Mannheim Steamroller includes: Chip Davis.Additional personnel: London Symphony Orchestra. Digitally remastered using HDCD technology. A pioneer of the highly accessible, lushly melodic hybrid style that would eventually come to be called "new age", Chip Davis (who releases albums under the alias of Mannheim Steamroller) was already recording his unique brand of modern easy listening when Yanni and John Tesh were still taking beginner piano lessons. ROMANTIC MELODIES is a wonderfully soothing collection of love- themed compositions culled from Davis’s nearly three decades’ worth of releases. Though the instrumentation varies from track to track, the basic Mannheim Steamroller sound has remained remarkably consistent throughout the years, so the album is completely cohesive. Many songs feature gentle synthesizer or acoustic piano melodies backed with strings (often played by the London Symphony Orchestra), Kenny G-ish saxophone, and an occasional rock band-style keyboard/ bass/drums ensemble. All the pieces have a lilting quality that would make them appropriate for cinematic love scenes, making ROMANTIC MELODIES one disc that’s exactly as advertised.
曼罕城蒸氣壓路機,是在音樂歷史上的一個時期代表。約在 18 世紀在德 國的曼罕城,城主非常喜歡音樂。那時的音樂形式也正在成型中。這時音樂家, 流行在樂曲裡加上很多漸強漸弱的演奏。音量忽大忽小,如同當時大型的壓平 馬路的蒸氣壓路機,從遠處哄吼而來,又漸漸遠離。原來,Mannheim Steam- roller是從古典音樂來的。這個樂團的創始人Chip David,也非常喜歡這個18 世紀的曲式,稱這是18世紀的搖滾樂。所以他的樂團便取名:Mannheim Steam- roller。創新樂風,融合古典與現代的樂器與演奏,所以他的音樂被列在 New Age的型態裡,也列在Neo Class 的音樂型態裡。David Chip 在他自己的網頁 提到,他自己發現了所謂 "18th Century classical rock” 十八世紀的古典 搖滾,也說自己不相信純樂器或純電子合成樂,純數位或純類比。
音響迷應該知道的是 American Gramaphone 這個公司。 這個公司由Chip David所創立, 因為當初他不知如何賣他的音樂。 所以就成立了 American Gramaphone。乾脆把一些音樂,推銷給音響供應商作為測試音響之用。沒想到 竟然大賣。因為它的 CD 錄音好,也具有主題。 Fresh Aire 便是他最有名的 系列專輯Fresh Aire 已經出到第八集,其中涵蓋自然,科技,神話的主題。
01 Serenity 02 Sunday Morning Breeze 03 Bittersweet 04 Slo Dancin’ In The Living Room 05 Kanbai 06 The Sign Of Love 07 Teardrops,Raindrops 08 Chakra 4 09 Amber 10 The Seven Stars of the Big Dipper 11 Moonlight At Cove Castle 12 Nepenthe