Comments (People Who See Sound
Joe Satriani (Epic/Red Ink)
On the obelisk of modern rock guitar pharaohs, few
inscribed names are more revered than Joe "Satchmo" Satriani. Perhaps
as well known in larger circles for his famous students as his own guitar work,
(he gave lessons to Kirk Hammett of Metallica back in the day), Satriani has
been an important and respected influence and participant in the guitar
renaissance that began in the last half of the 20th Century and continues
today. On his latest effort, Professor Sathafunkilus and the Mysterion of
Rock, we see Satch doing what he does best: injecting melodic solos over some
TV-dinner-style, ready-made backing tracks with a tone and technique
that's grade-A. But while this might be enough to impress players of
the Guitar Hero videogame or student guitarists taking their first unsure steps
across the fret board, the average listener will undoubtedly wonder
"Where are all the songs?" Or, "When does the singing kick
in?" While it may not be exactly fair to hold someone known for 6-minute
guitar solos to the same songwriting standards as, say, a Paul Simon
(would we complain if Paganini returned to do an album of nothing but violin
solos?), it must be pointed out that Satch's latest effort seems to suffer from
the same drawback many in the "guitar god" genre suffer from - there
isn't a single decent 'song' anywhere on the disc. Masturbatory displays
of instrumental virtuosity, even 45-minute ones, are excusable if there is
sufficient advancement of the instrument. That is my criteria... at
least the one I've just made up. Unfortunately, I'm not fully convinced
that Satch isn't just phoning it in at this point. Don't get me wrong, his
guitar work is formidable, but for my money, I think I'd pick up a
Dragonforce album or a couple sets of strings instead.
-Brad Linzy
Rating: 2
Valet
Naked Acid CD (Kranky)
The second solo album from Portland guitarist/vocalist/inner
space traveler Honey Owens, Naked Acid
is a brilliant piece of twilight psychedelia with some nicely out-there
touches. But unlike others (not naming names), she wisely never fully loses
sight of the songs themselves - pulling them back in when they wander off too
far. Owens” drifty, distant vocals are seemingly pulled from another ghostly
dimension, and her guitar is both melodic and ferocious, often at the same
time. Pieces like the unforgettably-titled “F*ck It” are wispy slices of
proto-ambient blues, if that makes any sense, with only a Spartan drum amidst
the layers of guitar noise and lysergically-driven effects. “Fire” almost
returns to Earth (hah) and is as close to a pop-song as Owens is likely to pen,
while the closer, “Streets,” boasts some surprisingly jacked-up some drum
programming alongside the jagged drones. Astoundingly beautiful and individual
work here.
-Todd Zachritz
Rating: 5
Hole in the Sun
Night Ranger (VH1 Classic)
It's been over 10 years since their last studio album
and 25 years since the initial formation of the group, and Night Ranger is back
with a new set of original studio material that's actually not half bad. Most
will remember Night Ranger by their signature string of 80s hits
like "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," "When You Close Your
Eyes," "(You Can Still) Rock in America," and "Sister
Christian," and this new effort, put out on the new VH1 Classic label,
includes performances from three of the original members and seems to have
earned its place among their classic early records. Any time a band comes
back together after such a long hiatus, there is always the danger of a
complete and embarrassing face-flop, but with guitarist and originating member
Brad Gillis still on board and all the rock cylinders firing, Hole in the
Sun does justice to a band for which Gillis once forsook a permanent gig
as Ozzy Osbourne's axeman. As an added bonus, for nostalgia's sake, they've
included acoustic versions of "Sister Christian" and "Don't Tell
Me You
-Brad Linzy
Rating:3
Dead Child CD (Quarterstick/Touch & Go)
-Todd Zachritz
Rating: 3
Ship of Fools CD (Prophase/MVD Audio)
All-American balls-out RAWK from this Philly band who are
hell-bent on busting their amplifiers and your eardrums, if you get too close.
This is simple stuff, with no scenester poses or slick haircuts. American
Speedway is about the rock of it. And it’s a heavy, yet well-measured dose
(31minutes that don’t back down), easily for fans of the bare-bones
adrenaline/sweat sounds of AC/DC or the Supersuckers. They don’t easily fit
into metal or punk camps, though will easily appeal to fans of either side. “Cocaine”
is destined to be an anthem for all times, with its raw and anarchic boost of
energy. American Speedway is a blitzkrieg of boisterous ferocity with the power
to shake some booty and crack some skulls in the process. Loved it.
-Rob Wickett
Rating: 4
Stanley Jordan Trio (inakustik)
Employing a percussive two-handed tapping technique,
completely beyond the faculties of most guitarists, of pull-offs and hammer-ons
that require an alternate tuning on a custom guitar to properly execute,
-Brad Linzy
Rating: 4
