It was mumble mumble years ago, and I was in elementary school. We went to the planetarium around Christmas time and watched a star show set to the most incredible Christmas music I’d ever heard.
I learned later it was Manheim Steamroller. I have two of their Christmas albums (are there more?) and I know they also have other non Christmas albums. Are they as good as the Christmas ones? I think I heard somewhere Chip Davis composed the theme to NYPD Blue. Has he does anything else? Who else believes Christmas isn’t Christmas without the Manheim Steamroller renditon of Deck the Halls playing at full blast?
I was the one who locked it. I hadn’t read both threads, but saw them both in the forum thread list. Normally when I see that I lock the one with no replies and since this one had a reply already (even though it was your own), it stayed open.
Yes, Manneheim Steamroller has published several albums. Their Fresh Aire series is probably the most famous.
Unfortunately, the first 3 are out of print (at least as CDs), according the stickers I saw on them when I was at Amoeba Records in Hollywood a few weeks ago.
My favorites of those are, in no particular order, Fresh Aire III, Fresh Aire VII and Fresh Aire IV. Albums I thru IV have seasonal themes whilst VII works around the number 7 on several of its tracks. Fascinating stuff. I particularly like track 13 on VII, The 7 stars of the Big Dipper. When I need to relax, that’s the track to listen to!
Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller are featured in this weeks Oklahoma Gazette (local alternative paper). I was surprised to learn that the session musicians on C.W. McCall’s hit “Convoy” also played on some Mannheim Steamroller stuff. Testament to the versatility of good musicians. Perhaps the article is at www.okgazette.com .
I can listen to them; I’m just sort of peeved that they use electronic drums in their music, though I can understand the logic behind it to a degree.
If you like Mannheim Steamroller, you may also enjoy The Trans-Siberian Orchestra You can get samples of their music online, up to and including videos. They often start off with a fairly classical style rendition and end up transitioning into a rock-classical blend that’s pretty, well, kick ass. You can find samples here.. Be sure to check out the “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” video clip if you’ve got broadband, it’s pretty cool.
Beat me to it Mtgman, so I’ll just second the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I actually like their Christmas albums better than the Steamroller’s. Also, definitely check out “Christmas Eve: Sarajevo 12/24”.
Christmas (I refer to it as the “Black album” since it has a predominately black cover) Christmas In The Aire (the “White album”) A Fresh Aire Christmas (the “Blue album”) Christmas Extraordinaire (the “Red album”)
We just bought the complete box set of these last week. Some of my favorite tracks are:
Christmas - “Deck the Halls”, “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “Stille Nacht” Christmas In The Aire - “Jingle Bells” A Fresh Aire Christmas - “Little Drummer Boy”, “Greensleeves” and “Carol of the Bells” Christmas Extraordinaire(my favorite of the four albums) - “White Christmas”, “Faeries” (a really cool take on the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Faeries”), “Do You Hear What I Hear?” and “Auld Lang Syne”
If you ever get a chance to catch a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas concert, by all means do! We attended their show in Dallas last Christmas season and it was nothing short of magical. In fact, we were so impressed that we are driving to Oklahoma City tomorrrow so that we can see it again this year.
(I have now inserted A Fresh Aire Christmas into my CD-ROM drive for my listening pleasure!)