Desert Vision; Natural States

We gave these the ultimate test, by saddling up on the exercycle, and channeling the sound through stereo headphones. But since we couldn't follow the turns over cliffs and down waterfalls too well, we abandoned the bike. The bike was boring, these two programs are anything but. Jan Nickman, the creative force behind these exquisitely filmed productions, has truly pioneered the concept of video albums. Combining the music of chart-busting new age musicians David Lanz and Paul Speer with Nickman's camera, we hear "Carlsbad" while weaving through the caverns; crest around the upper reaches of Mount Rainier during "Mountain", and view "First Light" as it seeps across the lower Snoqualmie River Valley in Western Washington. Each program contains 9 songs and visual essays. We're a bit partial to the Pacific Northwest tape (forest being more interesting than desert, to us), but both titles are highly recommended. (Available from: Miramar Productions, P.O. Box 15661, Seattle, WA 98115.)