MÖRGLBL TRIO

MÖRGLBL TRIO
JÄZZ FOR THE DEAF (2009)
320 KBPS

Lead by guitarist extraordinaire Christophe Godin, Mörglbl Trio is not the easiest formation to pinpoint. Here, you have metal, jazz, blues, rock and a good dose of humour which doesn't ruin the mix, quite the contrary actually. Amon the many influences/references to compare Godin's band to, one might say Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, Primus, Joe Satriani, Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton, King’s X and Ron Thal's Bumbblefoot are the more obvious. In the rotten real of shred-kings, Mörglbl Trio is one of the finest examples that composition, melody, humour and skill can work hand in hand to create something both technically stupendous and entertaining to listen to. Try it, you will not be disappointed.

1. Mörglbl Circus
2. 22 Oz
3. Borderline
4. Myspacebook
5. Stoner de Brest
6. Bleach Boy
7. Monster Within Me
8. Jäzz for Deaf People
9. Point d'Org
10. Hell's Balls
11. Untold Stories
12. My Little Man

ADRIAN LEGG

ADRIAN LEGG
GUITAR AND OTHER CATHEDRALS (1990)
320 KBPS

Adrian Legg is one of those guitarists that other guitarists listen to and think "how does he do that?". If you see him live you will alter the question to "okay so that's how he does it, but how does he make it work so well?". You see, what he does is this. He has built his own guitar with a special tuning mechanism using banjo tuning pegs which he can use to retune any string extremely quickly and with perfect accuracy. So while he is playing, even while he is plucking the strings with his right hand or holding down notes with his left hand, he is constantly tuning this and that string up and down with whatever hand is free, and without any breaks in the rhythm. The result is the kind of fluid up and down bends you would expect from a pedal steel. His accuracy and fluidity in doing this is amazing to hear and even more amazing to watch. In 1999 he was voted "guitarist of the decade" by Guitar Player magazine.
Okay, so that's technique, but even great technique does not necessarily produce good music and, as a previous reviewer has rightly pointed out, too much technique for technique's sake often gets in the way of the music. Thankfully Adrian Legg doesn't fall into this trap. At least not on this album anyway. He writes all sorts of styles of music, each in a way that perfectly fits the style, and only uses his strange techniques when it makes the music better. In fact, there are only three or four of the songs on this album where he uses that particular guitar at all. On other tracks he uses various steel strung or nylon strung instruments, but always in a way that fits the music. The greatness of his compositions even outshines the greatness of his technique. The result is a collection of tunes that span a wide range of styles and feelings. There are some really beautiful tunes, one highly complex multi-faceted composition, quite a few dynamic onslaughts and even some touches of comedy.

1. Thump the Clouds
2. Cajun Interlude
3. Irish Girl
4. Midwest Sunday
5. Guitars and Other Cathedrals
6. Montreux Ramble
7. Tracy's Big Moment
8. Divorcee's Waltz
9. Tune for Derrol
10. Nail Talk
11. Reckless Love
12. Pass the Valium
13. Dying Embers

ROBERT FRIPP [REPOST]

ROBERT FRIPP
EXPOSURE (1979)
REMASTER
192-320 KBPS

The late 70s were probably Fripp's most diverse period, bridging the gap between the two least silly King Crimsons, working with Brian Eno on those classic Bowie albums, writing screeds about the capricious record industry long before Messrs Albini and Love made it fashionable, and even forming a punk band called The League Of Gentlemen before he started a more new-wave outfit that coalesced into a new King Crimson.
Anyway, the album. It's a bit of a grab bag, with angular guitar workouts, ambient pieces, and interesting (as in "... to say the least") vocal turns from guests Daryl Hall, Peter Gabriel and Peter Hammill - who practically leaves his lungs on the studio floor after "Disengage". One highlight for me is "Breathless", which manages to combine the crunchiness of Red, the discreet clangour of Discipline, and his ambient stuff with Eno (such as "Wind And Water") in the space of four and a half minutes. "North Star" prototypes King Crimson's "Matte Kadusai" with its laidback feel. Elsewhere there's more ranty wordplay from the pen of Joanna Walton, soundbites that echo Fripp's philosophies, and of course the trademark byzantine guitar playing. The album winds up with a final act which consists of two ambient pieces named "Water Music", natch, bookmarking Gabriel singing a stripped-back "Here Comes The Flood".
In the end, it's not the most astounding record, but it is very listenable as far as "solo" albums from überguitarists go. Certainly, it's muchly recommended for those who acknowledge that King Crimson were never about wearing capes.

