Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Let me provide a little context. I am an old guy, in my early 60s. I grew up with rock and have never lost my passion for it. For decades my favorite band was Yes. A number of years ago they were deposed by Mike Scott and the Waterboys. The Flower Kings had some time in the spotlight and there were probably others, like Brian Wilson and eels that hovered at or near the top. Earlier this year however I became completely besotted by Matt Bellamy and Muse. Their live CDs were incredible. I thought there would be some stability at the top of my list, but it was not to be.
I have been a big fan of Airborne since their first CD came out. I happen to regard Sometime Around Midnight as one of the top five or so songs ever put together.
Then along came this DVD. The first thing that jumps out at me about it is that the title song, All I Ever Wanted, is fully the equal of Midnight, something I never considered possible. It is poetic, gargantuan, fragile and has perhaps the greatest buildup of grandeur and passion from start to finish that I have ever heard in my life.
This DVD left me crying. It is so extraordinary, not just for the wonderful music played absolutely perfectly, but for the insight into the folks in the band. The more I learn about Mikell Jollett, the more I regard him as one of the most brilliant folks on earth. Have you ever read any of his writing? He's a magnificent writer who kind of reminds me of David Foster Wallace. He was well along writing his first novel, aided by a healthy advance from a major publishing house, when his personal life just collapsed and he decided to switch to music. In a way, their first CD can be viewed as a soundtrack for a novel, which would be a first. Mikell is very new to music, which is hard to believe. He brings a brilliant melodic sense, a great gift for lyrics, a magnificent and powerful voice, an incredibly emotional presentation and one of the greatest smiles on earth. Check out the moment when the grade school choir gets their first ovation from the audience and Mikell turns back to look at them with this amazing smile. They all seem like marvelous people and their musicianship is breathtaking, especially if you consider the Calder Quartet to be a real part of the group, which I do.
To my ears and eyes this is the most powerful and wonderful music DVD I have ever seen. It would serve as a perfect introduction to the band, which is now, I must admit, my favorite in all the world. I beg everyone reading this to check this out. YouTube has a clip up from the DVD of the band doing All I Ever Wanted. If you can resist that overwhelming piece of music, you should watch it again.
I will stop now. Enjoy.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Airborne Toxic Event: All I Ever Wanted - Live from The Walt Disney Concert Hall (2010)
Get 5% OFF
No comments:
Post a Comment