Search - Philip Glass :: 1000 Airplanes on the Roof

1000 Airplanes: A Spacy Opera

Hugh Hancock | Bakersfield, CA United States | 11/23/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I wasn't sure what to think of this album after listening to it a couple of times. I found myself enamored with Track 10, however, a very fast, powerful, maddening tune, and felt the need to go back and re-evaluate the entire album. I found that the album is quick, very thematic, thought-provoking. In fact, I didn't know anything about the theme of the album, but as I listened, I felt I was on the brink of insanity. As it happens, a friend of mine mentioned that the opera is just that--about someone who is a bit whacked. This album is a top five of mine. It's a bit spacy, edgy, crazy. Linda Ronstadt's out-of-this-world vocals are awesome. If you like Philip Glass, you'll love this album!"

Did not like it

Christopher K. Koenigsberg | Norman, OK USA | 03/11/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"As a huge fan of early Philip Glass, I was anticipating wonderful things when I bought this album.



It disappointed me greatly, though. The organic tone of the Farfisa organs was gone, replaced by a very cheesy plastic dull sounding FM synthesis keyboard sound.



And the compositions seemed to be rehashes of the earlier Glass idioms.



I ended up getting rid of this album, after trying a few more times to get into it.



And that's pretty sad (compare to my favorite Glass albums -- including "Music in 12 Parts", "Einstein on the Beach", "North Star", "Akhnaten", "Satyagraha", "Dance Pieces", "The Photographer")"

Great fun!

John Gray Hunter Jr. | Wilmington, NC USA | 03/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is incidental music to a play, so it's all wordless [the voice of Linda Ronstadt being used as an instrument] and contained. It's Glass' take on a classic sci-fi score...his version of the original Star Trek theme. [that's why the electric keyboard sound...which is not "cheesy" but essential to the scale and mood of the piece] Sometimes dreamy, sometime frantic, it is full of invention and mood.

Great for driving!!"