Customer Reviews

On Air (Bonus CD)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think your experience with this very expensive release (but darn well worth it), will be as pleasureable as mine. I don't know what is the better experience, the enclosed CD-Rom or the music. My favorite Alan Parsons release before this CD was "The Turn Of A Friendly Card". There is no comparison.

This release is substantially more mellow and having more substance in terms of lyrical content and music than other 'projects'. The music is fantastic.

The CD-Rom offers historical facts, tributes, and amazing effects and photographs. 'Hit' the soaring balloons--some whizzing by. Hint: go to the website listed on the liner notes to get tips on the proper viewing of this CD-Rom).

Returning to the thematic concept so often used in his early career, Alan Parsons has assembled a great mix of tunes, instrumentals, and singers for an overall beautiful CD. The theme is flight, from the first time Daedalus and Icarus took wing to our modern space age. It details the frustrations, the glories, the wins, the losses, the sorrows of the pursuit of flight. Highlights are the opening intro to "Blue Blue Sky" which fades into "Too Close to the Sun." (With a dynamic jet crescendo!); "Brother Up There," a poignant story dedicated to someone who lost their life in a flight, and the finale of "Blue Blue Sky" which crescendos and decrescendos so beautifully. This is a haunting, enjoyable album, exquisitely produced and engineered by the marvelous Mr. Parsons

"On Air" rates as one Alan Parsons finest works to date. This is an album of pure bliss for anyone who calls themselves a melodic rock fan. It also stands as an excellent entry into the world of "concept albums", something that music fans like myself need more of! This time around the concept is the history of flight, and Parsons pumps plenty of emotion into his subject matter with bold musical themes, and lyrical references to avaiation, the fall of Icarus, and the doomed Challenger space mission. There is even an intense (almost paranoid) ode to the fear-of-flying called "I Can't Look Down". Like previous Alan Parsons releases "On Air" covers a wide breadth of different musical moods and styles. "Too Close To the Sun" has a dreamy, atmospheric quality. "Brother Up in Heaven" is a lush piano-based ballad with a fine vocal by former ELO Part 2 singer Neil Lockwood. (This song also makes nice use of a sparse orchestral arrangement.) "Fall Free" is a rocker with a powerful chorus, and an equally powerful vocal performance from the high-voiced Steve Overland. Another guest vocalist, Eric Stewart of 10cc, adds greatly to "Blue Blue Sky", a gentle acoustic piece which is reprised at the end of the album, making for sort of a musical "bookend" effect. "Cloudbreak" is an exhilarating insrumental with some great guitar licks from long-time Parsons cohort Ian Bairnson. Another instumental, "Apollo", is a throbbing burst of synths and electronic percussion, interspersed with dialog clips of President John F. Kennedy speaking about the Apollo space mission. All in all, if you are a fan of Alan Parsons, or just art-rock in general, then "On Air" is an experience that should not be missed! By the way, this is a disc that sounds absolutely stunning through a good pair of headphones! Parsons has constructed a full-bodied mix which takes full-avantage of stereo panning, background arrangements, clever sound effects (which always have something to do with the overall song), and even snatches of conversations! (A bit reminicent of his production work on Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of the Moon"). So hey, if you don't have a set of quality headphones, you may want to order some to go with this CD! : )

A good journeyman effort by the current Parson's team. This album is, as indicated by the title and cover art, revolving around flight.The highlights are, Blue blue Sky, Too Close to the Sun and Brother Up In Heaven. Brother Up In Heaven is a soft very sentimental piece and a bit of a departure from the usual Alan Parsons style. Too Close to the Sun is a retelling of the Greek Myth of Icarus with morals attached. The whole album is very much worth listening. I found the instrumental Apollo moving including the introductory soundbites from President Kennedy's speech. I would rate it well ahead of Vulture Culture and about on a par with The Time Machine

This album, as any one can perceive for the title, has as theme the flight. It develops itself since the myth (in the track Too close you the sun), passing through the act to fly (in the track Cloudbreak), the fear to fly (in track I Can't Look Down), until the act to die (in the track Brother Up in Heaven). When listening this CD, I had the sensation to remember some musics of the Pink Floyd to me. The vocals are cool and very clear, and the album has an excellent base. The guitar in general is very matched with the music. The sound effects are very coherent with the theme of the flight, being very realistic (in the Cloudbreak song, you has the impression of that a plane is flying on the room!). Each one of the tracks of this album is at least "good", being that the most is excellent. I can say that this is a great album, of those where you simply sits down, relaxes, and enjoy!

I love this album. In its own right, the music is great. But, my favorite use is ... to go to sleep to it! I don't need music to put me to sleep (I fall asleep rather quickly). However, I love the sound of this album. Soaring, smiling, fresh breeze, sunshine, just like laying on grass in a nice park watching hawks soar. The ultimate mood music, without trying to be.