Artist: DON AIREY [DEEP PURPLE]
Album: A LIGHT IN THE SKY (CD)

Release date: 2008
Media type: CD

Just imagine the super intelligent, but impressively depressed, Marvin The Paranoid Droid from Douglas Adams’ "Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy" book, playing keyboards in a Hard Rock band. Maybe then you can understand the musical wonder that Don Airey is.

After participating in a great number of projects as a session musician, he succeeded the mighty John Lord as full time keyboardist of DEEP PURPLE in 2002. Airey’s work speaks for itself with a huge list of artists and bands like Andrew Lloyd Webber, JETHRO TULL, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, JUDAS PRIEST, U.F.O., TEN, Bruce Dickinson, Brian May, Cozy Powell and many, many more. My all time favorite Airey’s moments are in "1987" by WHITESNAKE, "After The War" by Gary Moore and of course the legendary keyboard intro of "Mr. Crowley" from Ozzy Osbourne’s "Blizzard Of Ozz" that Airey contributes his wisdom and wonderful mood.

"A Light In The Sky" is Airey’s solo release that finally gives to an artist of this magnitude, the freedom to experiment and the power to handle the final result. This album has a variation of musical styles, from electronic synth sounds, to Fusion Jazz (which has the main role in "A Light In The Sky") and classic Rock songs that can move the average rocker. Airey transfers his experience and his musical legacy to this work.

The songs are mainly instrumental creations with Rock and Fusion Jazz directions, the use of the violin as a solo instrument in specific songs makes the arrangements sound really great in my ear from the first time. The extent soloing of the keyboards many times as Hammond organ or and other moments as atmospheric synth pads or piano, is something you expect from the solo album of Don Airey, but still he demonstrates beautifully his abilities without boring the ear of the average listener.

The songs that anyone would notice from the fist listening are the old school rocker "Shooting Star" with obvious the DEEP PURPLE influence in the sound, and the melodic sentimental ballad "Love You Too Much" that takes you on a romantic journey to the outer space through love. Generally this album is all about space, constellation and far away planets. I think that you need to read "Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy" first, just to take a hint.

A bunch of amazing musicians from the Hard Rock business teamed up to aid Airey’s space traveling "A Light In The Sky". Danny Bowes, Harry James, and Chris Childs from THUNDER, Darrin Mooney (Gary Moore, PRIMAL SCREAM), Carl Sentence (KROKUS, Geezer Butler, TOKYO ROSE) and Laurence Cottle (ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, Eric Clapton, Brian Eno) came to add their final touch on this album.

When the famous Don Airey, releases a solo album, its big news for the Hard Rock music community. If you want a ticket for a unique musical journey through space there is your chance my friends, "A Light In The Sky" is already out.

TRACKLIST:

01 Big Bang
02 Ripples In The Fabric Of Time
03 Shooting Star
04 Space Troll Patrol
05 Andromeda M31
06 Endless Night
07 Rocket To the Moon
08 Lift Off
09 Love You Too Much
10 Cartwheel ESO 350-40
11 Sombrero M104
12 Into Orbit
13 A Light In The Sky Pt.2
14 Pale Blue Dot
15 Metallicity
16 Big Crunch
17 Lost In The End Of Time

LINE-UP:

Don Airey - Keyboards
Danny Bowes - Vocals
Carl Sentance - Vocals
Laurence Cottle - Bass
Chris Childs - Bass
Darrin Mooney - Drums
Harry James - Drums, Vocals
Rob Harris - Guitar
Lidia Baich - Violin