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Mannheim Steamroller is Awesome Jul 21, 2008
This is simply one of the best instrumentals series I have ever heard. Great Orchestral music. Definitely worth every penny.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Still a favorite Nov 09, 2005
Having grown up with Mannheim Steamroller (I'm from Omaha) I never really appreciated the sound Chip created. Now, 25 years later, I'm rediscovering the early sounds of Fresh Aire I-V. Mannheim Steamroller was a revolution back in 1977, something completly different. After writing about the four seasons Chip moved onto space. And what a journey it is! I suggest listening to Fresh Aire V while flying - puts a whole new spin of air travel. The few Christmas concerts I went to as a kid I remember seeing Mannheim Steamroller dressed in white with the Omaha Symphony in front. There was Chip at his trap set wearing white Nike's with the blue logo while everyone else wore dress shoes. And pranking Jackson Berkey with the occassional whoopey cushion. Great stuff.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
The highest of praise from a long time Mannheim fan. Oct 21, 2004
As a rule, many albums (especially new age ones) set out to tell a story through music and few ever succeed.
Fresh Aire V is a wonderful exception to this rule and maybe Chip's finest hour in the Fresh Aire series. Fresh Aire 5 tells of a trip to the moon and back . . . and it is brilliantly executed. Creatures of Levania is an incredible track that surprises at first but goes on to paint such images in your mind, you'll want to play it over and over again.
From take off to return this a wonderful ride of musical mood and composition. Simply a great album that rivals the brilliance of Fresh Aire 7.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Mannheim's masterpiece... Dec 29, 2002
Ah, Fresh Aire V--where to begin? Easily Chip Davis' (and, by extension, the Mannheim Steamroller's) best album, Fresh Aire V runs the musical gamut from its opening, inspiringly beautiful chorale, "Lumen," to the hard-hitting synthetic textures of "Escape from the Atmosphere," and touches on everything in between. With this masterstroke, Davis finally achieved what his earlier albums strove for (and what his later albums, frustratingly, consistently failed to recapture)--a seamless integration of orchestral, vocal, and synthetic textures in such a way that it all feels completely natural. Admittedly, some of the synthesizers can sound a little corny to today's ear (especially in "Dancin' in the Stars"--shades of disco, I'm afraid, but still fun to listen to). But at its highest points--particularly the 10+-minute "Escape from the Atmosphere" and the beautiful, inspiring "Earthrise/Return" sequence--Fresh Aire V is a breakthtaking success that hasn't lost any of its power with age. My advice: turn down the lights, crank up the volume, start the second track and enjoy.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Fresh Aire V: A Masterpiece Jul 31, 2002
Fresh Aire V comes out swinging. V sees the group fresh and excited about its new direction: Namely, the use of full orchestra and choir. The first four sounded like a quartet of guys and (occasionally) an ensemble of strings. Here, it feels as if Davis has adopted his own "Wall of Sound" approach (Spector, Beatles producer.) Escape from the Atmosphere, (with its choral intro Lumen) is a 10+ minute epic musical collage that mixes in old themes with their new sound. Its lively and exciting. And Davis never sounded so good on percussion. This is simply the best Fresh Aire album ever made. It is wildly ambitious, especially when compared to the modest changes in sound that Fresh Aire 4 attempted. It's also very thematically focused, much more so than any other album up to this date. Both of these things make Fresh Aire V a turning point in the Fresh Aire series, as Davis moved towards larger, orchestral sound and continually dismissed the olde-world rock sound. But unlike subsequent albums (excepting, of course, the equally brilliant Christmas 1984), V didn't completely forgo the coupling of old-world instruments with synth textures. Best of all, on V Davis maintains his genius sense of melody. All of these elements combine to make Fresh Aire V the masterpiece of the series. At times they use some dated synth effects. Also Davis rehashes more Fresh Aire II themes on this album than any other one, (and he REALLY likes his FAII themes.) But overall, it shows off a group at the height of their powers. It's an essential album.
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