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 A distinctive, eclectic symphony for synthesizers, drums and acoustic instruments Oct 02, 2006
A warm fireside in the dead of winter seems to be the theme for at least some of the selections on this fourth in Chip Davis' "Fresh Aire" series. At times inspired by Baroque music and instrumentations, sometimes sounding like a dated seventies or eighties TV soundtrack, and occasionally a rarified New Age-style exploration of synthesizer voices, this music is whimsical, playful, and as hard to categorize as it is to decide exactly why I like it. But I do; it's one of the first CDs I ever bought, and one of the early attempts to create a classical-popular fusion (sometimes referred to by Chip Davis as "eighteenth century rock"). "Fresh Aire IV" has, for years, continued to warm me on cold, icy days and made me smile. So I'll settle for describing each of the somewhat disparate tracks separately. "G Major Toccata" seems to be inspired by the great organ works of J.S. Bach (think "Switched-On Bach") and "Four Rows of Jacks" refers to the four rows of plectrum-bearing jacks in a harpsichord, which is showcased with delightful abandon throughout the piece. "Crystal" and "Interlude 7" are icy, minimalistic pieces representative of a crystalline night and a quiet dawn. "Red Wine" is a gentle, Greensleeves-like lute song that builds into a nicely orchestrated ensemble piece filled with courtly dignity. "Dancing Flames" is another piece that builds, not in any particularly original way, but pleasantly enough, and it features the harpsichord again--always a treat. "The Dream" is of the nervous, spacey, techno variety, as though dreamt by an astronaut who's drunk too much coffee before bedtime. "Embers" rounds out the set as a warm, wistfully romantic piano piece with strings and vocal humming in the background and eventually some ominous, deep bells chiming in, as if warning that the end is near. And so the end it comes, the way endings always do. There are many other volumes in Mannheim Steamroller's Fresh Aire series, and a good way to sample Chip Davis' work is through the two-album retrospective, "Twenty Five Year Celebration of Mannheim Steamroller." For more explorations of synthesizer timbre and texture, explore the decidedly edgier work of Tangerine Dream and Patrick O'Hearn. And for a great introduction to showy harpsichord playing of real Bach fare, give a listen to Robert Edward Smith's "Johann Sebastian Bach: Harpsichord Music in the Grand Manner."
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 An Excellent Musical Representation of Winter.... Sep 07, 2003
This is my favourite Fresh Aire album for many reasons. Unfortunately it's considered by many to be the worst installment in the Fresh Aire series mainly because of the significant and experimental use of synthesizers. I myself have a deep appreciation for synthesizers, and I feel that this album just wouldn't be the same without the use of them. The music in this album tends to intermittently send chills up my back every time I listen to it. I'll be very frank and point out that this isn't a happy depiction of winter. Every time I'm finished listening to it I feel very lonely and empty. Winter is my favourite season of the year, and a great deal of the feelings that I experience in the winter I feel again when listening to this album. I especially like the G Major Toccata piece. This piece is very powerful and the pipe organ sounds beautiful in it. For me, this album is very dream-like, and certain pieces like Crystal, and, of course, The Dream make me feel like I'm dreaming. Ultimately, I would recommend this album to everyone, and especially to those who appreciate music because of its different stories and meanings, and not just its popularity.
2 of 6 found the following review helpful:
 Leaves you feeling cold... Jul 30, 2002
Fresh Aire 4 is a step back in the Fresh Aire series in many ways. Thematically, there is little cohesiveness ("The Dream" doesnt even have a place on the album!) which makes the album sound a lot more like a collection of Fresh Aire singles than a Fresh Aire album. Fresh Aire II and III flowed remarkably well; Fresh Aire 4 didn't even attempt to build a transistion between its tracks. FA4 is the most clearly experimental of the first four releases. Whereas II and III continued to break new ground in a new genre, each adding depth in musical arrangements and the types of instruments used, 4 is less complex, and for the most part fails to blend the synth sound with the old world sound as well. Crystal and The Dream sound ridiculously dated (like something off the original Terminater soundtrack), Interlude 7 is hardly an interlude, and Embers is as cheesy as they come (and Davis KNOWS cheesy. Pick up a copy of Christmas in the Aire, and you'll know what I mean.) It's not that this album is bad. It's really not; G Major Toccata is a first for Mannheim Steamroller, and proves that classical organ can really rock. Four Rows of Jacks and Dancing Flames are both very much like Fresh Aire III's excellent Mere Image, and if not as good are comparable. Red Wine is like FAII's Toota Lute, only richer and more beautiful, thanks to a backing symphony. But if that's the best the album offers, then its hardly essential. Basically, Mannheim Steamroller has done this cd before, and much better. Despite some scattered moments, this album ultimately dissapoints. Oh, and Chip; this is the fourth album in a row to come in squarely under 35 minutes. The Steamroller, it seems, is starting to run out of steam.
Fresh, Cold Aire Mar 23, 2002
What works so well about this album is that it genuinely sounds cold. Mannheim Steamroller has always been good at evoking moods through their music, and this album truly succeeds. Surprisingly, their interpretation of Winter here is not a cozy, fuzzy, Christmassy one, but rather a harsh, lonesome one. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the album was released before their highly successful Christmas series even began. The one track that stands as an exception to this is "Red Wine," which definitely captures a Christmas feel, and admittedly "borrows" from "Greensleeves." The final track, "Embers" is interesting for two reasons: First, as another reviewer pointed out, its melody is used on Steamroller's version of Silent Night, but even more interesting than that is that the melody is identical to a song from Fresh Aire I (Just play Sara's Band slower, and you'll see what I mean.)
The highlights of the album are Dancing Flames, Red Wine, G-Major Toccata and Four Rows of Jacks... all memorable pieces and great to listen to over and over. Unfortunately, the rest of the album is largely filler. Crystal and Interlude are both effective at creating a mood, but are ultimately boring pieces. The Dream is a very Avante-Garde, experimental piece. It's okay, but not really what you want when you buy a Steamroller album. Still, the good tracks more than make up for the lackluster ones.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Great Jan 02, 2001
(Recently I posted a reveiw for the wrong album here, if it gets posted, i am very sorry for any confusion) The forth album is some of their best work. Opening with an Organ toccata, then slowly moving to the erie sounds of the wind. The fast pace of "Four Rows of Jacks" wakes the listener up (the first time I listened to it, it scared me to death). The album ends with a nice peaceful song, which the end of it is used in Mannheim Steamroller's version of "Silent Night".
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