Alan Parsons - On Air (1997) {Japan 1st Press}
BAND/ARTIST: Alan Parsons
- Title: On Air
- Year Of Release: 1997
- Label: Soundasia EX #XYCA-00031
- Genre: Art Rock, Progressive Rock, Space Rock, Symphonic Rock
- Quality: EAC Rip -> FLAC (Img+Cue,Log) / MP3 CBR320
- Total Time: 00:59:09
- Total Size: 361 / 143 Mb (Full Scans ~ 228 Mb)
- WebSite: Album Preview
On Air is the second solo studio album by English rock musician Alan Parsons. The album's chief creative force was the Alan Parsons Project's long-time guitarist, Ian Bairnson. Its concept revolves around the history of airborne exploration. Musically, this album is somewhat different from Try Anything Once and the Alan Parsons Project albums, opting for more of a soft rock sound and a more stable band line-up rather than the funky rhythms, symphonic flares, or rotating vocalists of the past.
The album follows the history of airborne exploration, from the mythological flight of Daedalus and Icarus to escape the labyrinth of the Minotaur in "Too Close to the Sun", through Leonardo da Vinci's search to design a flying machine, or ornithopter, in long-time Project drummer Stuart Elliott's "One Day To Fly", until finally mankind's aspirations for space exploration placed on the shoulders of a single astronaut in "So Far Away" and the subsequent superpower race to put a man on the moon in "Apollo", a track backed by John F. Kennedy's famous speech of 25 May 1961. On Air was issued as both a stereo CD and a 5.1 channel dts mix. Included with the music CD was a CD-ROM exploring the On Air theme.
With vocalists consisting of Christopher Cross, Neil Lockwood, and Steve Overland, On Air's sound is smooth and gentle but has difficulty in holding interest, and an even harder time localizing the theme. This time, Alan Parsons' concept deals with the fascination of flight and the yearning people have to become one with the sky. As beautiful and imagery-filled as this idea is, its potential never seems to get off the ground. Most of the songs on the album lack the intensity or the clout that is necessary to establish any concern for the main idea. Instead, they consist of metaphorical lyrics that go off on strange tangents, misconstrued and long-drawn-out stanzas that seem empty, and a slight pretentiousness that is usually absent from this band's material. The only association between the concept and the music is the light, breezy feel that carries each song, simulating an effortless flight through the clouds. Both instrumentals, "Apollo" and "Cloudbreak," are appealing, and capture the essence of the album more so than any of the vocally inhabited songs. "Too Close to the Sun" and "So Far Away" are the album's finer points, but even these songs fall short of the domineering style that once surrounded the Alan Parsons Project. Most of the songs contain well-established harmonies and a fair amount of guitar and keyboard mingling, but it's the lack of depth and assertiveness that holds this album back.
The album follows the history of airborne exploration, from the mythological flight of Daedalus and Icarus to escape the labyrinth of the Minotaur in "Too Close to the Sun", through Leonardo da Vinci's search to design a flying machine, or ornithopter, in long-time Project drummer Stuart Elliott's "One Day To Fly", until finally mankind's aspirations for space exploration placed on the shoulders of a single astronaut in "So Far Away" and the subsequent superpower race to put a man on the moon in "Apollo", a track backed by John F. Kennedy's famous speech of 25 May 1961. On Air was issued as both a stereo CD and a 5.1 channel dts mix. Included with the music CD was a CD-ROM exploring the On Air theme.
~ Wiki
With vocalists consisting of Christopher Cross, Neil Lockwood, and Steve Overland, On Air's sound is smooth and gentle but has difficulty in holding interest, and an even harder time localizing the theme. This time, Alan Parsons' concept deals with the fascination of flight and the yearning people have to become one with the sky. As beautiful and imagery-filled as this idea is, its potential never seems to get off the ground. Most of the songs on the album lack the intensity or the clout that is necessary to establish any concern for the main idea. Instead, they consist of metaphorical lyrics that go off on strange tangents, misconstrued and long-drawn-out stanzas that seem empty, and a slight pretentiousness that is usually absent from this band's material. The only association between the concept and the music is the light, breezy feel that carries each song, simulating an effortless flight through the clouds. Both instrumentals, "Apollo" and "Cloudbreak," are appealing, and capture the essence of the album more so than any of the vocally inhabited songs. "Too Close to the Sun" and "So Far Away" are the album's finer points, but even these songs fall short of the domineering style that once surrounded the Alan Parsons Project. Most of the songs contain well-established harmonies and a fair amount of guitar and keyboard mingling, but it's the lack of depth and assertiveness that holds this album back.
~ Mike DeGagne, All Music
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Track List:
01. Blue Blue Sky [0:01:39.45]
02. Too Close To The Sun [0:05:04.02]
03. Blown By The Wind [0:05:26.00]
04. Cloudbreak [0:04:39.65]
05. Can't Look Down [0:04:37.05]
06. Brother Up In Heaven [0:04:02.10]
07. Fall Free [0:04:22.08]
08. Apollo [0:06:05.10]
09. So Far Away [0:04:07.57]
10. One Day To Fly [0:06:19.10]
11. Blue Blue Sky [0:04:45.35]
12. Applo Ambient Mix [0:08:00.40]
Personnel:
Acoustic Guitar - Ian Bairnson (tracks: 1, 6, 11)
Bass - Ian Bairnson (tracks: 6), John Giblin (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10)
Bass [Synth] - Ian Bairnson (tracks: 4)
Bongos - Stuart Elliott (tracks: 11)
Conductor - Andrew Powell (tracks: 6, 10, 11)
Drums - Stuart Elliott (tracks: 2 to 6, 7, 9, 10)
Guitar - Ian Bairnson (tracks: 2 to 5, 7, 9, 10)
Keyboards - Alan Parsons (tracks: 2, 4, 8), Gary Sanctuary (tracks: 2 to 5, 7 to 10), Richard Cottle (tracks: 2, 5, 7, 8)
Keyboards, Drum Programming - Stuart Elliott (tracks: 8)
Orchestra - The London Philharmonic Orchestra (tracks: 6, 10, 11)
Piano - Gary Sanctuary (tracks: 6, 10)
Saxophone - Richard Cottle (tracks: 2)
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