Track Listings
| 1. Chorale |
| 2. First Door |
| 3. Second Door |
| 4. Third Door |
| 5. Fourth Door |
| 6. Fifth Door |
| 7. Sixth Door |
| 8. Door Seven |
| 9. Fantasy |
| 10. Interlude V |
| 11. Velvet Tear |
| 12. Shade Tree |
| 13. Toota Lute |
| 14. Going to Another Place |
Fresh Aire II,Mannheim Steamroller,American Gramaphone,Adult Alternative,Jazz Music,Neo-Classical,New Age / Meditation,Progressive Electronic
Fresh Aire II
Average customer rating: 
|
Fresh Aire II
Mannheim Steamroller Manufacturer: American Gramaphone ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
| New Age
| Styles
| Music
Meditation
| New Age
| Styles
| Music
General
| Easy Listening
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Adult Alternative
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Electronic
| Progressive
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B00004WFMO Release Date: 2000-09-12 |
Tracks:
Customer Reviews:
Mannheim Steamroller rocks with second Season.......2006-07-27
"Free Flight of Fancy".......2004-03-08
The remaining five pieces stand very well on their own. A combination of acoustic and electronic that can't help but appeal to the ear. This a a more introspective set, starting out with Interlude V, which is a ostensible a melody over arpeggios with some interesting effects in the bass line.
Velvet Tear is piano over strings. A lush and romantic performance that suits its title. There's a bit of a touch of music to it, but one doesn't mind. It brings up all those classic romantic images of Victorian parlours and staring at the rain.
I found shade Tree interesting because of the use of a heavily plucked steel guitar to strike a contrast with what is otherwise a very contemplative and melodic piece.
Toota Lute is a return to the rhythmic dance music of the Renaissance. It used the interplay between two very distinct instruments (I suspect lute and classic guitar), strings, and recorder.
Going to another place is a classic finale, starting out on dulcimer and then setting up a groove and wandering all over in a style that's hard to describe, other than eclectic, toe-tapping and good.
I think this is probably my favorite of the various efforts by Mannheim Steamroller - a perfect expression of their crossover styling of ancient and modern music. Don Sears, Jackson Berkey, Eric Hansen, Chip Davis (and a vast cast of supporting musicians) manage the kind of creativity that makes the album both easy to listen to and memorable at the same time. The kind of album you keep near the CD player.
brings back memories.......2004-01-25
So when I hear this album, it takes me back to my childhood, and my parents with their "rock" music.
Fresh Aire 2 is also,in my opinion, the best of the Fresh Aire series, but again, I may be a little biased...
Fresh Aire II: Even today one of the best.......2002-07-31
More than any other Mannheim Steamroller album, Fresh Aire II's production is geared towards records. Side A (the Fantasy; tracks 1-8) clearly belongs together, and is quite separate in feel and approach from Side B. It develops the theme of an epic battle, which is almost biblical in proportions (complete with a holy "Army of Pride" chasing away hosts of demons!). This sounds overwhelming, but actually it's completely in line with Chip's irrelevant approach; The music is delivered with amusement and a good-natured sense of melody. Indeed, the idea of "Fantasy" seems more likely a reason to experiment with grandiose textures than an actual classical-rock opera. The only drawback to this approach is that almost all of the "7 doors" tracks clock in around 2 minutes, and being so good, that just isn't enough time to satisfy the listener. (Don't worry too much though; like I mentioned before Davis' particularly likes these themes and rehashes them many times in subsequent releases.)
Side B doesn't quite measure up to the first side. Interlude V, Velvet Tear, and A Shade Tree are all very tender and beautiful songs, but placed together don't feel varied enough. Toota Lute and Going to Another Place pick up a bit, with the latter being a perfect closer; it's an upbeat, nostalgic version of the Fantasy theme. Altogether Side B's lack of cohesion makes it feel a bit like "the songs that didn't make it into the Fantasy cut." Despite that, there is not a throwaway song on the entire recording (which totals a fairly brisk 35 minutes.)
Fresh Aire may have introduced "classical rock," but II is easily the better recording, and showed that Mannheim Steamroller's pioneering sound wasn't a 70's experiment, but truly timeless.
Still one of the best.......2002-02-23
The concept may be too "new agey" for some. The first half of the album is presented as though you are standing in an arena of sorts, and various doors surrounding you are opening and revealing different emotions. For example, when Door #4 (track 4) opens, you're supposed to feel relaxed, hence the quiet nature of that piece. When Door #5 opens, there's a sense of "frenetic energy," and the music is appropriately upbeat. Yes, it's a corny ploy, and I'm not sure how it fits the concept of Fall that this album is supposedly built around, but the music is good regardless.