Disc 1
Original Release
1. Preface
2. You Burn Me Up I'm a Cigarette
3. Breathless
4. Disengage
5. North Star
6. Chicago
7. NY3
8. Mary
9. Exposure
10. Haaden Two
11. Urban Landscape
12. I May Not Have Had Enough of Me But I've Had Enough of You
13. First Inaugural Address to I.A.C.E. Sherborne House
14. Water Music I
15. Here Comes the Flood
16. Water Music II
17. Postscript

Disc 2
1983 Remix
1. Preface
2. You Burn Me Up I'm A Cigarette
3. Breathless
4. Disengage
5. North Star
6. Chicago
7. New York, New York, New York
8. Mary
9. Exposure
10. Haaden Two
11. Urban Landscape
12. I May Not Have Had Enough Of Me But I've Had Enough Of You
13. First Inaugural Address To The I.A.C.E. Sherborne House
14. Water Music I
15. Here Comes The Flood
16. Water Music II
17. Postscript
18. Exposure
19. Mary
20. Disengage
21. Chicago
22. NY3

DANNY GATTON

DANNY GATTON
IN CONCERT (1994)
320 KBPS

The performance captured on In Concert 9/9/94 happened less than a month before Danny Gatton's death, and from the sound of the album, it's hard to believe he was in a deep depression. Gatton's playing is incendiary and fiery, an extended display of sheer virtuosity, and the songs are consistently better than his studio albums, which were hampered by filler. Similarly, the studio polish of his albums tended to obscure how dazzling Gatton's pure, unvarnished talent was. That's not the case with In Concert 9/9/94, which positively sizzles. It might not be the best way to become acquainted with the guitarist — after all, it doesn't show all of his versatility (the jazzier numbers are noticeably missing) — but for fans, it's one to cherish.

1. Intro/Sunnymoon for Two
2. Land of Make Believe
3. Blues Newburg
4. 88 Elmira
5. Secret Love
6. Apache/Surf Medley
7. Caravan
8. Linus and Lucy
9. Orange Blossom Medley

EYAL MAOZ'S EDOM

EYAL MAOZ'S EDOM
HOPE AND DESTRUCTION (2009)
320 KBPS

Raise your fist. Now extend your index finger and pinky. This album rocks. The second album by Eyal Maoz’s Edom, just out on Tzadik, is a nonchalantly dark blend of pounding instrumental metal and surf music with brooding Middle Eastern flourishes. The obvious comparison is Texas cult instrumentalists Intodown, with a slightly more ornate, noisy sensibility. In this power quartet, multi-faceted guitarist/composer Maoz is backed by keyboardist Brian Marsella (of Cyro Baptista’s band and the fascinating melodic jazz ensemble the Flail) along with a plodding rhythm section. From the first few bars of the first song, it becomes clear that these guys really don’t have a clue about surf music. But that’s cool. That’s what gives them an original sound. The Yardbirds didn’t have a clue about blues either, and nobody can say that they didn’t rock.
As you would expect from a bunch of guys with a jazz background, they vary the tempos and dynamics. Maoz sets down eerie, often anguished layers of noise and feedback over simple, catchy chromatic vamps. Marsella utilizes several keyboard patches: quavery Vox organ, smooth Hammond and seemingly every bleep and bloop stored within the memory of whatever he’s playing (a Nord Electro seems a good guess). Most of the craziest noise passages are his, although, predictably, the most beautifully lyrical moments – particularly the Vox solo on the fifth track – are his as well.
The best song on the cd is Shell, a terse, catchy, macabre number that sounds like the Coffin Daggers gone to the Golan Heights, especially menacing as the organ doubles Maoz’ sinister guitar line. The best single solo is by bassist and producer Shanir Ezra Blumankranz, on the same song – it’s long and bluesy and deliciously terse and you don’t want it to end. Beyond the chromatic metal vibe of most of the other tracks, there’s also one that nicks a familiar hook by the Cure before going all hypnotic with a two-chord vamp, a bizarre attempt at a bubblegum surf song and a big, cinematic track simply titled Two with a noise breakdown evocatively colored with Maoz’ hammerlike attack. It’s nothing if not original and probably sounds terrific live. Shesh shesh shesh (that’s 666 in Hebrew).

