Their history together began in 1975 in Melbourne, Australia where they were both performing in the musical ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’. In their time off, Graham Russell (guitar and vocals) and Russell Hitchcock (vocals) began rehearsing together and found they greatly complimented each other, with Graham's compositions and Russell's four-octave range.

Soon after they landed a recording contract and reached the Australian Top 10 with a few hits. By the end of 1976 they drew crowds of 90,000 in Australia and went on the road opening for Rod Stewart in 1977. By late 1978 and early 1979, Air Supply had the first of their many hits with Lost in Love.

Air Supply whose genre is basically soft - rock and pop - rock, has the power to move you, connecting ideas of love at the same time holding high views of humanity. All of this may surprise more casual fans of the band, but the faithful have long been following their heroes down a very rewarding path since the late 70s when the band came on the scene.

This 1986 vinyl album is sadly not one of their best albums to date in their list of 17 albums, but it has a few tracks that will seduce you. While their previous self titled album (Air Supply – 1985) had charted gold, ‘Hearts in Motion’ did not attain any certification, peaking at #84 on the US charts. The album didn't possess any important single, except for the super hit they relied on Lonely is the Night, which went on to become a favourite and a must play on the band's playlist at all their concerts. The song boasted a great opening guitar riff, crisp vocals and a melody that would stay on your lips for a long time. The other songs on the album include Stars in Your Eyes, Time For Love and One More Chance the latter having a superb piano intro. The words are heartfelt and literally a love letter to a lost lover. Other heart touching songs include Put love in your life lyrically and melodious in every way.

Hope Springs Eternal is a truly another original work, with its beautifully haunting refrain with a promising message for all of us. In the same vein go for the opener It's Not Too Late, a slightly peppy track that has words that are so very true of life, it seems like it was written about their experience, if any. Heart & Soul, You’re in Love are fairly good pieces from the duo and worth a listen too.

The album produced by Bernard Edwards works up a frenzy from what he gave to pop band Chic in the same period. Edwards was one of the most sought after producers of the 80s - producing for many other pop stars such as Diana Ross, Robert Palmer and later Air Supply. Joining Edwards on this effort was his fellow Chic mate - drummer Tony Thompson, with Edwards himself playing bass guitar on the album. Clive Davis as Executive Producer puts his stamp of approval on an album that springs romance, heartbreak and above all love.

The pinkish tinged cover picture and the pink dust cover give this an attractive look. The duo sitting probably in a verandah looking straight at you. The inner inlay has lyrics to all songs and also has a beautiful picture of the duo in a close up.

I was lucky to meet the Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock on two of their many visits to Mumbai. The first time I met them was when Crescendo Music, founded by Suresh Thomas was joining hands with BMG (Bertelsmann’s group) and later came to be known as BMG – Crescendo. The duo performed for a ‘By invite’ concert at The Juhu Centaur and launched the tie up. The second time I met them was when they came to release their 14th album ‘Book of Love’. I will always cherish the meeting wtih the duo, the photo opportunity I got with them and their autographs.

So if you love some really great sentis, if you can't find the words to say what you feel to your loved one, let Air Supply do the talking. This album is a must for Air Supply fans.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira