Customer Reviews

Light of Smiles

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

WITH THE FIRST NOTE OF THE OPENING NUMBER "WATER SIGN", GARY WRIGHT CAPTURES A MYSTICAL MOOD THAT CONTINUES THROUGH-OUT THE ENTIRE CD. MANY PEOPLE WILL ARGUE THAT "DREAM WEAVER" IS HIS BEST WORK BUT I HAVE TO DISAGREE. DON'T GET ME WRONG "DREAM WEAVER IS A FABULOUS ALBUM BUT I THINK "THE LIGHT OF SMILES" IS FAR AND AWAY HIS BEST WORK.

This album is sooo cool. I highly recommend it. "I am the Sky" and the title track have got to be two of the best songs of all time. Perhaps the best part of the album is the cover artwork. That J.R. Silletto guy is certainly a talented genius! He is to art what Gary is to rock!

I LOVE GARY!

The Light of Smiles was released originally when I was 15 and learning to drive. I played the 8 track in my VW Bug while driving back and forth in our driveway. I was also lucky enough to catch live performances on "Don Kirchner's Rock Concert" and "Midnight Special" shows of "Are You Weepin'", "I'm Alright", "Water Sign", "DreamWeaver" and "Love Is Alive".

I know this album didn't climb as high in the charts and there were no 'hits' on it...but I've always thought it to be some of his best work. He really started to find his 'voice' on the keyboards with the lead solo work on Are You Weepin', Silent Fury, WaterSign, and I'm Alright (especially on the live performances on TV). I've always loved the piano work on Child Of Light.

This is a 'must have' for any Gary Wright fan and is worth a listen if you liked "DreamWeaver".

Eric P / MizarKey

I have to agree with the other reviewer, this is Gary Wright's best album. It certainty continues the trademark Dream Weaver sound, with the dreamy sound, synthesizers, and other instrumentation. But I feel this album has more good songs on it, very consistent throughout. Dream Weaver is also very good, but there are a couple uneven songs on that album that are almost a bit more experimental. This nails Wrights perfect tone throughout, one that he would never quite duplicate again. And like groups like Boston, was not able to progress his sound and move on to the next logical evolution in his career. Songwriting also played a part as well. but this album is just great! It took me 30 years to get back to this album, I recently made a mix of Gary Wright's songs and didnt even know how great this album was (or I didnt remember). Funny how back in the 70's you would buy an album, listen to the hit songs and not play the entire album very often. That won't happen again, this release will stay on my playlist and be heard regularly.

After the success of his first album "The Dream Weaver" in 1976 which included the #2 hits, the title track and "Love Is Alive", Gary Wright found it hard to follow-up success with his next album, "The Light Of Smiles". This CD has great sounding tracks plus one bonus track that give a listener great imagination because of the use of moog synthesisers and indian influenced music. "The Light Of Smiles" was released in either late 1976 or early 1977, and it was overlooked because of the direction pop music was going through at the time when the disco craze was sweeping America. This album should have gotten more promotion from TV and radio during its original release and it's a must-have for every Gary Wright fan out there, especially if you had the chance to see him in concert with Ringo Starr's All-Star Band.

This music was wonderful on the original vinyl album. But it is even BETTER on CD. Overall, this is my FAVORITE Gary Wright album. It really deserved more recognition than it was given. For anyone who is REALLY into Gary Wright, beyond THE DREAMWEAVER album, this one is a MUST for your collection. The music and backing vocals are INDESCRIBABLY SUPERB!!!

This is arguably Gary Wright's best album as a whole. Unfortunately it was pretty much overlooked, most likely because it did not spawn a bonafide radio hit. Dig his sound? Do yourself a favor and find a copy of this on CD.

Gary Wright is one of those musicians whose career actually seemed to suffer as a result of one monster hit. There's no question that the song Dreamweaver left a lasting affect on pop music and has become a latter-day fixture of the canon, so it's not surprising that any follow-up recordings would pale by comparison. Imagine if the Beatles has followed Meet The Beatles with the White Album; it would have been dismissed as self-indulgent instead of the masterwork it is today. Such is the case with Gary's album The Light Of Smiles, which is a gem unto itself but was lost in the shadow of his earlier success.

The lead song, Water Sign, sets the tone for the album as it blends strong songwriting with a mystical subject, all tied together with a catchy pop tune. This same pattern is followed on the final song, Child Of Light. Both would be right at home on Top-40 radio and clearly should have received more attention than they did.

Aside from featuring some stellar pop keyboard performances and power pop tunes, The Light Of Smiles also delves more deeply into Mr. Wright's blossoming spirituality. These songs are the highlight of the album, but are also probably the reason why the album didn't reach its full audience. Many listeners were probably turned off by the inclusion of eastern spirituality so integral to the album. Not being a follower of this particular path, I found their inclusion not just non-offensive but strongly positive. This album is no tract, but is instead a solid interpretation of some basic eastern beliefs as transmitted through the fingertips of a stellar pop songwriter and pianist. It's no surprise that Mr. Wright was a good friend of George Harrison, another musician drawn to the same spiritual source.

This album should be in the collection of anyone who heard and loved the Dreamweaver album. Isn't that everyone?

This album [is great] musicaly! His most underated,and over looked release to date."PHANTOM WRITER" is an EXquisit composistion,as well as "CHILD OF LIGHT".Other great tracks include, "ARE YOU WEEPING",I AM THE SKY,I'M ALRIGHT !
This is a must check out for any one who is a DREAM WEAVER fan.

WITH THE FIRST NOTE OF THE OPENING NUMBER "WATER SIGN", GARY WRIGHT CAPTURES A MYSTICAL MOOD THAT CONTINUES THROUGH-OUT THE ENTIRE CD. MANY PEOPLE WILL ARGUE THAT "DREAM WEAVER" IS HIS BEST WORK BUT I HAVE TO DISAGREE. DON'T GET ME WRONG "DREAM WEAVER IS A FABULOUS ALBUM BUT I THINK "THE LIGHT OF SMILES" IS FAR AND AWAY HIS BEST WORK.