ALBUMS
A selection of new and reissued guitar releases, including Album Of The Month
Latest guitar-fuelled CDs reviewed and rated.
SONS OF APOLLO MMXX InsideOutMusic ✪✪✪✪✪
The prog-metal supergroup is back with a new album, MMXX with almost an hour of power riffing, blazing solos and searing vocals. Considering it’s only their second studio outing, their stylistic breadth is breathtaking, from the ominous build on Goodbye Divinity, to the staggering 16-minute closer, New World Today. Within the quintet is Bumblefoot, who plays guitar on a par with Guthrie Govan; precise, fast and with great imagination. He can match the blazing synth chops of Derek Sherinian and they trade off in ways that few bands outside of Dream Theater can pull off; on Wither To Black, Derek’s synth blaze is followed by Bumbelfoot’s stunning chromatic flurries over a pounding half-time groove from Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan. Binding the four instrumentalists is singer Jeff Scott Soto who has a rich vocal style that straddles rock and metal with aplomb. While he can scream, his performance on the ballad Desolate July is passionate. Fall To Ascend has one of the most jaw-dropping extended sections, as Derek and Bumblefoot weave and blaze. Buy to be astounded and inspired!
PAT METHENY FROM THIS PLACE Nonesuch Records ✪✪✪✪✪
The care that goes into any Metheny creation warrants deep submersion. New album From This Place is no different. With a core of Antonio Sanchez on drums, Linda May Han Oh on bass and Gwilym Simcock on piano, its harmonic palette and deft arranging makes it so much more than just a ‘guitar album’. That said, Metheny’s Ibanez hollowbody tone is at the heart of the music and his playing remains a masterclass as he slips and slides around with a jazz-blues zest that evokes Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall. This could be classed as social art music, but that would suggest you need a weighty musical education to enjoy it; not so, this is for everyone. America Undefined is a staggering piece that keeps growing, while the title track is beautiful, band and
orchestra supporting Meshell Ndegeocello’s vocals. If you’re a glutton for Metheny ballads, the closer Love May Take A While will take you for a seductive sonic ride. Utterly gorgeous!
BLACK SWAN SHAKE THE WORLD Frontiers ✪✪✪✪✪
This may be a new rock band to you but if we mention it has Reb Beach on guitar, you should become curious. This is straight down the line, hard rock with big vocals, blazing leads and tasty harmonies. Alongside Reb is Jeff Pilson on bass, Matt Starr on drums and Robin McAuley on vocals. Title track opener’s doom-laden opening morphs into a pounding downpicked riff; the solo blazes bigtime with pick tapping and legato runs, while Johnny Came Marching has some gnarly wah licks from Reb. It’s not all pounding riffs though as ballad Make It There is rich with keys and an eighth-note 80s styled bass line. Talking of 80s, GN’R fans will love She’s On To Us - a peachy low riff graced with screaming wah lines. If a new hard rock act is what you crave, check out Black Swan!
GEOFF TYSON DRINKS WITH INFINITY Geoff Tyson Music Records ✪✪✪✪✪
Geoff Tyson was a student of Joe Satriani and then guitarist for the early 90s band, T-Ride. With huge vocals, an immense production and precise guitar playing, their debut had a brief moment of fame then all went quiet. Fast forward to now; Geoff is back out with this new instrumental album and those chops are still there. Over 10 tracks, Geoff runs the gamut of soaring leads, racing legato phrases, bluesy licks and vibrant acoustic guitar work. It’s an appealing mix, perfect for car journeys or focused listening as Geoff creates strong melodic hooks and improvises around themes. Opener, Six Weeks Of Tina is an uptempo stomp with vibrant lead guitar throughout. For more intensity, Shag is a filthy grunger as Geoff riffs and soars over the track. Strawberry Napalm is built from a Dm-Fm progression that offers unique harmonic context and some exciting lead lines from Tyson, while Are You With Me is a tasty ballad with a moderately driven guitar tone that shows all the detail in Geoff’s articulations. If you’re a Joe Satriani and Jeff Beck fan, or you find the new generation of rock instrumentalists somewhat devoid of melody, catch up with Geoff - he’s still got it going on!
ERIC CLAPTON & BB KING RIDING WITH THE KING (20Th Anniversary Edition) Reprise Records ✪✪✪✪✪
It certainly doesn’t feel like 20 years ago that Eric Clapton and BB King teamed up to make this album. In celebration, Reprise have remastered the original and even thrown in a couple of previously unreleased tracks for good measure, so Muddy Waters’ Rollin’ And Tumblin’ and Willie Dixon’s Let Me Love You, Baby, also both recorded at the time, now join the ranks. The former finds EC working out on acoustic slide with BB punctuating every phrase as only he could. The Dixon classic is medium paced with both guitar men taking passionate solos and, despite BB claiming post take that he “Screwed up in a couple of places”, it sounds great to us. Our standout track is BB’s classic, Three O’ Clock Blues.
MICHAEL LANDAU LIQUID QUARTET LIVE The Players Club ✪✪✪✪✪
When James Taylor refers to someone as “The complete virtuoso” backed up by Steve Lukather saying, “He is one of the finest players in the world” you know they must be talking about someone pretty special. And they happen to be talking about Michael Landau, who has enjoyed a stellar career playing with a who’s who of music’s elite, including Joni Mitchell, Ray Charles, Miles Davis and Pink Floyd, among many others. In November last year Mike took his band to LA’s infamous Baked Potato club and delivered a blues-driven set featuring some of Mike’s back catalogue, peppered with a few new tunes. Needless to say the guitar work throughout is immaculate – check out the frenzied soloing on Greedy Life, and the stunning Killing Time. This album is a six-string tour de force that we recommend most heartily.