Customer Reviews

Avion

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Most people reviewing this album either don't get it or don't want to get it. It's a simple rock album with hooks around every corner. Expect nothing more and nothing less. Steve Bertrand, the mastermind of the band and former Tories band leader, has created a pop gem that will probably never be discovered outside a few fans of the summer 2004 hit Seven Days Without you. The fact that the song became popular on an independent release is truly a triumph. I hope Avion only continues to grow and perhaps surpass the glory of The Torries.

Mark my words: This band is going to make it big.

What an amazing debut CD from a mainstream rock band that combines powerful songwriting with song style variation, to give you a product worth listening to over and over.

1. Would you Notice - (5 stars) - Kicking off the song with an upbeat, drum-your-steering-wheel entrance, it breaks into an energetic chorus, almost irresistible to not sing along to.

2. Beautiful - (4 stars) - With a great blend of instrumentation and background vocals, this is a song worth breaking out your air guitar for.

3. Seven Days Without You - (5 stars) - Time to slow it down..a lot. I'm a sucker for rock ballads, but even if you aren't, you'd appreciate this song if you've ever felt alone. The subtle piano entrance and rock-solid guitar chords in the chorus make this song worth turning up the volume to.

4. Loved - (3 1/2 stars) - Pouring out "I just want to be loved" in the chorus explains this song. Simple, yet effective, this song gets the point across.

5. Perfect From Now On - (4 stars) - Another song for you and your air guitar to jam to. This song is all power, and power doesn't have to mean that the whole thing is loud and in your face...that's just the chorus :-). Very good.

6. Where Are You Now - (4 1/2 stars) - Kick it down a notch. This is a song like none other on the album. With a steady enough beat, yet cooled-off feeling, it has a strong impact.

7. Starting Over - (4 1/2 stars) - Great song. It's slower, but very powerful and easy to relate to.

8. Bulletproof Glow - (3 1/2 stars) - This is the song that defines the hard core point that this band is trying to hit in their attack on different types of musical styles. It's not one of my favorite songs on this album, but it's worth hearing.

9. It Falls Back On Me - (5 stars) - I got hooked on this band from this song alone. I heard it on Yahoo's LAUNCHcast radio. It's straight from the heart, and I can relate to it only too easily. Best song on the album.

10. Trinidad and a DC-10 - (5 stars) - Kicking it up a notch or two, this song has the catchiest melody of any song on the album, and it's one of my favorite songs. This is the one you stick in the stereo when no-one else is home and just crank it up and jam to in your empty house.

11. When I Breathe - (5 stars) - Strengthening the backside of this album even more, "when I breathe" is another rock ballad, and it's my favorite of the 3 or 4 on this album. Not only are these the most powerful lyrics of any song I've ever heard before, but I can also relate to this song so much that my emotions are strongly shown every single time I hear it. When a song does that to you, you know it's something special.

12. Love is Here Again - (4 stars) - Back-to-back rock ballads have a bad track record when it comes to CD song placement, but this is one exception that I'm willing to make, and enjoy. Steve Bertrand shows his amazing voice in this feature.

13. The Best is Yet to Come - (5 stars) - A feel-good, kick-back, enjoy life kind of song. How fitting a title to close out this collection of amazing music. This song being placed as the last song hopefully means that the best of this band's music/creativity is yet to come. If that is so, I CAN'T WAIT till Avion's next album to hit stores. When it does, it will be mine as soon as I can get my hands on it.
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Remember what I said! This band is going to make it big. If you want to check out their video for "Seven Days Without You" you can find it on launch.yahoo.com. Buy this album, and I promise that you will realize that it is worth every penny, and then some.

Avion frontman Steve Bertrand got off some quality stuff when he led The Tories, but Avion is end to end the real deal. It's dreamy pop with killer melodies and hooks -- and not an ounce of filler.

Bertrand's evolution is a little like that of Will Owsley, another power-popster who has demonstrated that maturity can be a plus. Maybe I'm going a bit too far into the future, but can this group ever surpass a debut this strong?