1. Somewhere
2. Tsi
3. Rocks
4. Messenger
5. Slight Sun
6. Shuki
7. Eagle
8. Shell
9. King
10. Skies
11. Two
12. Down

DANNY GATTON

DANNY GATTON
88 ELMIRA ST. (1991)
320 KBPS

After years of knocking around the Washington, D.C.-area circuit, local guitar legend Danny Gatton finally got to cut his first album for a major label. It was indeed worth the wait, spot-welding blinding speed and immaculate chops that went in a million different directions (jazz, country, rockabilly, blues, you name it) to a musical sensibility that made this all-instrumental album a whole lot more than just yer average fretboard wanking jam-fest. Gatton's Telecaster really shines on diverse material ranging from Martin Denny's "Quiet Village" to the roadhouse shuffle "Funky Mama" to the off-the-wall rendition of the theme to The Simpsons. Kudos to Elektra for having the corporate balls to put this out; short, chunky, and middle-aged, Danny Gatton was a bona fide guitar hero for the '90s, putting the lie to the hard canard that only speedburner metal mega-hair dudes can make the front covers of the guitar mags.

1. Funky Mama
2. Elmira St. Boogie
3. Blues Newburg
4. Quiet Village
5. Red Label
6. In My Room
7. The Simpsons
8. Muthaship
9. Pretty Blue
10. Fandingus
11. Slidin' Home

HARVEY MANDEL

HARVEY MANDEL
SHANGRENADE (1973)
256 KBPS

In the mold of Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana, and Mike Bloomfield, Mandel is an extremely creative rock guitarist with heavy blues and jazz influences. And like those guitarists, his vocal abilities are basically nonexistent, though Mandel, unlike some similar musicians, has always known this, and concentrated on recordings that are entirely instrumental, or feature other singers. A minor figure most known for auditioning unsuccessfully for the Rolling Stones, he recorded some intriguing (though erratic) work on his own that anticipated some of the better elements of jazz-rock fusion, showcasing his concise chops, his command of a multitude of tone pedal controls, and an eclecticism that found him working with string orchestras and country steel guitar wizards.

1. What the Funk
2. Fish Walk
3. Sugarloaf
4. Midnight Sun II
5. Million Dollar Feeling
6. Green Apple Quick Step
7. Frenzy
8. Shangrenade

ALEX MASI

ALEX MASI
ATTACK OF THE NEON SHARK (1989)
320 KBPS

Alex Masi's first solo album, Attack Of The Neon Shark is an exciting, groundbreaking affair that was nominated for a Grammy in 1989. The features the slashing, sometimes harmonically dissonant (in the Friedman/Becker/Cacophony sense, such as "DFWM" and the title track), instrumental metal/hard rock patented by Masi (although vocalist Jeff Scott Soto does appear on "Under Fire"). Other featured musicians include drummer Frankie Banali, Allan Holdsworth (on synthaxe) and Kuni (who plays the first guitar solo on "Under Fire"). The album even has it's fusiony moments such as on "Cold Sun" and "L.A. Lattaia". Attack Of The Neon Shark is musically much more daring than your typical instrumental guitar release - it also includes a Masi-fied cover of "Toccata" (Emerson, Lake and Palmer).

1. Under Fire
2. Attack Of The Neon Shark
3. Average Green Band
4. DFWM
5. Twilight Passion
6. Cold Sun
7. Toccata
8. Wasted In The West (Idiots)
9. La Lattaia
10. Alleys Of Albion

WES MONTGOMERY

WES MONTGOMERY
MOVIN' WES (1964)
320 KBPS

Wes Montgomery's debut for Verve, although better from a jazz standpoint than his later A&M releases, is certainly in the same vein. The emphasis is on his tone, his distinctive octaves, and his melody statements. Some of the material (such as "People" and "Matchmaker, Matchmaker") are pop tunes of the era and the brass orchestra (arranged by Johnny Pate) is purely in the background, but there are some worthy performances, chiefly the two-part "Movin' Wes," "Born to Be Blue," and "West Coast Blues."

