Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (08/30/89)
Really-From: Randall Knowles Smith <rs5o+@andrew.cmu.edu> ...has put out 6 albums, called, enterprisingly enough, Fresh Aire I-VI. V and VI are my favorites, although there is a lot to be said for IV. They've also put out an album called "Classical Gas" and a collection of redone Christmas carols. The Christmas music is GREAT stuff for parties around that time, as it is unusual, excellently done, and appropriate. Be the next cool cat on your block. They do sound very electronically classical, to start a phrase. Very good music to study by. The Christmas album is called, I think, "A Mannheim Steamroller Christmas." The albums all list Chip Davies as director/producer, I believe. BTW, has anyone figured out who will be the first to hear "The Sensual World?" With a release date of Oct. 16, are there some people who'll take advantage of the dateline to get it soonest? Perhaps a contest to see you can get the song titles published in love-hounds first...or the entire lyrics? (I understand that the smart money is on IED, who must be able to type 100 wpm in order to publish on the net in the volume he does.) Just a thought, Randy Smith Student-at-large, but I'm on a diet. rs5o+@andrew.cmu.edu
Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (08/30/89)
Really-From: Gary L Dare <gld@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu> In article <Added.QYymDQi00UkT4ZFk4R@andrew.cmu.edu> Randy Smith wrote: >...has put out 6 albums, called, enterprisingly enough, Fresh Aire I-VI. >They've also put out an album called "Classical Gas" and a collection >of redone Christmas carols. You're not going to believe this (I didn't at first reading), but the guy behind MH is the same one who issued the single "Convoy" under the name C.W. McCall (i.e., Chip Davis) and started the whole truckers and CB radio craze of the mid-70's. My only references are from Toronto Star and NOW magazine, as well as mentionings in Rec.music.misc and Rec.music.cd . . . -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Je me souviens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gary L. Dare Quebec Elections, 25 Sept.: > gld@cunixd.cc.columbia.EDU Vote for the Rhino Party! > gld@cunixc.BITNET Votons le Parti Rhino!!
Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (08/30/89)
Really-From: Lazlo Nibble <csbrkaac@ariel.unm.edu>
Mannheim Steamroller is the cornerstone of a smallish independent record
label over here in the US called American Gramaphone. The label got its
start in the mid-to-late '70s with a series of audiophile-quality LP
releases that were sold mainly through record stores as demo disks; the
single most successful of these albums was one called "Fresh Aire" by
a band called Mannheim Steamroller.
Released in 1975, "Fresh Aire" blended classical forms with a mix of
contemporary and traditional instrumentation (read: piano,
harpsichords, horns, and strings meet synths and drumkits) to produce
an early precursor to much of the New Age music of today. Composer
Chip Davis is the core of MS, writing all the material. And yes, he is
the guy behind C.W. McCall of "Convoy" fame.
Over the years American Gramaphone has diversified its catalog somewhat,
but Mannheim Steamroller (and more recently, the band's attendant
paraphenelia) are still the centerpiece of the label. Each of Mannheim
Steamroller's albums is linked to a theme, making them instrumental
concept albums in a way. Here's what they have out:
FRESH AIRE
Topic: Spring
FRESH AIRE II
Topic: Fall
FRESH AIRE III
Topic: Summer. Their strongest album, in my opinion,
with a very baroque sound in places.
FRESH AIRE IV
Topic: Winter
FRESH AIRE INTERLUDES
A re-recorded collection of softer pieces from the early
albums, with an environmental twist. Quite soothing and
pleasant.
FRESH AIRE V
A fascinating album, taking on the theme of Johannes
Kepler's early writings on possible travel to the
moon.
FRESH AIRE VI
Based on themes of greek mythology.
THE MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS
The single best album of Christmas music, ever.
"A FRESH AIRE CHRISTMAS"
A close second.
SAVING THE WILDLIFE
Soundtrack to a public-television special.
CLASSICAL GAS
With Mason Williams
If you can't get these CDs in Scotland (not an unlikely prospect) then you
may have to write to the label:
Mail Order Department
American Gramaphone Records
9130 Mormon Bridge Road
Omaha, Nebraska 68152
This stuff is definitely NOT bombastic '70s symphonic rock, but if you
haven't heard it yourself, it's hard to understand exactly what it *is*.
Not to everyone's tastes, but worth a listen. For the new listener, I'd
strongly recommend Fresh Aire III first, followed probably by the first
Christmas album and then Fresh Aire V. A word of warning, though: these
are short albums, virtually all in the under-forty-minute range.
Lazlo (csbrkaac@ariel.unm.edu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"No Pimento Loaf!" -- Lunchmeat McBarcode's Guide to LovingLove-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (08/30/89)
Really-From: rpandey@mist.cs.orst.edu (Rajeev Pandey) Randall Knowles Smith <rs5o+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes: > ...has put out 6 albums, called, enterprisingly enough, Fresh Aire I-VI. > They've also put out an album called "Classical Gas" and a collection > of redone Christmas carols. The Christmas music is GREAT stuff for parties : > to start a phrase. Very good music to study by. The Christmas album is > called, I think, "A Mannheim Steamroller Christmas." The albums all list > Chip Davies as director/producer, I believe. Actually, Mannheim Steamroller has put out *2* Christmas albums, the first showing up in my database as "Christmas" (I don't have it on hand). They have also put out an album by the name of "Saving the Wildlife", a soundtrack to a PBS special by the same name about endangered species. Gary L Dare <gld@cunixd.cc.columbia.edu> writes: > You're not going to believe this (I didn't at first reading), but the > guy behind MH is the same one who issued the single "Convoy" under the > name C.W. McCall (i.e., Chip Davis) and started the whole truckers and > CB radio craze of the mid-70's. Yep, one and the same. He is also (I seem to recall) part owner of American Gramaphone, the label that has put out all of the Mannheim Steamroller albums......speaking of C.W. McCall, has anyone _ever_ seen a CD of his? I would love to get anything by him on the digital medium....... I can't wait for the 16th of October......... -------- Dept. of Computer Science | Rajeev "Raju" Pandey Computer Science Bldg. 100 | Oregon State University | Internet: rpandey@cs.orst.edu Corvallis, OR 97331-3902 | UUCP: tektronix!orstcs!rpandey (503) 754-3273 U.S.A. | UUCP: hplabs!hp-pcd!orstcs!rpandey
Love-Hounds-request@GAFFA.MIT.EDU (08/30/89)
Really-From: tynor%pyr@gatech.edu (Steve Tynor) In article <Added.QYymDQi00UkT4ZFk4R@andrew.cmu.edu> Love-Hounds@GAFFA.MIT.EDU writes: >Really-From: Randall Knowles Smith <rs5o+@andrew.cmu.edu> >...has put out 6 albums, called, enterprisingly enough, Fresh Aire I-VI. >V and VI are my favorites, although there is a lot to be said for IV. Actually, I like the first three better. The Fresh Aire series started out sounding like Jazz Chamber music and has changed in to Symphonic fluff. My recommendations: Fresh Aire III as a intro to Mannheim Steamroller, then (if you like it), follow it up with II, then I. IV has a good pipe organ tune (an organ, drum duet), but the rest is pretty dull (IMHO). Same goes for V and VI... =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether. Steve Tynor Georgia Tech Research Institute tynor@gitpyr.gatech.edu