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erik neuteboom 
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
 Topic: New Don Airey album: exciting and varied prog!Posted: July 11 2008 at 14:02 |
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DON AIREY – A Light In The Sky (****)  - This new solo CD by Don Airey was recommended to me by a friend with whom I share a love for vintage keyboards. I have always been a fan of Don Airey who once joined ‘symphonic jazzrock’ formation Colosseum II, who was a guest on the interesting progressive Cozy Powell solo albums and who is nowadays a respected keyboardplayer in Deep Purple.
During my first listening session I concluded very quickly that my friend his words were true, what an exciting and varied album featuring mindblowing work on the Hammond organ and Grand piano! - As a huge fan of the very distinctive Hammond organ I was blown away by the way Don Airey let his Hammond organ moan and groan and scream during swirling solos in Ripples In The Fabric Of Time, Space Troll Patrol, Endless Night and A Light In The Sky Pt.2. But also a big hand for his vituosic work on the Grand piano like in Love You Too Much (wonderful ballad with warm vocals), Sombrero M104 (sparkling with flamenco hints), Into Orbit (swirling duet with a violin) and the strongly build-up final song Lost In The End Of Time (beautiful interplay between electric guitar and a melancholical violin). And what a variety: Rainblow-like Heavy Prog with powerful vocals in Shooting Star (Hammond sound like Jon Lord and a flashy Minimoog synthesizer solo with pitchbend) and A Light In The Sky Pt.2, ‘rockabilly’ (in the vein of The Strays Cats) with Hammond organ in Rocket To the Moon, fiery guitar with a jazzy Fender Rhodes elektric piano in Big Crunch and ambient keyboard sounds in several short songs like Big Bang, Lift Off and Metallicity. - Especially during the 12 instrumental tracks Don Airey showcases his impressive skills on a wide range of keyboards, what an exciting,well balanced and ... very progressive album! Info:
http://www.deep-purple.net/related-news/don-airey.htm  |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 11 2008 at 17:22 |
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Incredible, 5 views, the visitors on the Forum are really looking forward to a genuine progrock album! |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 11 2008 at 17:40 |
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Now 10 views, it has doubled, thanks
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NotAProghead
Special Collaborator 
Errors & Omissions Team Joined: October 22 2005 Location: Russia Status: Offline Points: 8087 |
Posted: July 11 2008 at 19:46 |
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erik, who else worked on the album (vocals, bass, drums etc)?
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Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 05:41 |
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Hello NotAProghead. Thanks for your reply, here is the line-up on the album:
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Norbert
Forum Senior Member 
Joined: October 20 2005 Location: Hungary Status: Offline Points: 2506 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 08:27 |
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This sounds good. He has played with numerous bands, including the keyboard parts on the new Judas Priest album, his solo work may be interesting.
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 08:39 |
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"His solo work may be interesting" you said Norbert, well, that's an understatement because it's
one of the best progrock efforts I have heard this month, check it out, you will not be disappointed,
not to be missed by any serious vintage keyboard aficionado
 ! |
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NotAProghead
Special Collaborator
Errors & Omissions Team Joined: October 22 2005 Location: Russia Status: Offline Points: 8087 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 08:56 |
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Thanks, erik, I see the album is already available in our local stores, I plan to purchase it.
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Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 09:00 |
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OK, good luck NotAProghead and let me know your opinion when you have purchased it
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mystic fred
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 13 2006 Location: Londinium Status: Offline Points: 4252 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 09:07 |
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i once "met " Don Airey during a music gear exhibition event, he was demonstrating Hammond organs - he was a very unassuming person, one who you would pass in the street without noticing him. his all time hero was Jimmy Smith, and his dream job was landing Deep Purple! i have much of his work on record but will definately check his solo album
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 Prog Archives Tour Van 
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 09:29 |
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That's a fine story about Don Airey, Mystic Fred, thanks. I have seen Don Airey one time on stage when he
had joined Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, I remember a great solo spot with a sensational lightshow
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 09:42 |
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He also worked with Whitesnake, pittily Whitesnake were doing junk in those moments.