Much of the music makes use of Baroque instruments-- harpsichords, recorders, trumpets, etc... but quite often arranged in a modern style. This has been a hallmark of Chip Davis' composition in the early part of the Fresh Aire series, and it works particularly well here.
Average customer rating:
|
Fresh Aire II
Mannheim Steamroller Manufacturer: American Gramaphone ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
| Jazz
| Styles
| Music
General
| New Age
| Styles
| Music
Meditation
| New Age
| Styles
| Music
Adult Alternative
| Pop
| Styles
| Music
Electronic
| Progressive
| Rock
| Styles
| Music
Similar Items:
ASIN: B0000005LT Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
Tracks:
Customer Reviews:
Mannheim Steamroller rocks with second Season.......2006-07-27
"Free Flight of Fancy".......2004-03-08
The remaining five pieces stand very well on their own. A combination of acoustic and electronic that can't help but appeal to the ear. This a a more introspective set, starting out with Interlude V, which is a ostensible a melody over arpeggios with some interesting effects in the bass line.
Velvet Tear is piano over strings. A lush and romantic performance that suits its title. There's a bit of a touch of music to it, but one doesn't mind. It brings up all those classic romantic images of Victorian parlours and staring at the rain.
I found shade Tree interesting because of the use of a heavily plucked steel guitar to strike a contrast with what is otherwise a very contemplative and melodic piece.
Toota Lute is a return to the rhythmic dance music of the Renaissance. It used the interplay between two very distinct instruments (I suspect lute and classic guitar), strings, and recorder.
Going to another place is a classic finale, starting out on dulcimer and then setting up a groove and wandering all over in a style that's hard to describe, other than eclectic, toe-tapping and good.
I think this is probably my favorite of the various efforts by Mannheim Steamroller - a perfect expression of their crossover styling of ancient and modern music. Don Sears, Jackson Berkey, Eric Hansen, Chip Davis (and a vast cast of supporting musicians) manage the kind of creativity that makes the album both easy to listen to and memorable at the same time. The kind of album you keep near the CD player.
brings back memories.......2004-01-25
So when I hear this album, it takes me back to my childhood, and my parents with their "rock" music.
Fresh Aire 2 is also,in my opinion, the best of the Fresh Aire series, but again, I may be a little biased...
Fresh Aire II: Even today one of the best.......2002-07-31
More than any other Mannheim Steamroller album, Fresh Aire II's production is geared towards records. Side A (the Fantasy; tracks 1-8) clearly belongs together, and is quite separate in feel and approach from Side B. It develops the theme of an epic battle, which is almost biblical in proportions (complete with a holy "Army of Pride" chasing away hosts of demons!). This sounds overwhelming, but actually it's completely in line with Chip's irrelevant approach; The music is delivered with amusement and a good-natured sense of melody. Indeed, the idea of "Fantasy" seems more likely a reason to experiment with grandiose textures than an actual classical-rock opera. The only drawback to this approach is that almost all of the "7 doors" tracks clock in around 2 minutes, and being so good, that just isn't enough time to satisfy the listener. (Don't worry too much though; like I mentioned before Davis' particularly likes these themes and rehashes them many times in subsequent releases.)
Side B doesn't quite measure up to the first side. Interlude V, Velvet Tear, and A Shade Tree are all very tender and beautiful songs, but placed together don't feel varied enough. Toota Lute and Going to Another Place pick up a bit, with the latter being a perfect closer; it's an upbeat, nostalgic version of the Fantasy theme. Altogether Side B's lack of cohesion makes it feel a bit like "the songs that didn't make it into the Fantasy cut." Despite that, there is not a throwaway song on the entire recording (which totals a fairly brisk 35 minutes.)
Fresh Aire may have introduced "classical rock," but II is easily the better recording, and showed that Mannheim Steamroller's pioneering sound wasn't a 70's experiment, but truly timeless.
Still one of the best.......2002-02-23
The concept may be too "new agey" for some. The first half of the album is presented as though you are standing in an arena of sorts, and various doors surrounding you are opening and revealing different emotions. For example, when Door #4 (track 4) opens, you're supposed to feel relaxed, hence the quiet nature of that piece. When Door #5 opens, there's a sense of "frenetic energy," and the music is appropriately upbeat. Yes, it's a corny ploy, and I'm not sure how it fits the concept of Fall that this album is supposedly built around, but the music is good regardless.
Much of the music makes use of Baroque instruments-- harpsichords, recorders, trumpets, etc... but quite often arranged in a modern style. This has been a hallmark of Chip Davis' composition in the early part of the Fresh Aire series, and it works particularly well here.
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