Customer Reviews

Second Flight

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

 

 

Whoever hears to Alan Parsons Project should have this cd. It is a really must. I mean reaaaaally must. This is where it all started. Not liking this cd is a mistake..... terrible mistake.
So go ahead buy this cd,...now...now....nooooooowwwwwww !!!!!

This album is full of classic pop/rock records. Some people may say the material is lightweight but the quality of the music is of a very high standard. David Paton and Ian Bairnson are outstanding musicians. One of my favourite albums of all time and I'm a Yes, Rush, Genesis fan !

While Pilot's first album was more successful and had the big hit ("Magic"), this second release is actually the better album. Perhaps a bit more mature, certainly a little more refined, and a whole lot more confident. The band begin to slip out of the confines of the first album's commercial pop formula here, hinting at the progressive style of "Morin Heights" which would follow this and lead to what was to come with The Alan Parsons Project. So many songs here should have been huge hits... "January," "Bad To Me," "Call Me Round," "Do Me Good" and "You're My No. 1" just to name a few. A classic album from one of the greatest power pop bands of all time.

Guys, I made a big mistake.

In my review for the first Pilot album, I said that Pilot resembles the pop/rockers Sweet but without the splendid guitar work of the latter.

Well... here comes a song called "Do Me Good" which absolutely FLOORS me with one of the best guitar solos that I've honestly ever heard (and I've heard everything from Rory Gallagher to Deep Purple to Thin Lizzy). It appears right at the very end of the song, but the guitar playing *throughout* the song is equally impressive. Wow, now THAT solo should have been extended an extra couple minutes!

"To You Alone" is a tender ballad... and I really mean it when I say "tender". The vocal melody is a little TOO mushy for my liking, but the chorus resembles a song from Paul Simon's Still Crazy After All These Years album which makes it alright in my book.

"You're My Number One" is seriously a perfect pop song. Sweet must have been extremely proud! "Girl you get me high, you make me fly, I need you right or wrong". What a REALLY good vocal melody, seriously.

I don't understand how "January" became one of the bands biggest hits when there's a good 15 other Pilot songs that would clearly fit the bill instead, but whatever. The vocal melody is really memorable and the lyrics are relatable as well.

"Bad To Me" is sort of... corny, haha. Mainly in the vocal melody the corniness is found. A song that's definitely fun though. "Dear Artist" is an extremely typical mid 70's ballad. Not necessarily a BAD thing of course, but you've heard, for example, similar piano playing countless times before. I can sense a slight Paul McCartney influence at times.

Pilot flies high again with another terrific album. When I said in my first Pilot review that it's a dog on shame many rock bands from the 70's aren't remembered anymore, I sincerely meant it. Remember Pilot, if for nothing else, their ability to create solid vocal melodies.

Although producing two very good albums, Pilot sounds to have lost the focus in this one. Despite Bairnson and Paton efforts, I had the impression that they ran out of ideas here. The songs are not as great as those from the first album and it's hard to define which direction they tried to follow.
In my opinion, "Do Me Good" is the only track worth here, but you'll find it in the re-issue of the first album, which is obviously a much better buy.
I only recommend this album for those who, like me, are really interested in having the complete discography of the band.