1. Caravan
2. People
3. Movin' Wes (Part I)
4. Moca Flor
5. Matchmaker, Matchmaker
6. Movin' Wes (Part II)
7. Senza Fine
8. Theodora
9. In And Out
10. Born To Be Blue
11. West Coast Blues

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH
VELVET DARKNESS (1976)
REMASTER
320 KBPS

After listening to this album I was quite surprised to read on Allan's website that he'd wished he had never recorded it, because the tracks are just from a "practise session". I like it quite a lot, I've to say, and during listening I did not have the impression to listen just to a jam session. Certainly it's not quite on par with his later releases, the recording quality is not that great and it has some jamming character in a way. Still a quite nice and enjoyable album, not an essential one, but GOOD anyway, moreover if keeping in mind, that it's more an "accidental" and rushy output. I'd wish some albums of other bands/ artists with years of preparation time would be as good as this one!

1. Good Clean Filth
2. Floppy Hat
3. Wish
4. Kinder
5. Velvet Darkness
6. Karzie Key
7. Last May
8. Gattox
Bonus Tracks
9. Good Clean Filth
10. Kinder
11. Velvet Darkness
12. Karzie Key
13. Gattox

MARTY FRIEDMAN

MARTY FRIEDMAN
TOKYO JUKEBOX (2009)
320 KBPS

Marty Friedman is a man with two faces. Of course, one is that as an amazing musician famous as the former lead guitarist of the legendary metal act Megadeth, on the other hand, he has another face as a J-Pop mania. As a zealous evangelist of J-Pop, he is extremely active in a range of works including hosting of a TV program, publication of books, and various serializations. New album "Tokyo Junkebox" might well be called a summarization of Marty's recent activities. He covered lots of popular J-Pop tunes along with his skilled playing of the metal guitar, such as "Polyrhythm (Perfume)," "Tsume Tsume Tsume (Maximum the Hormone)," "Yuki no Hana (Mika Nakashima)," and 2008 theme tune of Ichiro (Seattle Mariners), "Amagigoe (Sayuri Ishikawa)." Tunes included on the album have been selected based on fan votes and favorites of Marty are included as well. Listening to this album, lots of people will discover how mixture of Metal and J-Pop really is an exciting concept.

1. Tsume Tsume Tsume
2. GIFT
3. Amagigoe
4. Story
5. Polyrhythm
6. Kaeritakunattayo
7. TSUNAMI
8. Yuki no Hana
9. Eki
10. Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana
11. Romance no Kamisama
12. Asu e no Sanka

BUCKETHEAD

BUCKETHEAD
BERMUDA TRIANGLE (2002)
320 KBPS

The "Bermuda Triangle" is a project consisting of guitarist phenom Buckethead (Gn'R, Praxis, El Stew, Deli Creeps), and multi-instrumentalist/producer Extrakd (El Stew, Gonervill). Musically it is a collage of hip-hop and electro-esque beats, dark eerie samples, and live instrumentation played by Buckethead and Extrakd. One track features blazing live drumming by current Gn'R drummer and good friend, Brain. They made this record on a portable digital eight track, made between trips to L.A. and the Bay Area. Fans of underground instrumental hip-hop and trip-hop will love this record, as well as existing Buckethead fans wanting to hear his latest work in a futuristic, nearly all instrumental format.

1. Intro
2. Davy Jones Locker
3. Flight 19
4. Mausoleum Door
5. Sea of Expanding Shapes
6. The Triangle, Pt. 1: Extrakd
7. Bionic Fog
8. Forbidden Zone
9. Telegraph Land of the Crispies
10. Pullin the Heavy
11. Phantom Lights
12. Jabbar on Alcatrazz Avenue
13. Beestro Fowler
14. Splintered Triplet
15. Whatevas
16. Sucked Under
17. Isle of Dead
18. The Triangle, Pt. 2
19. 911

STEVE VAI

STEVE VAI
FIRE GARDEN (1998)
320 KBPS

Steve Vai offers the following words of advice about Fire Garden, his fifth solo album: "This is essentially a double CD packed onto one. In this package there are over 74 minutes of music. Phase I (for the most part) is all instrumental music, and Phase II (for the most part) is all vocal selections, with the exception of 'Warm Regards.' ... Being as dense as it is, this CD may best be experienced by devouring it in pieces, but those with a strong constitution may dare to consume it whole as it is." Seldom has an artist provided more telling liner notes for his own album. Fire Garden is indeed a dense album, filled with a never-ending array of sonic textures and guitar tones. Unlike most guitar heroes, Vai doesn't treat music as a way to demonstrate his technical skill. Instead, he channels his astonishing technical skill into creating soundscapes that will showcase his virtuosity as often as not. The result is a guitar album that is enjoyable for non-guitar freaks, as well. Vai's vocals still have a way to go before they are as expressive as his instrumental work, but this subtle and dense concept album is the closest he's ever gotten to integrating the two sides of his musical personality together. An impressive effort.

