Pilot
Pilot (From The Album Of The Same Name)

Ingredients: perfect melodies, Beatles-like harmonies (as much as you can get), a sprinkle of Kitsch.

Chef: Alan Parsons.

Can you capture the perfect pop album, flawless, an artistic zenith that serves as a unique and universal reference, timeless and unparalleled, with just a handful of songs?

Even if you could, one thing is certain: this was never a goal for the Pilot, a semi-unknown band, wonderfully and hideously seventies, with the sole obsession to deliver a dozen melodies to pass on to posterity and then disappear.

What didn’t happen, undoubtedly, was success. Does the name Pilot ring a bell? Not much? It’s not a coincidence. They hit it big with a handful of singles that make you want to tear your hair out, (highly recommended "magic", "just a smile" featured in this album, "January" and "call me round") then nothing more.

But this album certainly deserved more luck. It is an excellent Soft Rock album rich in delightful ideas, with enveloping pop melodies, arranged in perfect 70's style, by a master like Alan Parsons (enough to deserve some attention for this album or not?) and played with expertise by seasoned session men who are actually the loyal David Paton, Billy Lyall & Stuart Tosh, people who have names like Bay City Rollers, Alan Parsons Project, Kate Bush, 10 CC, on their resumes, and that’s saying a lot.

The aforementioned "Magic" is one of the most beautiful pop songs of the 70s. An intro with two sparkling guitars, a crystalline melody climbing high (McCartney is the first name that will come to mind) and a memorable chorus, the kind you find yourself humming on the street or in line at the post office.

"Just a Smile" is a perfect composition, verse-chorus-verse-chorus, and what a chorus! Simple, brilliant, and irresistible, and you’ll see that even here the usual name comes to mind (does it start with "bit" and end with "ols"?).

The exquisite Pop-rock of "sooner or later" at the center of the album is a shining piece, delicious as a praline; "don't speak loudly" keeps frequencies and beats high, just slightly slowed by the cadenced rhythm of "lucky for some", while the very unabrasive rock of "never give up" is as charming and captivating as it needs to be.

The album is a brief lesson on how to perfectly make piano work (à la "it’s getting better") with ringing guitars, bass, and drums, and weave it all together with great lightness without sacrificing a bit of depth, as perhaps only the Supertramp managed to do after them.

"Pilot" is the perfect antidote if you’re a bit overwhelmed by progressive rock or (too) heavy metal; it is the relaxing cool-down after the champions league final, the perfect soundtrack for your well-deserved fresh beer after a day of work to forget.