1.) “Big Bang” - Instrumental
2.) “Ripples In The Fabric Of Time” – Instrumental
3.) “Shooting Star” – Carl Sentence sings the lead vocals for this song. The first three notes of this pre-intro was a keyboard chord that Don played with his left hand one type of keyboard and his right hand on a different one. Yes I know with today’s keyboard technology he could have done with just one. After those three notes Don drops one hand and just kind of plays a small Jon Lord influenced keyboard riff. As the riff progresses it trails off to a hi-hat and vocal count off. The first two measures of main intro consisted of only keyboards and hi-hat. On Deep Purple’s –‘Inside Deep Purple’s - Machine Head’ Ritchie Blackmore states that the classic “Smoke On The Water” guitar riff that everyone learns is actually Jon Lord on keyboards. If you’re still a disbeliever just take a listen to Don’s keyboard riff and sound on the main intro of this track. After one measure of keyboards and hi-hat there is a small vocal accent that kicks the drum rhythm and bass line in. The band used the same musical rhythm of the intro for the musical verse. After the third lyric line of the pre-verse and verse Rob plays one of the coolest guitar riffs of all time. You really do not notice Don changing the main rhythm until the chorus. After the first chorus there is a huge musical hook for the breakdown. The lead solo section consisted of a keyboard solo the guitar solo, then twin keyboard/guitar.
4.) “Space Troll” - Instrumental
5.) “Andromeda M31” – Instrumental
6.) “Endless Night” –This intro consisted of a Harry James snare fill and bass line. Don kicks-in with a Deep Purple Jon Lord influenced keyboard riff. Carl sings a few vocal accents over the top of the main intro. Too me I felt the main intro was heavily influenced and sounds a lot like Deep Purple’s early seventies material. Carl’s vocal lines are very reminiscent to the stuff Joe Lynn Turner was singing when he was with Rainbow. There is a small musical rest connecting the pre-chorus with the chorus. For all you music fans out there under forty, this is what good music sounds like!!!! After the second chorus there is a lead guitar solo. This lead guitar solo leads into a keyboard solo. There is a small drum fill and strange keyboard effect connecting the two solos. Musically the song reminds you of Deep Purple vocally and lyrically the song reminds you of the first Rainbow that Joe Lynn was on.
7.) “Rocket To The Moon” – This short intro was heavily influenced from early rock. Vocally if I had to guess I would say Harry sings this song. For the opening chorus the lyric lines are arranged lead vocal/backing vocal/….which gives the song a fifties rock sound. There is a small keyboard solo connecting the first chorus with the outro.
8.) “Lift Off” – Instrumental
9.) “Love You Too Much” –This intro consisted of a Don Airey piano overdub over the top of a violin arrangement. The piano arrangements where very classic pop seventy. Like many one hit wonder songs. There is a small Harry James drum fill and musical change for the musical verse. Danny’s vocals along with Don’s keyboard arrangement have a very early Styx sound to it. There is a small minor lead guitar solo underneath the lyric lines of the verse. This minor solo really compliments Danny voice. As a classical music fan, I just fell in love with Don’s piano arrangements of this song. Don wrote the chorus with a very basic feel. There is a Don Airey keyboard solo after the second chorus. The vocal echo connecting the keyboard solo with the fourth chorus was an effect I was not expecting. Musically and vocally I just may have heard the greatest song ever written.
10.) “Cartwheel ESO 350-40 – Instrumental
11.) “Sombrero M104” - Instrumental
12.) “Into Orbit” - Instrumental
13.) “A Light In The Sky (pt.2)” –The long intro of this track was heavily influenced by ELP and the stuff they were writing on ‘Brain Salad Surgery’. The intro is fairly long and as it progresses Carl sings a few vocal accents over the top of it. I loved the sustain on Don’s keyboard leading into the main musical intro. Harry plays several drum fills underneath the main musical intro instead f a standard drum rhythm. The guys used the same guitar riffs of the main intro section for the musical verse. Some of the lyric lines of the verse sounded like they were overdubbed. There is a drastic ELP type musical change for the pre-chorus. Don keyboard solo was kind of laid back for this song. The way the backing vocals were produced gave them a crowd effect. For the breakdown section the band speeded the song up several bpm (Beats Per Minute). This gave the outro an almost abstract Jazz feel. Some of the sounds Don’s is producing through his keyboards is mind boggling.
14.) “Pale Blue Dot” – Instrumental
15.) “Metallicity” – Instrumental
16.) “Big Crunch” - Instrumental
17.) “Lost In The End Of Time” - Instrumental
I have always admitted I don’t like progressive music. In fact I only own four progressive L.P.’s, ELP’s – ‘Brain Salad Surgery’, Yes – ‘Fragile’, Rick Wakeman – ‘Henry The Eighth’ and Alan Parson’s – ‘Tales and Mysteries Of Edgar Allen Poe’. I don’t know why I love classical music and most progressive bands are based on classical music.
Don Airey’s first recording performance was on the late Cozy Powel single “Na, Na, Na” released in 1974. Since that recording his as been members of such bands as Rainbow & Deep Purple and has played on such classic albums as; MSG-‘The Michael Schenker Group’, Ozzy Osbourne’s – ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ and Whitesnake – ‘Whitesnake’, just to name a few. When you look through Don’s discography he has literally played on up some time three & four albums a year. When a rock artist needs a keyboardist Mr. Airey is usually their first choice.
With ‘In The Light Of The Sky’ for me all the instrumentals though sounded like progressive music they where classical sounding enough for the progressive sound not to bother me. As for the songs with lyrics, “Love You Too Much” probably ranks up there within my top ten songs ever written of all time!!!!
If you are a fan of good solid musicianship and songwriting then this release is a must have. As far as I’m concerned I think every rock fan or musician needs this CD!!!!