Phase 1
1. There's A Fire In THe House
2. The Crying Machine
3. Dyin' Day
4. Whookam
5. Blowfish
6. The Mysterious Murder Of Christian Tiera's Lover
7. Hand Of Heart
8. Bangkok
9. Fire Garden Suite
Phase 2
10. Deepness
11. Little Alligator
12. All About Eve
13. Aching Hunger
14. Brother
15. Damn You
16. When I Was A Little Boy
17. Genocide
18. Warm Regards

JEFF BECK

JEFF BECK

YOU HAD IT COMING (2001)
320 KBPS

At an age when fellow ex-Yardbirds guitar gods Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page are polishing their legend and trying to recapture it, respectively, Jeff Beck has produced one of his most challenging and rewarding albums. An edgy, metallic maelstrom with a distinctly postmodern slant (thanks largely to the tense, digitized rhythms of producer Andy Wright and drummer/programmer Aiden Love), You Had It Coming is the kind of album his fraternal fretmeisters might scarcely understand, let alone attempt. Already the guitar's unparalleled master of feedback, distortion, harmonic sorcery, and microtonal manipulation, Beck here pushes the envelope yet again. From the manic thrash-metal of "Earthquake" to the hot-rod sampled "Roy's Toy" and especially "Loose Cannon," Beck's soloing is all haunting howls and jagged corners, a nervy dance along the razor's edge of dissonance and melody. The emotionally charged changes of pace are as surprising as they are compelling: Beck exploring Eastern modalities while showcasing his arsenal of technique in a stunning take on Indian pop musician Nitin Sawhney's "Nadia"; the techno revamp of the blues staple "Rollin' and Tumblin'," fronted by the urgent vocals of Imogene Heap; Jeff literally jamming with a chirping feathered friend on "Blackbird" (while plying the frets with a table fork!); the fingerpicking funk of "Rosebud"; and the graceful, lyrical resolve of "Suspension." This is one of Beck's best and a worthy companion to Blow by Blow, Wired, and Guitar Shop.

1. Earthquake
2. Roy's Toy
3. Dirty Mind
4. Rollin' And Tumblin'
5. Nadia
6. Loose Cannon
7. Rosebud
8. Left Hook
9. Blackbird
10. Suspension

JEFF (2003)
320 KBPS

Calling fabled guitar god Jeff Beck "mercurial" doesn't do justice to the word – or the legend himself. While this latest blast of maniacal Beckology seems to form a loose techno-centric triptych with its predecessors, by no means is the guitarist resting on his laurels here. If anything, his continuing collaboration with You Had It Coming producer Andy Wright (aided and deliciously sonically subverted by Splattercell's David Torn and Apollo 440) has yielded one of Beck's most muscular--if willfully challenging--collections of musical future shock. Save for the elegant, orchestra-backed take on the traditional folk of "Bulgaria" and introspective respite of "Line Dance with Monkey' and "JB's Blues," the guitarist seems to have little interest in traditional lyricism here, instead coaxing an inventive maelstrom of unearthly, metallic timbres and alien modalities from his instrument on the angular "Trouble Man," the hypnotic grooves of "So What" and the Torn-icated, melodic minimalism of "Plan B." On "Grease Monkey" and "Hot Rod Honeymoon," Apollo 440 playfully fold Beck's notorious car-culture fetishes into an ironic sonic origami of retro-samples and tense electro-rhythms, the latter highlighted by his neo-country chicken-pickin' and incomparable slide work. That track may be cast as mock Beach Boys car tune, but there's definitely nothing nostalgic about the evocative, often hard-edged mood here; it might as well be subtitled "Beck to the Future."

1. So What
2. Plan B
3. Pork-U-Pine
4. Seasons
5. Trouble Man
6. Grease Monkey
7. Hot Rod Honeymoon
8. Line Dancing with Monkeys
9. Jb's Blues
10. Pay Me No Mind
11. My Thing
12. Bulgaria
13. Why Lord Oh Why?

