Category Archives: STAIRWAY

STAIRWAY Pearls Of The Deep – Best Of

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We all, in truth, need a bit of ambient in our lives. Live in the fast lane forever and it will probably be a relatively short existence unless 27 is your yardstick. Jim McCarty (founder member of the Yardbirds) and Louis Cennamo know precisely where they are. This album represents absolutely first-rate ‘chill out’ music and every picture does tell a story. Is a music track not a story after all?

Music-News (December 2015)


Stairway released four albums before disbanding in 1995 but featured no less than Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds) and Louis Cennamo (Renaissance, Colosseum). Originally billed as a New Age band , Stairway is mainly electronic and ambient. This is a best of the four albums and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed its calming, thoughtful and Tangerine Dream-esque journey. Long tracks and gentle keyboard, guitars and harmonies make for a very relaxing album.

Classic Rock Society (November/December 2015)


Stairway’s tenure may have been brief, but Pearls Of The Deep is a fabulous collection that serves its subject quite well. Considering the resurgence in this kind of music over the last two years, perhaps this release will be augmented with reissues of their back catalogue. There’s certainly enough evidence here that makes a strong case for such a thing…

The Recoup (October 2015)


In the album opening “The Lovers” Vangelis comes to mind with its gentle electronics or even a very subdued Alan Parsons. Jane Relf’s backing vocals are sublime. In “Light On A Dark Road” the peaceful acoustic guitar of Cennamo is some of the prettiest on the disc and on “Moonlight Skater” gentle flute and organ sounds accentuate an uplifting and beautiful melody. While the tunes do not differ greatly, this is one of those albums that would be perfect to drift off to. It is certainly music to ease the mind and soothe the soul.

Sea Of Tranquility (September 2015)


As dramatic swells and flamenco runs lull the strings-drenched ‘Beautiful Changes’ while baroque organ carries the flow of ‘Moonlight Skater’ – where the artists’ former colleague Jane Relf delivers a vocal – it’s up to Louis’ acoustic guitar to tell a story on the piano-led epic ‘Light On A Dark Road’ whose floating transparency is enchanting…The ebb and flow give even more prominent momentum to ‘Bird Of Paradise’ which, again with Relf’s voice, wouldn’t feel out of place on the veterans’ earlier work, yet ‘Aquamarine’ finds the eye of the hurricane in a pop song, and the buzz gets fleshed out in polyphonic fashion on the ‘Base Chakra’ chant from a platter the band laid down with psychologist Malcolm Stern. It’s as relaxing as the calm before the storm, then, and as captivating: in other words, a tranquil wonder. 4/5 Stars

DMME.net (September 2015)


The 14 tracks are very melodic, sometimes rhythmic, and sometimes floaty. Opener ‘The Lovers’ pleases me at once, as do ‘Looking Inside’, ‘Aquamarine’, and ‘Bird Of Paradise’. A pleasant introduction!

Keys and Chords (August 2015)

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