REAL tough one. I think this one is virtually impossible to rate since it's virtually impossible to define. What is it? The nebulous "New Age" title is often applied to ALL of the following:
• Recordings of sounds of nature
• Piano instrumentals (i.e. David Lanz and George Winston)
• Utterly beautiful, dramatic Neo Classical stuff (Ray Lynch and Roger Eno)
• Utterly mind-numbing, sappy "elevator" type music
• Minimalist composers (Phillip Glass and Steve Reich)
• Ambient music (Brian Eno)
• Celtic (Enya, Maire Brennan and Loreena Mckennitt, though all three denounce the title "New Age")
• Hypnotic self-help and meditation recordings
• "Space" Music
• Many forms of "World music" (Dead Can Dance, Anoushka Shankar, Etc.)
• ANYTHING instrumental and electronic
• Some generic adult contemporary
Adding a whole new layer of confusion to the subject is the existence of the entire "New Age movement". This movement in itself is a huge ball of wax. There seems to be considerable confusion as to how or if the music and the movement are related. Though many followers of new age philosophies seem to listen to some kind of "New Age" music, most musicians considered "New Age" distance themselves from the title. I dare say, I've NEVER heard any musician claim to be a New Age musician.
I have to believe anyone who strongly rates "New Age" as a genre is very biased in one direction or another and/or is basing his/her opinion on a very limited sampling of this so-called genre. How is it possible to LOVE or HATE it all?
With that said, I'll just have to give it three stars for an attempt at an average. This seems odd to me since some of my favorite music is categorized here, as is a LOT of stuff I wouldn't listen to twice. I say kill the silly term-- it means nothing. Let every song stand for itself and not be forced into the media industry's prefab categories.