JOHN ZORN/MARC RIBOT

JOHN ZORN
MARC RIBOT
ASMODEUS:
THE BOOK OF ANGELS VOLUME 7 (2007)
320 KBPS

"Asmodeus" is the seventh installment in John Zorn's Masada Book II. In case anyone reading is unfamiliar, a brief introduction: in the early '90s, Zorn began exploring his Jewish and Jazz heritages through the composition of a songbook of themes that could serve as a sprinboard for improvisation. He composed some 200 songs for the original jazz quartet, eventually expanding the project to be performed by other acts. Over a decade after its inception, Zorn revitalized the aging (by his standards) project by injecting a new songbook into the mix-- the Book of Angels, a collection of around 300 new themes. Instead of focusing on a band this time, Zorn has had different groups perform the material. "Asmodeus" presents ten pieces from the book as performed by a rock power trio led by guitarist Marc Ribot, ably supported by bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer G. Calvin Weston.
What follows is something that, even moreso than Electric Masada did, will shake your impression as to where this project can go. From the opener "Kalmiya"-- it's clear that this is something forceful-- Ribot comes blazing out with a frantic, noisy, overdriven guitar solo over a raging rhythm section before settling into a bit of a monster groove, with the melody eventually floating above (or perhaps in opposition to) a freely associating Dunn and Weston. Quite frankly, it's like Ornette Coleman's Prime Time project on steroids.
While the record admittedly settles down a bit (the second track, "Yezriel", finds the trio slinking into a blues rock feel after the explosive opener), the performance maintains a raging intensity and seemingly endless blistering guitar pyrotechnics throughout. Admittedly, at times this causes the performance to deviate a bit, capturing this sort of performance almost universally works better in a live setting where you can really see and feel the interaction and energy between the band, and here it can cause the pieces to occasionally feel disjoint ("Kezef" where Ribot seems tentative, "Armaros" where Dunn does, at least after his solo). Sometimes I suspect this was the intent-- if the goal was to capture a live energy here, it would stand to reason that you'd avoid repeated takes and sometimes you'll end up a bit disjoint. On the other hand, sometimes you'll end up so disjoint that what you'll have its a piece that bubbles over with so much energy, you can't help but be in awe of it, and Ribot's sound, while consistent on the record, still somehow manages to be all over the map, touching on John McLaughlin ("Yezriel"), Sonny Sharrock ("Cabriel") and Blood Ulmer ("Sensenya"), not to mention literally dozens of others.
One thing I can safely say about "Asmodeus", by the time it wraps up, you can almost feel exhausted. It is an immensely powerful record, and again while perhaps not as consisently successful as other entries in the Masada Book II catalog (the Masada String Trio record comes immediately to mind), this one is so overwhelming in its dissection and deconstruction of the rock idiom that it's hard to think of it as anything short of fantastic. Recommended.

1. Kalmiya
2. Yezriel
3. Kezef
4. Mufgar
5. Armaros
6. Cabriel
7. Zakun
8. Raziel
9. Dagiel
10. Sensenya

BUMBLEFOOT

BUMBLEFOOT
UNCOOL (2000)
320 KBPS

Quirky and experimental modern-rock mixed with 70's lounge, flavored with innovative fretless-guitar and synth-guitar. Picture an urban metal band getting unruly at a karaoke bar, or Tom Jones singing with Mr. Bungle - that's Bumblefoot's "Uncool" CD. Riding the fence between romantic and hostile, classy and profane, like a musical take-off from the script of a future Austin Powers film. Intense yet lighthearted, entertaining with a hint of bottled-up anger, a fragile balance on the verge of exploding.
Some call him a "Frank Zappa for the next generation", others call him nuts. Take a listen to Bumblefoot and decide for yourself...

