Search - Mannheim Steamroller :: American Spirit

Slightly Disappointing

Arthur C. Adams | Laurel, MD USA | 05/26/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"My personal experience with Mannheim Steamroller has always
been that the Fresh Aire and Christmas albums are the best
of their work, and their other albums tend to lack in
comparison.Unfortunately, this one follows that pattern. Not that its a bad album; I did enjoy listening to it.
Some of the songs, I think, appeared on some of their
other albums. Their rendition of "Fanfare for the Common
Man" sounds like every other recording of Copland's
classic I've ever heard; there's nothing at all "Steamroller"
about it. And while its amusing to see C.W. McCall and Chip Davis
"reunited after all these years", "Convoy" is available
on several compilation albums. Sure, this one is digitally
remastered, but its a novelty song from the Seventies and
hardly worthy of special treatment. The other C.W. McCall
song, "Wolf Creek Pass", is kinda cute, but nothing special.If you're a Mannheim Steamroller completist -- I am,
pretty much -- you'll want this album. But don't expect
it to be the quality of classics like my personal favorite,
Fresh Aire V."

Wait and buy this in the reduced bin.

Chris A. Bird | Montgomery, Al USA | 06/01/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have been such a fan(as are most people)of the original and exciting arrangements that Chip Davis is famous for.
This MS recording fell way short of what I have come to expect--and maybe,I was expecting too much;but when I saw the ad,I was excited to think that our American hymns were going to get that creative makeover that MS was famous for.
There are a couple of tracks that are good music but NONE are the variations that are the MH signature sound--most are the traditional tunes with a little tech-tweak.
'Fanfare...' is good but sounds like any other orchestra."Battle Hymn..." is well done but has an irritating drum cadence throughout that sounds as though the microphone was too close.
They even slipped a couple of trucker tunes in try to fill space, I guess.It would seem that there are plenty of inspirational and uplifting American tunes that would have benefited from the Chip Davis magic without needing to raid an oldies file.
Oh well," I guess that you can not hit a homerun everytime!""

CW McCall is Chip Davis

Richard Loutzenheiser | Hastings, Nebraska United States | 05/30/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Reunited again? They never were apart. If you remove the novelty songs this would be a 3 to 4 star. With them it is barely a two. Buy it used."