So about Mannheim Steamroller......

[Tommy_Carcetti]

....it's just glorified elevator music, right?

That's as much as I can figure about it.

[HappyMe]

1. It will sound better after you

glug down some VodQuila.

[Major Nikon]

6. Last time I tried that I didn't shit right for a week

[Aristus]

2. I don't agree, unless you're talking about their Christmas music.

The frontman for MS is Chip Davis, who is quite a talented and gifted composer.

MS's series "Fresh Aire", especially the first two albums, showcase Davis' ability to compose new music in traditional classical music styles: tocatta, sonatas, concertos, serenades, sarabandes, passacaglias, dances, etc. It's interesting to hear these pieces played on a variety of old instruments (clavichord, harpsichord, pipe organ, etc) and new (synthesizers, rock drums, etc.)

'Elevator music' is subjective, of course...

[cemaphonic]

4. Yeah, the Fresh Aire albums are more like an interesting offshoot of prog rock

that leans more heavily on the "classical" side than other prog bands do. Kinda kitschy maybe, but more lively and complex than what I would consider to be elevator music.

Don't like their Christmas albums, but I don't like much Christmas music that isn't classical music associated with Christmas (Nutcracker, Magnificat, etc)

[hedgehog]

3. Going through my extensive collection of Christmas music,

I found four Mannheim Steamroller albums.

What was I thinking?

Time for some Klezmer Nutcracker.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. I'm a classical music nut and I like it.

I have the Aire Christmas CDs from 1988 and 1995. I agree that they are creative within traditional classical forms. I'm not familiar with their non-Christmas stuff.

I think Trans-Siberian Orchestra is bombastic and dumbed-down Mannheim Steamroller, IMNSHMO.

[Packerowner740]

7. I love their Christmas stuff.