Air Supply

The Vanishing Race

THE VANISHING EIGHTIES

Review Score:

(10/10)
Air Supply is a group who has been vastly underrated, and I'll tell you why. We all know they started out with pretty maudlin ballads, that were predictable, although they WERE great songs. With "Making Love Out of Nothing At All," the Australian duo ventured out into a new area---the bombastic Jim Steinmann song demonstrated their vocal talents, and Graham Russell's vocals started maturing. Russell Hitchcock is obviously the "voice" of Air Supply, and it is his soaring, unbelievable tenor that took them to such great heights.
Once they started doing their really creative stuff, such as on "The Earth Is," and this great gem, their audiences diminished and the once hit-guaranteed duo fell to the adult contemporary wayside.
I love "The Vanishing Race"---other than the trite "Kiss Me Like You Mean It," this collection gives us Air Supply at its best. The soaring, anthemic "It's Never Too Late" still manages to give me goosebumps with its countervocals; "I'll Be Thinking of You" which is really a solo by Russell is gorgeous; the way he phrases his words, and the accompanying string arrangement are simply beautiful. "The Vanishing Race" is haunting in its Indian-like chants and the hushed narrative at the end. "Evidence of Love," and "Too Sentimental" are great, too; they have just the slightest touch of that old blue-eyed soul attributed to Hall and Oates. The entire set is worth listening to. If you've never been a fan of Air Supply, listen to a couple of the tracks off this and "The Earth Is." Also, listen to "Unchained Melody" from their "News from Nowhere" CD; it's a wonderful version of this chestnut; and then listen to some of the tracks from "Book of Love." These guys are good, and they have deserved more longevity on the adult contemporary charts than they have received. The music world still has room for dreamy romantic ballads, and these guys are some of the best!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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