Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya

I haven't been overly impressed by her studio albums, and I'll explain why in a sec. This CD however draws all that is good about Enya and brings together all of her singles in the way you really need to hear them. OK, to explain the previous comment: I first heard Orinco Flow way back, (was it '91? - can't remember...) and fell in love at first hearing. Here was something totally different, then came Storms In Africa which was just as good. Right, I thought, better buy the album. Of course, the version of SIA was a slow more relaxed affair and a bit of a disappointment to that which I'd heard already. Same happened again with Carribean Blue and Book Of Days (possibly the best Enya track ever...). I made the mistake twice and then waited patiently hoping for the day the inevitable compilation would come out. I was overjoyed when I got my hands on "Paint The Stars...", everything I wanted was there, plus some more.

My one complaint with Enya is that she makes some incredible sounding tracks like Book Of Days and then wants to slow them down and loose the power of these songs. Can't someone make her see sense and keep making this type of track? The soundscapes are amazing. I do like some of the slower ones, really i do, I just prefer the more uptempo (and it's really not that much uptempo) ones.

I'm an 80's boy (Visage, Ultravox, Duran Duran, etc), now in my thirties, and currently into modern synthpop like De/Vision, Red Flag, Avant Garde (to name a few). As you can see, Enya doesn't fit the mould of music you might expect me to listen to. I do and it's beautiful. Enough said, if you are one of the few uninitiated then buy this CD now...


Spellbinding   October 25, 2001
17 out of 17 found this review helpful

After years of listening to Enya's music on the radio and loving it, constantly tuning stations to see if it was being played, I decided to get of my backside and buy a CD. This Best-Of compilation seemed the most obvious CD to buy first and I can say it was worth every penny.

Some of the most disitinctive songs: The opening track is unique in every way, still captivating 12 years after it's release. Though Orinoco Flow is easily her most famous song, it's probably not her best, Carribean Blue first seems a bit slow coming right after the opener, but you soon realise it is the most well planned, most perfectly crafted track on the album. Anywhere Is and Only If were played a lot on the radio and both are very up-tempo and jumpy. China Roses is beautifully soft and gentle, Storms in Africa conjures up pictures of African plains and wildlife, just what it's meant to.

Inevitably a Best-Of album is never going to have the same flow has an album of new material, but Enya and producer Nicky Ryan always keep the sound and vibe connected throughout, the opeining tracks are the most up-beat, while the sound slowly winds down towards the end, but never bores. The end effect is something that captivates your ears and stays there after the music stops.

A must have from perhaps the most distinctive artist of modern times.


Enya at her best   December 13, 2005
Steve S.
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

All of Enya's greatest hits as of 1997 are there, the most popular and rhythmical at the beginning, and the slightly lesser-known and more soothing towards the end of this wonderful album, which is a great gift for music lovers unfamiliar with Enya, as well as for those who might have heard only songs like "Only Time" or "Amarantine", and would like to get to know her earlier music. If you are new to the world of Enya, you will like her peaceful style, rich with voice harmonies sung by herself alone, ethereal melodies, and an accompaniment consisting of synthesized textures together with string orchestra.
One final recommendation: If you like Enya's music, you will love Arye Geiman, a very romantic composer, whose music really awakens your imagination.
You can listen to it at the "CDbaby com" website.


A Good Starting Off Album To Enya's Music   January 19, 2002
Smitty Shad (North Carolina)
16 out of 16 found this review helpful

"Paint The Sky With Stars" (Greatest Hits Collection) was my first Enya album. I had only heard the songs, "Orinoco Flow" and "Book Of Days" over the years and I decided to give Enya a try. I played the CD while studying and I became mesmerized by her unique, etheral style of her instrumentation and vocal techniques. The album became one of the few albums that I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved every single song on the album. Afterwards, I bought Enya's other albums. Once again I was taken away by her music. There were some songs on the albums that were of a different style than the tracks on "Paint The Sky With Stars," such as peaceful, flowing instrumentals and songs sung in Gaelic, Latin and Spanish.
Give the album a try. I strongly recommend the music of Enya. The music and vocals is nothing but beautiful and inspiring. The album is a great mood album, perfect for relaxation.
Keep in mind though that the songs on this album are usually upbeat (not drumbeats, just the instruments which comprise of strings, piano, synth/keyboards!!). If you are going for a more peaceful album, I recommend her album, "The Memory Of Trees."
Check out my other reviews on Enya's Albums.


Very beautiful and refreshing!   July 19, 1998
15 out of 15 found this review helpful

The first time I heard a song by Enya, another person in my dorm was playing it loudly on her stereo. Normally I would get annoyed by this, but the song (I think it was "The Memory of Trees") was so beautiful that instead I tracked the girl down to find out who the artist was. I got the albums "Watermark", "The Celts", "The Memory of Trees", and "Shepherd Moons" for Christmas a few months later and instantly fell in love with all of them. Enya's work evokes a variety of strong emotions: joy, excitement, inspiration, sadness, and, in a couple of songs, even fear. It's very refreshing music to listen to after a stressful day or during a lunch break. The songs "Marble Halls", "The Memory of Trees", and "How Can I Keep From Singing" I know by heart because I've listened to them so often. In regards to Enya's new album, "Paint the Sky With Stars", I would rather buy an album with ! mostly new songs and a couple of the more popular old songs rather than get only two new songs and a bunch that I already have. However, I do think that anyone who has never heard Enya's music before should get this album first, because after hearing it, they will no doubt want to get the other four.