RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Planetary Unfolding – Michael Stearns
This is quite unlike any other album that I have listened to before, which is a great plus for this thread, so thanks for nominating it @GoatersLeftShin.
The tone of this album reminded me of the “Space Intro” piece that immediately precedes the song “Fly Like An Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band. I like songs like this, a bit of spacey keyboards that form the backdrop onto which the band add bass, drums, vocals and some nice guitar solos. Obviously, this album doesn’t have any guitars, drums or bass, and there are only limited vocals, so at times, it feels like I’m listening to the early development of an album where the engineer is tracking the basics before the other elements have been added.
Yet whilst it feels like there’s something missing, I quite enjoyed the experience. I actually listened to the album three times through, twice on headphones and once through the desktop speakers. It’s no surprise to find out that Michael Stearns composes soundtracks for films and documentaries – whether it is a film about space exploration, animals out in the desert or some deep ocean dive, this music would fit the bill perfectly against the backdrop of an IMAX screen.
Despite the “spaciness” of it all, I found the music very warm and organic. I’m not sure how much I’ll listen again in the future, but I certainly enjoyed it more than I expected, so I’ll give it a 7/10.
As the middle of my own leaderboard is now congested with 6s and 7s, I’ll say that only the Led Zeppelin and Oasis albums are ranked higher for the albums that I’ve rated on this thread.
This is quite unlike any other album that I have listened to before, which is a great plus for this thread, so thanks for nominating it @GoatersLeftShin.
The tone of this album reminded me of the “Space Intro” piece that immediately precedes the song “Fly Like An Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band. I like songs like this, a bit of spacey keyboards that form the backdrop onto which the band add bass, drums, vocals and some nice guitar solos. Obviously, this album doesn’t have any guitars, drums or bass, and there are only limited vocals, so at times, it feels like I’m listening to the early development of an album where the engineer is tracking the basics before the other elements have been added.
Yet whilst it feels like there’s something missing, I quite enjoyed the experience. I actually listened to the album three times through, twice on headphones and once through the desktop speakers. It’s no surprise to find out that Michael Stearns composes soundtracks for films and documentaries – whether it is a film about space exploration, animals out in the desert or some deep ocean dive, this music would fit the bill perfectly against the backdrop of an IMAX screen.
Despite the “spaciness” of it all, I found the music very warm and organic. I’m not sure how much I’ll listen again in the future, but I certainly enjoyed it more than I expected, so I’ll give it a 7/10.
As the middle of my own leaderboard is now congested with 6s and 7s, I’ll say that only the Led Zeppelin and Oasis albums are ranked higher for the albums that I’ve rated on this thread.