If I find it I might check it, I'm a huge fan of Deep Purple, while I prefer highly Jon Lord, Don Airey is very talented too. |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 09:48 |
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Cacho, I am a huge Deep Purple fan too (in the early Seventies my first LP was 24 Carat Purple
) and I am sure you will like the new Don Airey album because at some moments he really sounds like Jon Lord, especially in the more heavy tracks. By the way, Don Airey is a master on the Minimoog synthesizer, just listen to the pitchbend driven solos on the Colosseum II albums Electric Savage and War Dance |
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member
Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 09:54 |
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Love Don's work in Deep Purple in recent years; I think he really re-energised that band myself, as Jon Lord was going through the motions a bit prior to his leaving IMHO. On the DP DVD of their 2006 set at Montreux he has a keyboard slot which is very Keith Emerson.
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 10:02 |
oh! Colosseum! I'll check them out. Oh heavy tracks? Great! My first Deep Purple album, believe it or not, was Come Taste the Band last year on my birthday, that OPENED all my mind to a new genre, I'm a huge MK 3/4 fan while I also Love MK 1 and 2(70's) I like Bananas very much, while ROTD is somewhat Retro, it has some pleasant tracks while others not. |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 12 2008 at 10:18 |
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Salmacis, I own a Deep Purple bootleg DVD (China, 2004) featuring a Don Airey solo, I will check out the DVD In Montreux you mention, thanks. And indeed, Don Airey was the right fuel after Jon Lord had left. Cacho, I use to call Colosseum II 'symphonic jazzrock', very dynamic and lots of great solo on keyboards (especially on the Minimoog) and guitar (Gary Moore!). About DP, I am still carried away by their 1971/19732 sound, as on the DVD Live In Concert 1972/1973, very pure, energetic and adventurous.
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NotAProghead
Special Collaborator
Errors & Omissions Team Joined: October 22 2005 Location: Russia Status: Offline Points: 8087 |
Posted: July 21 2008 at 19:15 |
I have mixed feelings after listening to the album.
From one hand, the album shows that Don Airey has much more to offer than it is required now from him in Deep Purple. His playing on piano, organ, and synthesizers is no doubt fantastic.
Though there are negative sides.
1. It is a concept album, but it seems to me it rather looks like the set of separate pieces. I expected to hear some leitmotif, linking them all, making something whole of them.
2. Vocals. They are good, remind me a bit of Glenn Hughes, but I'm not sure they suit good to the concept. Something mysterious and dreamy, like for instance on Omega's "Skyrover", probably could work better.
3. Lyrics, written by Don Airey. They are childish. It often happens when exceptional musicians are poor lyricists (and vice versa). Some lucky ones, like Ian Anderson, have ideal balance. I'd prefer Don Airey commited this job to someone more experienced.
Anyway thanks, erik, for recommendations. Good album to listen to from time to time.
And I wish Don Airey's colleagues from Deep Purple listen to their mate's album. I think forthcoming DP albums can only win if the band will use more musical ideas of their keyboardist. Edited by NotAProghead - July 21 2008 at 19:59 |
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Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour)
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Atavachron
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: September 30 2006 Location: Pearland Status: Offline Points: 65960 |
Posted: July 21 2008 at 19:19 |
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great Erik, I'll definitely look for it.. hey, a new prog album that's actually easy to find!
cacho; Airey was with Colosseum ll, Jon Hiseman's fantstic follow-up band to Colosseum |
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npjnpj
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 05 2007 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 2720 |
Posted: July 22 2008 at 03:44 |
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Anyone have any bootlegs of Airey during his short stint with Jethro Tull?
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: July 22 2008 at 04:11 |
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NotAProghead: thanks for your words, good analysis
and I am glad you like the album Atavachron: thanks for your post but read again Cacho his sentence about Colosseum:
"oh! Colosseum! I'll check them out." .....
 NPJNPJ: I own a Deep Purple bootleg 2004 in China featuring Don Airey but I didn't know that he had
joined Jethro Tull, thanks for the info
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New Don Airey album: exciting and varied prog!
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erik neuteboom wrote: