*Thundering Rainstorm (Nature CD): with music*
The music incorporated with the thunderstorm on this CD is nothing short of obnoxious. It's the kind of music that fades in and out. It'll stop for 10 seconds or so and then creeps up in volume for a few seconds with fake strings and harps and then it fades out for several seconds and repeats that process over and over again. The volume of the music is mixed way too loud and isn't fluent or smooth at all. Almost drowning out the thunderstorm itself. I'm not sure how that's suppose to be relaxing? Trust me...it's not, it's ANNOYING to say the least!
I'm dying for a good "rain and thunderstorm" CD. One that doesn't have annoying music and one that doesn't have annoying birds. I don't mind birds here at home, but if I wanted a "singing birds" CD I'd have looked for it. The bird during this rainstorm is so annoying I can't believe the person recording the storm didn't shoot it. It kept waking me up, from a nice slumber I might add, and became so annoying I just finally had to turn the CD off. The thunderstorm itself is awesome...but the bird kills it. It's just to loud and annoying.

THERE'S MORE THAN JUST THAT CRAZY BIRD...there's also a fly that keeps buzzing around the microphone. It almost sounds funny. I suppose it'd be funny if I wasn't trying to relax. It made me want to swing my hands in the air to shew that pesky fly away.

WAIT...THERE'S MORE THAN THAT FUNNY FLY...there also seems to be someone walking around on a porch or something. Occasionally, I could also hear what sounds like a screen door quietly opening and shuting. As it's happening I wonder if it's someone checking to make sure a bear or wild boar hasn't attacked their recording equiptment and/or taken if off with it into the woods. Funny thought I suppose, but it becomes annoying when I'm trying to relax.

FINALLY, THERE'S ONE MORE THING...the bloody crickets! At times they're so close to the microphone it distracts from the storm. I was praying for someone to step on the loud obnoxious things. Of course what's recorded is recorded and prayer is useless at this point. But I still threw a prayer up for grabs. Out of nothing but pure frustration I'm sure. Fortunately, it's not all the way through the storm. Hmmm...perhaps it was a prayer answered and I just didn't realize it until now? I wonder if I can still do something about that darn bird?

IN FINAL...
I suppose it's a great nature CD if you want to feel like you're in a tent in the middle of the woods. Just don't try to sleep! Even relaxing will be trying.
SADLY this awesome thunderstorm is ruined by all the annoying ambiance. I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS CD FOR RELAXATION PURPOSES.

I bought this thinking it was straight Thunderstorm sounds with no music. When I want storms, I don't really want the music. The music is non-intrusive, but even so it still managers to overpower the storm. So it's music with storm, instead of storm with music.

If you refer straight sounds of nature, this is not for you. If you like light, relaxing music woven into a mix, then I would rate this 5 stars instead of four. Very well done, just not quite what I wanted.