It's a shame that Avion didn't get the promotion or support it deserved, because this CD is a truly enjoyable listen. Filled with lush instrumentation, smooth vocals, and earnest as well as honest lyrics, "Avion" is filled with songs that stick in your head long after you've turned off the CD player.

"Seven Days Without You" was the CD's hit (and rightfully so, it owns some of the most poignant lyrics on the record), but other songs are worthy of praise as well. "Beautiful" is similarly poignant but has a nice uptempo feel. "Would You Notice" is a well-crafted song of romantic yearning that is also nicely uptempo. "Bulletproof Glow" is probably my favorite rocking-out song.

My favorite period of music is the 1990s - I loved the alt-rock music that was popular during that period, men who weren't afraid to show their sensitive sides and wrote songs with hooks that grabbed you by the heart and stuck in your mind for days. Avion was very much in this vein, which goes a long way to explain why I enjoy this CD so much. If that's your kind of music as well, I would strongly recommend this CD.

I've been a fan of Steve Bertrand since I first heard/saw him as front man for The Tories.

After releasing two outstanding but almost unheard records, the Tories drowned in a sea of label/exposure problems and after a while, everyone involved gave up and moved on...

Fortunately, Steve kept writing and after a false start as he toyed with beginning a solo career, (completing several tunes for a project called "Joyride"), he landed in Avion.

This offering is the only recording to surface by the band but it has all the earmarks that would have been a third Tories recording and as such, it will fit nicely into the collection of anyone who has enjoyed one or both of those.

The thoughtful lyrics and smooth chord changes are there, all tightly bound to outstanding musicianship and immaculate production technique. Also ever-present is the Tories trademark of using squeaky clean tracks offset and highlighted by greasy guitars. Even the megaphone back up vocals in "Trinidad and a DC10" and the "record-stop" stall in the middle of the 2nd verse of "Starting Over" are here to prove the artist's pedigree.

Be advised though, that not all of the songs presented here are fresh and newly created for this release. "Would You Notice" was borrowed from the 2nd Tories record and "Bulletproof Glow" came from Steve's aborted solo sessions. But the recycling doesn't detract from the quality or validity of the package. Even without those two tunes, there is plenty here to listen to and enjoy!

The tunes are interesting, the mix is outstanding, the performance is sincere... in short, it's a record worth owning.

(And while you're listening to Avion, order up a copy of Steve's first solo record called "Pain Is A Megaphone". It's the next logical link in the chain.)

I actually never heard about this band to the time when they released this great album, but I'm glad I recently heard one of their overwhelming songs on the radio in my car...since then I realized there is a band that deserves a second chance! What can I say? I was simply blown away by the beat of "Beautiful"!!! This song has such a great melody and is sooooo never-before-heard-perfectly great...I already loved that Avion sound from the very first moment I ever heard this song!!! It sounds new for me and is completely different from the typical 'average boy band sound' like of BSB, N'SY or others. Actually this kind of music reminds of the style of Train, it really does! And "Beautiful" has the same success potential as it also has the "Drops Of Jupiter" song! When I heard "Beautiful" the first time, I was sure this song must be something new high up in the charts, but I was wrong. My research around the internet led me up to here, where I can read the comments of this band's alleged guitar player Mr. Dunahoo, who suspiciously rates HIS OWN WORK with only 3 of 5 stars (is this guy kidding us?) and the original release date of November 2, 2004. I was highly disappointed when I found out that "Beautiful" never came out as a CD single...the thing that disappointed me the most was the fact, that I somehow missed this band's music for so many years, I never heard of them before, possibly due to wrong marketing and promotion work of their record label? I cannot believe this band's album drowned so bad on the market! It was surely worth to bring out a couple songs as a single. I know I could mention the whole album here, but I just need to count some of them, which I wished bad to own as a single: Would You Notice (!!!), Beautiful (!!!), Seven Days Without You, Perfect From Now On, The Best Is Yet To Come !!! This music definitely has something from the talent of other big rock bands like Train, Nickelback or 3 Doors Down. I'm still tryin' to figure out the reason why this band's music hasn't been honored the way it should be, ...I wished they would work on a second album that gives us more of this great talent!!!
At this point I must mention something conspicuous: It normally always happens the same way in music business; a casted band brings out a single, the single is marvellous good and turns out as a high success, then later on same band brings out an album which except of the first single only offers medium quality songs, but again turns out as a not deserved success, just becuz the first single promised so much and made appetite for the album (even if it's as bad as it gets). That's the working principle of many record labels and band makers today...but when it came to this band called "Avion" something went terribly wrong! On THIS ALBUM each and every song is great from the begin to the end, without any exception...and none of them ever made it up to a single release (as far as I can tell from my research via internet). I don't understand this record label's moral, but I think I should stop trying before I hurt myself! I think this band could've had a lot more success as they had in fact.
And if any of the band members reads this now, please let me give you some advice: I think you might work better in the future and reach a lot more with your great music, if you changed your record label and fired your team of sleeping promoters, who are responsible for the worldwide marketing of your music and your band, which never happened yet, as I didn't know you up to shortly! Your music deserves better!!!

