AIR French Band* – Moon Safari

Having read all the reviews below, I concur with Vinylchord's assessment. Varying opinions! For me, I buying this at the only music outlet housed at Charles De Gaulle airport (I kid you not) back in 1988 when I was working in Paris every other week, and hence ed the time on the journey back on a friday eve by sifting through the racks. This album was being played everywhere in Paris. You'd go to a back street cafe and hear it. Some tracks were played on the radio when i was in the cab back to C-D-G. So this was a no-brainer to buy. Absolutely loved it then and still do. Best part was coming home on the Friday I bought it and slapping it in the PC to lull my then 6-month old son to sleep. I swear he used to listen to it intently, and be miffed if he didn't catch it all! Ha! Great album, great memories. That's why I love music so much - for me it defines life.

I'm inclined to own this record strictly because of this series of extremely intelligent reviews. All of you have varying opinions on this album - and that's fairly common with anything - but what strikes me is that everyone here seems to actually make a strongly intellectual, literate argument for their case. Reading your commentary was equally refreshing and curiosity inducing.

People argue about whether this album is significant or just ignorable elevator music. And I couldn't care less, because it's just not always about that. Sometimes it just depends on when you heard it the first time, the situations, circumstances and to me this album is one of the most important albums ever. Of course it has a lot to do with good and bad memories, a period in life where a lot of changes happened. And with an 8000 mile summer road trip with all kinds of weather except snow. And this was the perfect soundtrack in any situation. Since then, after 12 years I can still listen to these songs in whatever mood I am and I always listen to the whole album and enjoy it. I just hope I will never hear a loop of "La Femme D'Argent" in an elevator 'cause I wouldn't wanna leave. Probably not the best place to spend the rest of your days.

Considering the fact that this is Air's debut album, I was very impressed when I first bought it because it's a well-produced album with memorable tracks.

The music is best at times where you want to relax, and just listen without doing anything physically or mentally stressful.

That could be one of Moon Safari's weaknesses though. It's not fitting for other situation than relaxation and the album might become boring if you're not in the exact mood, which might not occur very often.

Tracks like "La Femme D'Argent", "Sexy Boy" and "All I Need" are definitly worth a listen though and can often be played regardless of your mood.

Overall a fine album with well-produced tracks, but might become boring for some listeners.

4/6

I can't see how anyone in their right mind could consider any of Air's works a Master Piece. However, a classic, on of popularity, it most certainly is.

Perhaps the main strenght of this album is that it's not very involving music and pretty hard to be offended by, Moon Safari is just the right kind of music for when you're not really interested in listening to music, but you don't like the idea of silence edging in between the conversations. A kind of social chill out music, a reasonable flow, and if you actually have a listen every now and then you don't feel like you've missed something.

'All I need' is probably my favourite of the tracks, there's just something very appealing about Beth Hirsch's voice there, I Expected to find that same appeal when i bought a CD of her's but, while not a total waste of money, it's gathering dust and will continue to do so.

That said, Beth Hirsch's own releases are better than air IMO. She's got a voice i like and goes down a similar 'comunal chillout' route as air,

A Beatlesque album for the chill out masses. They took the genre of downtempo and chill out albums to new heights with such sophistication. On top of the many pale imitators they spawned such as Zero 7 and Bent, they even had artists such as Madonna borrowing influences from this groundbreaking album. Forever a chill out classic and one of the best albums of the 90s.

Utterly insignificant MOR/easy listening syrup cleverly disguised as electronica (and elevated to canonic status through the combined efforts of the hipsterati massive and senile reviewers). As far as inoffensive pop music goes this is entirely able, but "Pet Sounds" it ain't. Get yourself a candy bar instead.

This album is a classic! Musically speaking, the album is so well designed that will most likely fit your collection no matter what you hear.
These songs are perfect for relaxing while enjoying the production skills of the french duo. Songs like «La Femme D'Argent», «Kelly, Watch The Stars!» and «You Make It Easy» will certainly be ed as Air's finest.
So sit back, relax... and enjoy!

Hi
When I first bought this record in 1998, I had heard 2 tracks on Pete Tong's "Essential Selection" radio show: Sexy Boy and La Femme D'Argent. I was convinced that it was trendy thing but just after hearing it once I changed my oppinion completely.
This is a masterpiece. Actually I can (even dare to) say that it is for me, the best album ever. Do you know that feeling when you just have a new record in your hands that you are so excited to hear? That first experience of listening to it. Well, every time I listen to Moon Safari is as if it was the first time, there is always something new and believe me, because I have bought this record 20 times (up til this day). One for me, and another 19 as gifts. And all that people who I gave it to, loved it as well.
Actually I find Sexy Boy the worst track on the album and I only managed to like it after watching the video. You just start with the masterpiece "La Femme D'Argent" and then go on. For the me orgasm of the album is track #9 "New Star In The Sky", and when you listen to "Ce Matin La", think of a Spring morning with the leafs wet and the birds singing.

If perfection does exist, then Moon Safari definitely is around the corner.