Earlier Story, but no less intoxicating than albums like the perfect "Perfect Flaw". Slow, somewhat melancholy, entrancing. One of the best albums from Hearts of Space at the turn of the 1990's. Far and away. Favorite tracks include 'Her Cathedral' and 'These Few Words'. My wife and I have enjoyed this disc for many years. It's perfect for cloudy, cold mornings, when the mist is drifting and you're tucked away indoors, a cup of something hot in your hand and your eyes gazing out into the chilled, gray wilderness.

What can I say that the others haven't said already? Tim Story's music is beautiful, deep and touches the soul. I like every CD of Tim Story. Beguiled is one of his best. The songs that include cello by Martha Reikow are especially good. These songs age well too. I seem to hear them in a different way at every listening. I bought Beguiled in 1992, heard it a couple of times, put it on the shelf and forgot about it. When I got around to listening to it again in about 1998 it sounded so good I listened to over and over again. You have to have an appreciation for this type of music. My musical interests cover a wide scope. If you're stuck on a certain kind of other music you probably can't appreciate this. But anyone who is not stuck on hearing a certain kind of music all the time (tunnel hearing) can grow to appreciate the splendidness of Beguiled.

I ordered this cd as a result of hearing only one of the songs on the radio one day. Even my husband enjoys the music...we like to play it while we eat dinner. I have to say that the one song that continues to be my favorite is the one I heard that day. Not all of them touch me in that same way, but they are all very good and I can highly recommend this cd to anyone that likes quality quiet music with just the right touch of melancholy.

Story's music might be more accurately described as psychological chamber music. It is intricately composed, well-thought-out, essentially indifferent as to how it might be perceived by the listener. It is music that speaks with a voice all its own: fragile and yet profound. It doesn't care what you may think of it. It exists in its own very personal and intimate space, and it invites you into that space to share in its mystery.

Every piece on this album is a finely chiselled work of art. The last two pieces, "Many Years Pass," and "The Luminous, The Dark", taken together form one of the most beautiful sequences of music that I've ever heard. The music ends by converging towards a gentle electronic pulse, and then returning into the silence and mystery from which it came, leaving the listener beguiled.

Tim Story is one of my favorite artists and Beguiled is his most highly regarded work (with The Perfect Flaw just a notch behind). Adroitly combining piano with synthesizer and sparse acoustic instrument accompaniment, Tim has created one of the most heart-rendingly beautiful and saddest albums you'll ever hear.

Tim works in a type of music referred to as minimalism in which a musical phrase is repeated over and over, with subtle yet obvious variations in how the theme is played. The music is never repetitive due to his incredible command of subtle nuance and texture (especially with his use of synthesizers). The songs are not rhythmic in the traditional sense, yet they aren't unstructured, obviously. What I mean is that there are no percussion instruments on the album (the album featues piano, synths, guitar - heavily altered to sound more like a synth - and a few other instruments).

Tim refers to his music as being emotionally ambiguous, i.e. you bring your own emotions to the party, but his heavy use of minor key compositions and melancholic melody would indicate that, at the least, this is music designed to evoke deep (and often painful) memories. Yet, the music is so beautiful that it can also be used as ambient music during late nights. I and my partner Kathryn frequently play Tim's music when we talk late into the early morning hours. It's wonderful accompaniment for soul-searching.

Tim Story is the best artist in this field when it comes to producing works of quiet, tragic beauty. Beguiled easily earns its reputation as a masterpiece and an essential recording. Buy it - you won't be sorry.