THE ALBUM IS PERFECT!!! IF YOU LIKE ROCK MUSIC GO BUY IT OR YOU MISS SOMETHING BIG!!!

Some of the reviews on here concerning this band have me extremely puzzled. I don't see any gay undertones in this music. I think it's just a straight up pop/rock record. Nothing we haven't heard before. I certainly don't feel that I'm being preached to or that this record is sending some kind of message. The notion of that is completely absurd. I don't know what these other reviewers are talking about.

This album rocks!! Sony sucks!!!!!!! This album should have totally broke out nationally on the radio, great songs, slick production, great voice on the lead singer, good lyrical content and memorable hooks that compete with the likes of Switchfoot's breakthrough album (and blows away their last) put this at the head of the class!! It's really a shame that record labels are clueless when it comes to promoting their artists!! Buy this record!!!!!!!!!!

Avion is one of the greatest bands that i have ever heard. They are very talented. They are also very nice people. I met them in person when they performed in concert at my school, and they autographed my cd.

A message to all you haters. Screw you!!!! Especially you people who are calling them fags. They are NOT fags, and there is absolutely nothing in their songs that is promoting homosexuality.

And here's a message for the person who said that homosexual people are going to hell. Screw you even more!!!!!!!!!! You ought to be ashamed of yourself for being so judgemental. Did you know that it is a sin to prejudge people?! Obviously not. It's sad that you don't even realize how much of a hypocrite you are! The bible does not specifically say that all homosexuals will go to hell, but it DOES say, and i quote "he who is sinless cast the first stone". So I'd shut my mouth if i were you. I happen to personnally know a few homosexuals and bisexuals who are wonderful people (i'm related to some of them), and they are definately NOT going to hell! Just because someone is homosexual or bisexual, doesn't mean that they can't believe in God! All the homsexuals and bisexuals that I know DO believe in god and happen to be very religious. God is very loving and will let anyone who believes in him into heaven. If you want to insult a few celebrities, go ahead and do it, BUT DON"T BRING GOD INTO IT. Do you know what that's called!? It's called Taking The Name of The Lord in Vain, which is something that i do NOT tolerate! Just admit it, you only said that whole thing about God to think of the worst possible insult that you could use against avion. You are calling them fags when you do not even know them. Not only are you a hypocrite, you're immature. I don't know exactly how old you are or how old you THINK you are but i'm 14 and probably have more maturity than you do. You really ought to be ashamed of yourself, i'm sure that God is ashamed of you. Next time you want to insult somebody, try being a little more tactful, and LEAVE GOD OUT OF IT!

First of all...i read all the lyrics...and i don't see how they are at all promoting homosexuality. I am a Christian as well and by no means do I condone homosexuality, but I am in no position to judge homosexuals because we are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. And for those of you bashing this CD for supposedly supporting homosexuality, how come you don't have anything to say about all the music that promotes drunkenness or pre-marital sex which are also a sins according to he Bible, that even many "Christians" tend to ignore? Before you bash homosexuals, why don't you first worry about not getting wasted at the kegger down the street or keeping it in your own pants (unless you are married of course).