On Air
Alan Parsons
River North Records, 1996
REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/13/1998
Long-time readers will know that I've often said the AlanParsons Project is a band that never got their due share of famewhen they were around. The two albums we've looked at so far, Pyramid and The Turn Of A Friendly Card, all intricately weave themesinto the music without compromising the message or the music.
However, I also think that the Alan Parsons Project was just asmuch vocalist Eric Woolfson's as it was Parsons'. Parsons must haveagreed; when Woolfson departed the band earlier this decade, itceased being the "Project." And I do admit I miss hearingWoolfson's vocals -- might as well get the blunt honesty out of theway now.
But even without Woolfson, Parsons continues to make a strongcase for his music. Now relegated to a smaller label, Parsons hassacrificed nothing in his music. This is probably why his mostrecent release, On Air, is so magical to listen to; it is the naturalprogression of his music while keeping intact his complete masteryof the recording studio.
Once again, a theme ties all the music together -- this time,the theme is flight, spurred on following the "friendly fire" deathof guitarist Ian Bairnson's cousin in Iraq. (I gleam thisinformation, incidentally, from Bummy's Parsonicspage, a site I plan on checking out more when I'm not busy writingCD reviews.) The music provides a picture of man's rise and fall(no pun intended) in regards to his dreams of being able to soarwith the birds.
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