1. Intro
2. Go
3. T Jonez
4. My World Is You
5. Crunch
6. I Hate Me More Than I Love You
7. Kiss The Ring
8. Delilah
9. Dominated
10. R2
11. Ronald'S Comin' Back Now
12. Maricona
13. Mine
14. Heart Attack
15. Girl Like You
16. Finale
17. We Don'T Care

RON THAL

RON THAL
THE HERMIT (1997)
320 KBPS

I first stumbled into Thal when I borrowed a Shrapnel CD featuring a slew of guitar heros. Thal's contribution to that album entitled "Blue Tongue", demonstrates his ability to generate complex, creative, and energetic arrangements and compositions. Furthermore, Thal's works are peppered with unbelievably unique and cool sounding guitar solos and vocals. Thal also has a sense of humor... I find that refreshing. Just buy the damn CD... buy all of Thal's works that you can get your hands on.. you'll be treated to many hours of intense listening pleasure. I rarely listen to anything else these days because hardly anyone comes close to matching the mad genius of Thal.

1. Zero
2. Hermit
3. Fatback
4. Freak
5. Sweetmeat
6. I Can'T Play The Blues
7. Gray
8. Unsound
9. Goodbye
10. Rowboat
11. Hangup
12. Every Time I Shake My Head (It'S Like Christmas)

NEAL SCHON

NEAL SCHON
BEYOND THE THUNDER (1995)
320 KBPS

"Beyond the Thunder," says Neal Schon, "is one of the best things I've done." With quiet power, Neal glides through cool jazz licks, worldbeat rhythms and soulful songs like "Send Me an Angel." As lead guitarist with the band Journey, Neal's dazzling guitar work was legendary. With his debut Higher Octave Music album, he creates a lush and lyrical sound that still throws off sparks!

1. Big Moon
2. Bandalero
3. Cool Breeze
4. Zanzibar
5. Send Me an Angel
6. Boulevard of Dreams
7. Espanique
8. Caribbean Blue
9. Someone's Watching Over Me/Iguassa Falls
10. Deep Forest
11. Call of the Wild

MARC RIBOT

MARC RIBOT
EXERCICES IN FUTILITY (2008)
320 KBPS

Heretical new music for solo guitar composed and performed by the radical maverick Marc Ribot, who has worked with everyone from Elvis Costello, Maryanne Faithful and Tom Waits to Bill Frisell and Sun Ra. Conceived as impossible etudes and exercises on a variety of finger busting guitar techniques, this astonishing suite will forever change your concept of what the guitar is capable (or not capable) of. Also included are a variety of compositions for solo guitar, making this the definitive collection of Ribot’s expressive and virtuosic solo music. Twisted, mangled and tortured, this instrumental tour-de-force is musical sacrilege at its best.

1. Etude #1 Five Gestures
2. Etude #2 Morton 1
3. Etude #3 Elvis
4. Etude #4 Bombasto
5. Etude #5 Lame
6. Etude #6 Cowboy
7. Etude #7 Ballad
8. Etude #8 Groove ?
9. Etude #9 Morton 2
10. Etude #10 Min
11. Etude #11 Ascending
12. Etude #12 Mirror
13. Etude #13 Wank
14. Etude #14 Event on 10th Avenue
15. The Joy of Repetition

BUMBLEFOOT

BUMBLEFOOT
ABNORMAL (2008)
VBR

'Abnormal' is the follow-up to Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal's previous offering 'Normal,' a hard rock album flavored with a light-hearted mix of different styles and genres, with catchy hooks and blistering guitar work. When asked about the new project, Thal had the following to say: 'It was October last year, I was about to fly into a f**king rage, went to go crash out at the studio, and all these songs just started flying out of my head. Spent the next few months recording drums, bass, guitars, vocals, opera singers and tuba players. Some people heard it and said it reminds them of the Sex Pistols with a little Beatles/Queen vibe to it. Didn't have a plan, just did what I felt, and in the end this is what I got.' Ron Thal is from NYC and is a member of Guns N' Roses, as well as a songwriter, producer, music Professor at SUNY Purchase College, and volunteer with the MS Research Foundation. He has released 7 solo works previous to 'Abnormal', has written TV themes, video game soundtracks, and has been a guest guitarist on stage or in the studio with a diverse list of artists that include Jessica Simpson, Joe Satriani, Nancy Sinatra, jazz legend Allen Toussaint, Turkish composer Fahir Atakoglu and others.

1. Abnormal
2. Glad to Be Here
3. Objectify
4. Some Other Guy
5. Jenny B
6. Last Time
7. Simple Days
8. Conspiracy
9. Piranha
10. Guitars Still Suck
11. Green
12. Spaghetti
13. Misery
14. Redeye
15. Day After
16. Dash