Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 2:40 pm Post subject: The Divine Mr Govan ........
I have been listening to guitar music since the 70’s, and for me there have been two albums that totally blew me away. The first was Satch’s ‘surfing with the alien’, and the second was Vai’s ‘Passion & warfare’. Both classic albums, and I’m sure that people know them well enough without me extolling their virtues. Well, I now have a third album to add to the list – somewhat obviously, it’s GG’s ‘Erotic cakes’. For me, it’s the best instrumental guitar album ever. The playing is brilliant, the tones are beautiful and the songs are fantastic. I love a good distortion sound, but never before have my ears been caressed so sweetly by non-distorted tones like the ones that ring out throughout the album. The production and the bass playing also add to the experience.
Thanks Guthrie, for taking the guitar to a new place.
It's reassuring to hear people rating the album at the point I think it belongs: 'way up there'.
I had the laptop on shuffle last night and Guthrie's version of White Cliffs of Dover turned up... there's a "swooping" quality in some sections that really reminded me of Waves, which I think has to be one of my all time favourites, hearing the take on Eric Johnson I wondered if part of Waves was inspired by this.
Watching Guthrie play at the Bassment was a jaw dropping experience and hearing Waves for the first time was another as were the unsettling changes in Erotic Cakes same motiff different speeds and punctuation. Set aside the technical skills on the guitar and the music is first rate, set aside the music and virtuosity and there's a relaxed and conversational tone to all the tracks... and a sense of humour, and interaction with the other instruments .. that frankly I've felt lacking in live performances of Jazz luminaries like Pharoah Sanders at the Jazz Cafe... and the production is amazing.
Where I used to like taking people to the Bassment and watching their reactions, I love playing people the album.. Chelmsford should get a blue plaque for him or return the Prince of Orange to it's former squalid glory in deference
I really hope that Paul Cornford's Record Label was the watershed and now the music keeps flowing, but equally given the depth of the album I could understand it being another decade till the next album... _________________ Fabulous powers were revealed to me the day I held my magic Suhr(d) aloft and said "by the power of great scale!"
Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 2783 Location: Chino, CA
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:39 pm Post subject: Re: The Divine Mr Govan ........
axisus wrote:
I have been listening to guitar music since the 70’s, and for me there have been two albums that totally blew me away. The first was Satch’s ‘surfing with the alien’, and the second was Vai’s ‘Passion & warfare’. Both classic albums, and I’m sure that people know them well enough without me extolling their virtues. Well, I now have a third album to add to the list – somewhat obviously, it’s GG’s ‘Erotic cakes’. For me, it’s the best instrumental guitar album ever. The playing is brilliant, the tones are beautiful and the songs are fantastic. I love a good distortion sound, but never before have my ears been caressed so sweetly by non-distorted tones like the ones that ring out throughout the album. The production and the bass playing also add to the experience.
Thanks Guthrie, for taking the guitar to a new place.
We know exactly what you're saying and I wholeheartedly agree. I put 'EC' up with Yngwie's 'Rising Force', Satch's 'Surfing', Vai's 'P&W', and EJ's 'AVM' as one of the five best instrumental albums of all time and, personally speaking, I think EC is by far the best of 'em all, if not as influential considering that it's now a different era and musical climate.
As for the guitar sounds, yeah, they sure are sweet without losing the aggressive rock edge. I bought copies for friends and family members who are not guitar heads at all and they all told me that they were plesantly surprised by how "smooth" the whole album sounded. Knowing that I'm an extreme guitar freak, they thought it'd be noisy and bombastic shred that'd sound "heavy", but they said they really enjoyed the music on its own. _________________ Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.
Joined: 10 Sep 2004 Posts: 2783 Location: Chino, CA
Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 11:47 pm Post subject:
frankus wrote:
I really hope that Paul Cornford's Record Label was the watershed and now the music keeps flowing, but equally given the depth of the album I could understand it being another decade till the next album...
