2bitnogoodjive Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 A Shining Light! A review of Don Airey’s solo album, A Light In The Sky By: Brent A. Soileau I was wondering what to expect from Don Airey after 1987’s K2, and I can say that Don’s new solo album, A Light In The Sky, is another wonderful, thoughtful concept album, this time exploring Don’s interest in all things cosmic. Aptly book ended with “The Big Bang,” the creation of our universe, and “The Big Crunch,” wherein this universe collapses in upon itself; the ultimate fate of this universe and probably the birth of another, the new album explores the mysteries, intrigue, allure, surrealism, and loneliness of space in all its vastness.The music contained on the cd is equal to the ambition and broad scope of its concept. Don’s primary instrument on this album is his majestic A100 Hammond organ. However, he also gives his grand piano, Fender Rhodes, and Moog synthesizers a thorough workout as well. The proceedings are brilliantly augmented by crunchy guitar riffs and leads courtesy of Jamiroquai’s Rob Harris, fluid, jazzy bass lines by Laurence Cottle (Black Sabbath, Iommi) and Chris Childs (Thunder), strident vocals by Carl Sentance (Krokus, Geezer Butler Band) and Danny Bowes (Thunder), solid drumming from Primal Scream’s Darrin Mooney and Thunder’s Harry James, and some amazing violin work by the lovely Lidia Baich, whom some fans were lucky enough to see perform with Deep Purple last year. These stellar musicians prove themselves to be up to the task and if you’ve ever seen Don Airey in concert, you will hear that much of the album captures the vitality, immediacy, and urgency of a live performace.With massive, steamy organ riffs thrusting like huge rocket engines throughout, Deep Purple fans will certainly be pleased with this album. The guitar work and sailing vocals are sure to please all rock fans as well. But this album goes deeper. Beautiful, thoughtful piano passages and melodies abound throughout. You will also find pulsating, jazz-driven tunes like “Space Troll Patrol” and “Sombrero M104,” and even a bit of whimsy doo-wop jazz in “Rocket to the Moon” juxtaposed against the earth shattering ignition of a launching rocket engine. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the romantic meeting of piano and violin on the strikingly beautiful and dramatic “Into Orbit.” There are times on this album that you can find yourself transported by the music from a tight, claustrophobic organ riff and exploded suddenly into a sparkling, wide-open musical vista, like being thrown from a spiraling cosmic wormhole into a brilliant new universe waiting to be explored.Make no mistake, A Light In The Sky is an album that packs a musical and conceptual wallop. It can take you from the feeling of a silly 1950’s sci-fi rocketship movie to pondering the melancholy and unthinkable distances of endless space. Don’s solos, whether on Hammond, synth, or piano are powerful and absolutely breathtaking. They will reach inside and move the passion of the music lover and rock fan. It’s not for nothing this man is called the magician of the keys! Twenty-one years is a long time between solo albums, but Don Airey’s A Light In The Sky is worth the wait! Buy it at: www.donairey.com Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...pf_rd_i=468294 Discography 1974 - Cozy Powell - "Na Na Na" (single) 1976 - Babe Ruth - Kid's Stuff 1976 - Colosseum II - Strange New Flesh 1977 - Colosseum II - Electric Savage 1977 - Colosseum II - War Dance 1977 - Andrew Lloyd Webber - Variations 1978 - Jim Rafferty - Don't Talk Back 1978 - Strife - Back to Thunder 1978 - Black Sabbath - Never Say Die! 1979 - Gary Moore - Back on the Streets 1979 - Rainbow - Down to Earth 1979 - Cozy Powell - Over the Top 1980 - Michael Schenker - The Michael Schenker Group 1980 - Bernie Marsden - And About Time Too 1981 - Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz 1981 - Cozy Powell - Tilt 1981 - Rainbow - Difficult to Cure 1981 - Rainbow - Final Vinyl (compilation album - 1986) 1982 - Gary Moore - Corridors of Power 1982 - Gary Moore - Rockin' Every Night 1983 - Ozzy Osbourne - Bark at the Moon 1984 - Gary Moore - Dirty Fingers 1985 - Alaska - The Pack 1985 - Phenomena - Phenomena 1985 - Gary Moore - Run For Cover 1986 - Zeno - Zeno 1987 - Thin Lizzy - Soldier of Fortune (compilation) 1987 - Whitesnake - Whitesnake 1987 - Wild Strawberries - Wild Strawberries 1988 - Fastway - Bad Bad Girls 1988 - Jethro Tull - 20 Years of Jethro Tull 1989 - Don Airey - K2 1989 - Gary Moore - After the War 1989 - Whitesnake - Slip of the Tongue 1990 - Perfect Crime - Blond on Blonde 1990 - Jagged Edge - You Don't Love Me 1990 - Judas Priest - Painkiller 1990 - Forcefield - IV - Let the Wild Run Free 1990 - Tigertailz - "Love Bomb Baby" 1992 - Cozy Powell - Let the Wild Run Free 1992 - UFO - High Stakes and Dangerous Men 1992 - Anthem - Domestic Booty 1992 - Kaizoku - Kaizoku 1993 - Brian May - Back to the Light 1994 - Graham Bonnet - Here Comes the Night 1994 - The Kick - Tough Trip Thru Paradise 1994 - Gary Moore - Still Got the Blues 1994 - Katrina and the Waves - Turnaround 1997 - Quatarmass II - Long Road 1997 - Glen Tipton - Baptizm of Fire 1998 - Colin Blunstone - The Light 1998 - Crossbones - Crossbones 1998 - The Cage - The Cage 1998 - Olaf Lenk - Sunset Cruise 1998 - Eddie Hardin - Wind in the Willows (live) 1998 - The Snakes - Live in Europe 1999 - Millennium - Millennium 2000 - Micky Moody - I Eat Them for Breakfast 2000 - Silver - Silver 2000 - Uli Jon Roth - Transcendental Sky Guitar 2000 - Olaf Lenk's F.O.O.D. - Fun Stuff 2000 - Ten - Babylon AD 2000 - Company of Snakes - Burst The Bubble 2001 - Mario Fasciano - E-Thnic 2001 - Judas Priest - Demolition 2001 - Silver - Dream Machines 2001 - Rolf Munkes' Empire - Hypnotica 2001 - Company of Snakes - Here They Go Again 2002 - Metalium - Hero Nation Chapter Three 2002 - Bernie Marsden - Big Boy Blue 2002 - Bruce Dickinson - Tattooed Millionaire 2002 - Rolf Munkes' Empire - Trading Souls 2003 - Deep Purple - Bananas 2003 - Living Loud - Living Loud 2003 - Silver - Intruder 2005 - Deep Purple - Rapture of the Deep 2006 - Gary Moore - Old New Ballads Blues 2008 - A Light in the Sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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