..:Hot:Like:Wow:.. · #2 14th November 2006, 07:50 AM

I'm a fan and I love her song Sail Away I've listened to it so many times

explodingbird · #3 14th November 2006, 07:56 AM

Ah, you mean Orinoco Flow. (Sail away's not the title, just part of the refrain)

..:Hot:Like:Wow:.. · #4 14th November 2006, 08:04 AM

I knew it was not called Sail Away, lol, but I forgot the real name so I just said Sail Away. I kept thinking Oricon for some reason.

explodingbird · #5 14th November 2006, 08:09 AM

Yeah, the names are very similar (and many people actually do call it what you do, so...)

I personally think The Memory of Trees is among her best (song-wise. Album wise, The Memory of Trees IS her best).

..:Hot:Like:Wow:.. · #6 14th November 2006, 08:20 AM

Album wise I would probably agree, pretty damn good album. I'm not to keen on Amarantine though, she's had better.

Btw, I just checked IFPI and apparently she's sold 75 000 000 records, pretty amazing.

**Cyria** · #7 14th November 2006, 09:12 AM

The Memory of Trees is a lovely Enya album. The chorus of Anywhere Is, the whole of China Roses and the lyrics of Hope Has a Place are the standouts for me.

Like I said in the Loreena thread, Amarantine ended up being a bit of a disappointment to me. I'd never agreed with the complain that all Enya music sounds the same, but the songs on that album kind of blended together for me. Someone Said Goodbye was the only one that really moved me. It was something of a disadvantage that it was released after A Day Without Rain (an album I'd loved) and I had high expectations, so maybe I should listen to it again (been quite a while now). I still keep on listening to her earlier work, though.

extepan · #8 14th November 2006, 09:43 AM

I thought Orinoco Flow was a big hit!?

Anyway, I really like Orinoco Flow, it has this magical feel to it. The song really seems like it is flowing!

Only Time is also a good song, very soothing and mellow.

She is an excellent musician.

I read from somewhere that her 'A Day Without Rain' album was the best selling album in the world the year it was released.

Mad_Cactuar · #9 14th November 2006, 10:06 AM

I only know of "Only Time" which is pretty bloody famous here. Yet if you played it to the public, everyone can hum along but there's like a 5% chance anyone would know who sang it or what was the name.

Amarantine was also a quite pleasant album which I downloaded but just couldn't listen in full and gave up after a week.

That thing she does to the vocals is amazing. I love the layering. Reminds me of some Tori Amos stuff.

xiaou-xijiang · #10 14th November 2006, 10:30 AM

I <3 Enya, but half the time, when I would hear her songs that I'd REALLY like, I wouldn't know what the name of her tracks were and couldn't find the tracks I wanted to when I went to the store.
I recently bought A day without rain on impulse and honestly I'm really happy I did, its a great album.

immel · #11 14th November 2006, 10:52 AM

Maybe I haven't pronounced myself loud enough about it, but I'm definitely a huge Enya fan. I've known about her, and listened back and forth to her music for, hmm, almost 10 years now I think.

I have no clue for how long Enya has been going, but the first song I heard was Anywhere Is, does anyone know when it was released?

I started with hearing a cover of it, and then my mother bought me and my sister her CD.

Now days I must stay the songs I enjoy the most is;
China Roses, it kills me when I listen to it, it really does.
Tea-House Moon
Anywhere Is
May it be... and no, that's not only because I enjoyed the LotR movies a lot.

spookshow · #12 14th November 2006, 10:54 AM

yay! an enya thread!

my favourite songs include Caribbean Blue (my favourite enya song), Orinoco Flow, Boadicia... and there's so many other great songs, but i cant think of the titles -- arrgh!

her music is just so beautiful -- real calming stuff. I listen to enya's music while studying (which i'm sposed to be doing now... *sigh*), and when i need to just wind down

immel · #13 14th November 2006, 11:07 AM

Calming indeed, so soothing. I don't think there's many artists who have achieved a sound as soothing as hers, I listen to it at many occasions. If I would still have homework I'd most likely listen to Enya while doing it.

mi|kshake · #14 14th November 2006, 11:57 PM

Can anyone upload any of her songs? Have heard bits and pieces of her stuff but would like to hear 1 of her songs "properly". I really love new age music like Hikki's Sakura Drops & Passion and been tempted to buy an Enya album but was always a bit wary cause I didnt know what to expect.

mi|kshake~

explodingbird · #15 15th November 2006, 12:06 AM

Ahh.... her music is very... not like those Hikki songs you mentioned. Unfortunately, since her music is available in the U.S., it can't be uploaded here (since rules prohibit it, and the RIAA and Enya/her label are very anal about that stuff). Do you have Soulseek? You can find her music VERY easily on Soulseek.

Quote:

I have no clue for how long Enya has been going, but the first song I heard was Anywhere Is, does anyone know when it was released?

She's been going for almost 20 years now - her debut, Enya, was released in 1987 (and then re-releaded in 1992 under the title The Celts, with new packaging and slight tweaks to the tracklisting) - Anywhere Is was released in/around 1994/1995. Can't remember if it was the same year as The Memory of Trees, the album it was from.

immel · #16 15th November 2006, 12:06 AM

I am quite sure that Enya is licensed in the us, all I can do is give you YouTube links.

I don't think she's got many, if any, PVs, so most of them are fan made videos.

China Roses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng_AwlIk5tE

May It Be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdr_ZGvOnUo

explodingbird · #17 15th November 2006, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by immel

I am quite sure that Enya is licensed in the us, all I can do is give you YouTube links.

I don't think she's got many, if any, PVs, so most of them are fan made videos.

China Roses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng_AwlIk5tE

May It Be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdr_ZGvOnUo

She does have quite a few videos, but I dunno how many are still on YouTube. I got banned from her official forum (I mean, IP-banned and everything) just for saying I watched one of her old, hard-to-find videos on YouTube.

The ones that I know have videos:

Aldebaran
I Want Tomorrow (both have very crappy, low-quality videos)
Orinoco Flow
Storms in Africa
Exile, I THINK
Caribbean Blue
Book of Days
Anywhere Is
On My Way Home (I think?)
Only Time
Amarantine
It's In the Rain (I love this one. Reminds me of Sheryl Crow's Good Is Good)

I think there's more, but I couldn't go ask since, Like I've said, I'm banned from her official forum and I think the mods/admins there go out of their way to shut down any and all other Enya fansites and forums (even if those are better than the official sites).

immel · #18 15th November 2006, 12:24 AM

First I didn't get why the punishment would be that harsh, then I realized the key word is "Official", explains it quite well. Sad.

Just noticed your earlier post, thanks for all the information about her debut and the release of Anywhere Is, seems I heard it around when it was released.

spookshow · #19 15th November 2006, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by explodingbird

She does have quite a few videos, but I dunno how many are still on YouTube. I got banned from her official forum (I mean, IP-banned and everything) just for saying I watched one of her old, hard-to-find videos on YouTube.

yikes! that's harsh! seriously, it's promotion! and banning someone isn't gonna stop them from watching videos on youtube...

lol this is why i prefer fan-run fanforums rather than the official ones

there's a video for It's In the Rain? i must find this! *searches youtube*

EDIT: found it! this vid is gorgeous! i love it! but man -- i wish enya would show a bit more emotion

immel · #20 15th November 2006, 12:55 AM

The reasoning behind the ban was probably that they didn't want anyone to spread the knowledge that her material could be found on YT. Yeah, it's promotion, but not a single record company has realized that yet.

If anyone could look up the PVs on YT and post links I'd love that person, hehe.