 |  | Music for the celestial realm |  |
This is the CD I have with me when I fly, because the music on it feels so right, the perfect complement to the clouds. From the opening piece on the album, you are transported. You look out the window of the airplane, and the music flows like a movie script. The first time I listened to it airborne, the cumulus clouds were several hundred feet in the air,and it felt like Mr Arkenstone had composed the music especially for my flight.
It's clear that Arkenstone spent a great deal of time looking up at the sky while he was composing this work. Some of it - if not all - was written in honour of his mother, who must have made a hugely positive impact on his life to have had this music created with her in mind. The music is atmospheric in the extreme, with airy voices in the lyrical songs and twinkling stars clearly painted in the instrumental pieces.
David Arkenstone is one of my favourite composer/musicians (he plays about any instrument known to man) and this album, which I come back to time and again, is my favourite flight music. It is soothing, imaginative, lulling; I intend to have it with me on a long transoceanic flight I am taking soon, and it doesn't get stale either. Beautiful, blue, radiant star/cloud/skyscapes, to illustrate your dreams and imaginings. One of his best.
July 6, 2008Another Star in the Sky is David Arkenstone's sixth full-length album. It was released in 1994. There are ten compositions; three of these feature lead vocals from Arkenstone--"Far Far Away," "Voices of the Night," and "Taken by the Wind." The material is in a New Age musical direction. I like all of the tracks. Overall, the musicianship is gratifying and the sound quality is pleasing. My favorite pieces are "Far Far Away," "Voices of the Night," "Another Star in the Sky," and "Taken by the Wind." The serene, ethereal "Far Far Away" presents nice, ambient vocals from Arkenstone. The pretty "Voices of the Night" displays airy, charming singing and appealing fretless bass guitar playing from Arkenstone. "Another Star in the Sky" is an admirable composition that exhibits memorable piano work from Arkenstone. On the catchy "Taken by the Wind," a smooth and enjoyable job is done by Arkenstone with the vocals, the keyboard work, and the fretless bass guitar--there is also a notable, attractive refrain. Arkenstone is a talented composer, arranger, and musician; I like how he incorporates different instruments--orchestral and exotic, for example--into his work. His music has a lushness and earthiness that impresses me. The CD packaging includes an essay written by Arkenstone, the song lyrics, and several illustrations; also, there are some graphics behind the CD tray. The disc is just over 51 minutes. Another Star in the Sky is a recommendable album.
July 13, 2004This recording stands out from David Arkenstone's previous works in two notable ways. First is the addition of lyrics. David has written words for and performs vocals on three of the tracks. While they're not epic poetry, they do compliment the music and provide nice imagery. Second, the tone of the album as a whole is shifted a little more into a "minor key". Earlier albums included some playful tracks such as "Hindu Holiday" from Island or "Dances of Jankayla" from In The Wake Of The Wind. But as this was inspired by the passing of his mother, the pieces David wrote for this one are more contemplative, almost nostalgic. That's not to say they're swamped in moroseness; far from it. In fact the final track "Ride into Midnight" has a sense of urgency that develops through the whole piece, propelling it forward into that starlit night and has become one of my favorite songs.
Overall, the wondeful blend of acoustic instruments, synthesized sounds and simple vocals makes this an excellent CD. July 9, 2004
Gotta give Dave a huge standing ovation. He was into heavy metal and all the perks that came living in that environment. When he found out his Mother was dying... got together with friends and wrote/recorded this album to dedicate to his Mom. It is awesome just listening via speakers but do yourself a favor and kickback and use headphones. He has come a long way and continues to entertain us with his unique new age music. Read the flyer and listen... have a box of kleenex. Hurray to Dave...I'm sure his Mother is the Star in the Sky protecting him.
November 29, 2001I have just listened to Ray Lynch and I am a big enya fan. I also love cusco. I saw a coment here about this guy playing 40 instruments. If Someone can say that thats really good because this stuffis mostly computer synthed in whats called a tracker. However trackers can sound real. I love modern techno and rave music as well, I would not recommend this as much as I would enya, but it is deffiantly worth it. Also, the cover art is neat.
December 1, 2000More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(12 reviews)
