The Blue Notebooks: 15th Anniversary Reissue CD

As this expansive reissue proves, Max Richter's 2004 album The Blue Notebooks remains one of the greatest neo-classical works of recent decades. The album was famously inspired by the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and featured narration from actress Tilda Swinton. Such was the record's impact, in fact, that numerous pieces subsequently appeared on a variety of high profile movie soundtracks. To celebrate the work's 15th birthday, Richter has bundled the album with a second disc of largely unheard material. This includes a couple of intriguing remixes by Jlin and Konx-Om-Pax, two archive tracks produced during the album sessions, and a handful of new recordings of key instrumentals. These are all excellent, of course, but still pale in comparison to the inspired original album.