| Fresh Aire | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1, 1975 | |||
| Recorded | 1974 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 33:30 | |||
| Label | American Gramaphone | |||
| Producer | Chip Davis, Don Sears | |||
| Mannheim Steamroller chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Fresh Aire is the first album by new-age musical group Mannheim Steamroller. It was originally released in 1975.
The record was followed by seven additional albums in the Fresh Aire series. The album contains twelve tracks, each sequentially aligned with a month of the year. Each of the next three Fresh Aire albums is based upon a season, which later led to Fresh Aire's theme being reimagined as Spring. [2]
Besides the eponymous seventh tune, several of the track names are played on musical terms denoting the form of that song. The title track "Fresh Aire" is an air, "Saras Band" is a sarabande, and "Pass the Keg (Lia)" is a passacaglia. Composer Chip Davis refers to his music as "18th century rock and roll."
All tracks are written by Chip Davis.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prelude" | 1:33 |
| 2. | "Chocolate Fudge" | 2:54 |
| 3. | "Interlude I" | 2:55 |
| 4. | "Sonata" | 2:32 |
| 5. | "Interlude II" | 2:33 |
| 6. | "Saras Band" | 3:37 |
| 7. | "Fresh Aire" | 5:30 |
| 8. | "Rondo" | 2:36 |
| 9. | "Interlude III" | 2:36 |
| 10. | "Pass the Keg (Lia)" | 2:33 |
| 11. | "Interlude IV" | 2:11 |
| 12. | "Mist" | 1:47 |
| Total length: | 33:30 | |
Source: [3]
Louis F. "Chip" Davis Jr. is the founder and leader of the music group Mannheim Steamroller. Davis composed the music for several C. W. McCall albums, including the hit 1975 song "Convoy". He has also written and made other albums, such as Day Parts, and has written several books.
Mannheim Steamroller is an American neoclassical new-age music ensemble founded and directed by percussionist/composer Chip Davis in 1974. The group is known primarily for its Fresh Aire series of albums, which blend classical music with elements of new age and rock, and for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the U.S. alone.
Christmas is the first Christmas album and sixth studio album released by American musical group Mannheim Steamroller. It was the band's first album to chart on the Billboard 200 album chart, peaking at No. 50.
A Fresh Aire Christmas is the tenth studio album and second Christmas album by American musical group Mannheim Steamroller, released in 1988.
Wolf Creek Pass, The Old Home Filler-up an' Keep on a-Truckin' Cafe is the debut album by country musician C. W. McCall, released in 1975 on MGM Records. It was recorded after the success of a song included in the album, "Old Home Filler-up an' Keep on a-Truckin' Cafe", which was used in a popular television commercial that helped make McCall famous. McCall in the commercials was portrayed by a silent Jim Finlayson, with a first-person voiceover by Bill Fries; Fries, who had co-created the character with future Mannheim Steamroller founder Chip Davis, took over as the face and voice of the character with the album's release, taking on the stage name "C. W. McCall" for the rest of his life. The album concentrated predominantly on themes related to trucking, with many of them based on events in Fries' life. The album also contained the eponymous song "Wolf Creek Pass", which helped popularize the actual mountain pass itself. The actual "Old Home Filler-up an' Keep on a-Truckin' Cafe" was located in Pisgah, Iowa.
Fresh Aire II is the second album that new-age musical group Mannheim Steamroller originally released in 1977. Each of the first four Fresh Aire albums is based on a season; Fresh Aire II's theme is fall.
Fresh Aire III is the third album by the new-age musical group Mannheim Steamroller. It was originally released in 1979 on American Gramaphone. Each of the first four Fresh Aire albums is based on a season; Fresh Aire III's theme is summer. The opening track, Toccata, was played behind station IDs for OEPBS until 1986.
25 Year Celebration of Mannheim Steamroller is a two-disc anthology album released by new-age musical group Mannheim Steamroller in 1999, in honor of the group's 25th anniversary.
Fresh Aire 4 is the fourth album in new age musical group Mannheim Steamroller's Fresh Aire series. The album was originally released in 1981. Each of the first four Fresh Aire albums is based on a season; Fresh Aire 4's theme is Winter. The entire album was mixed and recorded digitally and was also one of the first CDs released.
Fresh Aire 7 was the seventh album in new age musical group Mannheim Steamroller's Fresh Aire series. The album was originally released in 1990 and peaked at #77 on the Billboard album chart in December of that year. Its theme is based on the number seven. The album won a Grammy Award for best New Age album in 1991.
Fresh Aire V is an album by Mannheim Steamroller, released in 1983. The music is inspired by Johannes Kepler's book The Dream.
Fresh Aire VI is an album by Mannheim Steamroller, released in 1986. The music is inspired by Greek mythology. The album was the band's seventh album and first Fresh Aire album to appear on the Billboard album chart, reaching #155 in January 1987.
Fresh Aire 8 is an album by Mannheim Steamroller, released in 2000. It is the final album in the Fresh Aire series and is based on the topic of infinity, with each track or suite representing a different "aspect of infinity." The tracks' topics include ancient Greek philosophy, Leonardo da Vinci, M. C. Escher's Waterfall, Mannheim Steamroller's mascot, and the Judgment of Anubis. A visual album was also released on DVD.
Saving the Wildlife is an album by Mannheim Steamroller, released in 1986. It was written for the soundtrack of a PBS special by the same name, except for "Dolphins and Whales," which originally appeared on Fresh Aire VI as "Come Home to the Sea".
Yellowstone: The Music of Nature is an album by Mannheim Steamroller, released in 1989. The concept pays homage to nature and to Yellowstone National Park. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Age Album in 1991.
To Russia with Love is a 1994 album by Mannheim Steamroller, composed for the 1994 Goodwill Games. The album was recorded in St. Petersburg Philharmonia Hall.
Jackson Berkey is an American composer, pianist and singer, best known for his work with Mannheim Steamroller, which he co-founded with Chip Davis in 1974.
Bird Song is part one of Mannheim Steamroller's three part Ambience collection. It was released in 2001 on CD & DVD by American Gramaphone and features eight bird song tracks.
Classical Gas is a 1987 album by new age group Mannheim Steamroller and guitarist/composer Mason Williams. The album's title piece, "Classical Gas", was originally featured on Williams's 1968 solo album The Mason Williams Phonograph Record.
Visual Musik was a record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. It specialized in new age music. It was founded in 1987 by Carol Davis, ex-wife of Chip Davis of Mannheim Steamroller fame. Carol Davis had previously contributed photography and visuals to several early Mannheim Steamroller albums in the Fresh Aire series, as well as other albums released under Chip Davis' American Gramaphone label.
