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'I was pleased, as the director of Music at MP3.com, to feature Big Sky on our front page three different times. I don't believe I did that for any other act.
When I first heard Big Sky I was simply floored. The lead singer has the most incredible voice I have ever heard. Powerful and alluring, she is, in my opinion, the most forceful and artful singer of any single rock band. Anywhere, anytime. Ms. Sklar is a glittering diamond of a singer. Steve Sklar blends his skillful guitar slinging with his artful production and song writing skills. He has spent years learning the singing techniques of an ancient race, and he uses this tastefully and with restraint, the result being a very exotic coloring of Big Sky's music. If you like the best of classic rock, from the Beatles to The Rolling Stones, to Jefferson Airplane, then Big Sky won't disappoint you. Pure bliss.'~ Rod Underhill, Founder/Music Director, MP3.com 'Big Sky have consistently been at the top of the charts at both MP3.com and AMP3.com. After listening to Standing on This Earth, it is not hard to understand why the serious music connosseur would want all of the Big Sky music they can get their hands on. Vocalist Johnna Morrow's voice soars above a progressive rock sound that incorporates elements not unfamiliar to early Dire Straits fans-epic songs that have fetailed lyrical content and superb musicianship. The CD's strongest tracks include the title track, with its majestic musical sweep, and Siberia, which is the first recording I've ever heard that incorporates Khoomei (throat singinf) along with piano, guitar, violin, and Morrow's own voice. Music this powerful requires pristine production, and Standing on This Earth sounds as good as any major lable release you are likely to hear. Recomended for fans of big, sweeping rock.'~ Doug Cornell, Someone Else 'With countless Twin Cities bands vying for attention, it seems that every possible novelty will be tested. Amongst the throng of attention grabbers, though, there are still innovators - and that's what makes a band like Big Sky compelling.
While Standing on This Earth is not the next White Album, most of the discs tracks manage to blend a wide range of pop and world music influences into a diverse mix of songs, from the Spin Doctorish, retro-vibe of Miss Innocence and the country twang of River in the Pines to the ethereal enchantment of In the Valley.
What gives this album it's brightest moments is the band's incorporation of Khoomei(Siberian throat-singing), which gutarist Steve Sklar studied in the Tuvan region of Siberia. The ancient technique allows a single voice to simultaneously produce two distinct pitches; the mesmerizing effect is put to it's most striking use on the innovative Siberia. Johnna Morrow's near-angelic vocals swoon and soar gracwfully above it.
As a whole, Standing on This Earth is a wonderfully fresh synthesis of musical styles. At it's best, it hints at something even more unique to come.'~ Steve Reske 3-18-99 |
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