Another decade for the next album will not be acceptable! NO WAY! I think we'll see it lot sooner than we think. I think expecting one every other year isn't unreasonable, but he'll also have other projects going on, so I'm sure we'll get plenty of recorded output from Guthrie in the future. _________________ Ed Yoon
Certified Guthrie Fan-atic
BOING Music LLC - Managing Partner
.strandberg* Guitars USA
Ed Yoon Consulting & Management
Guitar Center Inc.
Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:33 am Post subject: Re: The Divine Mr Govan ........
alexkhan wrote:
axisus wrote:
I have been listening to guitar music since the 70’s, and for me there have been two albums that totally blew me away. The first was Satch’s ‘surfing with the alien’, and the second was Vai’s ‘Passion & warfare’. Both classic albums, and I’m sure that people know them well enough without me extolling their virtues. Well, I now have a third album to add to the list – somewhat obviously, it’s GG’s ‘Erotic cakes’. For me, it’s the best instrumental guitar album ever. The playing is brilliant, the tones are beautiful and the songs are fantastic. I love a good distortion sound, but never before have my ears been caressed so sweetly by non-distorted tones like the ones that ring out throughout the album. The production and the bass playing also add to the experience.
Thanks Guthrie, for taking the guitar to a new place.
We know exactly what you're saying and I wholeheartedly agree. I put 'EC' up with Yngwie's 'Rising Force', Satch's 'Surfing', Vai's 'P&W', and EJ's 'AVM' as one of the five best instrumental albums of all time and, personally speaking, I think EC is by far the best of 'em all, if not as influential considering that it's now a different era and musical climate.
As for the guitar sounds, yeah, they sure are sweet without losing the aggressive rock edge. I bought copies for friends and family members who are not guitar heads at all and they all told me that they were plesantly surprised by how "smooth" the whole album sounded. Knowing that I'm an extreme guitar freak, they thought it'd be noisy and bombastic shred that'd sound "heavy", but they said they really enjoyed the music on its own.
Hear Hear. Guthries record is in the top five best ever guitar records, and arguably the best. I'd put John Petruccis suspended animation up there with them. _________________ Dont practice till you get it right, practice till you never get it wrong.
Posted: Tue Nov 28, 2006 3:24 am Post subject: Re: The Divine Mr Govan ........
DaveUK wrote:
alexkhan wrote:
axisus wrote:
I have been listening to guitar music since the 70’s, and for me there have been two albums that totally blew me away. The first was Satch’s ‘surfing with the alien’, and the second was Vai’s ‘Passion & warfare’. Both classic albums, and I’m sure that people know them well enough without me extolling their virtues. Well, I now have a third album to add to the list – somewhat obviously, it’s GG’s ‘Erotic cakes’. For me, it’s the best instrumental guitar album ever. The playing is brilliant, the tones are beautiful and the songs are fantastic. I love a good distortion sound, but never before have my ears been caressed so sweetly by non-distorted tones like the ones that ring out throughout the album. The production and the bass playing also add to the experience.
Thanks Guthrie, for taking the guitar to a new place.
We know exactly what you're saying and I wholeheartedly agree. I put 'EC' up with Yngwie's 'Rising Force', Satch's 'Surfing', Vai's 'P&W', and EJ's 'AVM' as one of the five best instrumental albums of all time and, personally speaking, I think EC is by far the best of 'em all, if not as influential considering that it's now a different era and musical climate.
As for the guitar sounds, yeah, they sure are sweet without losing the aggressive rock edge. I bought copies for friends and family members who are not guitar heads at all and they all told me that they were plesantly surprised by how "smooth" the whole album sounded. Knowing that I'm an extreme guitar freak, they thought it'd be noisy and bombastic shred that'd sound "heavy", but they said they really enjoyed the music on its own.
Hear Hear. Guthries record is in the top five best ever guitar records, and arguably the best. I'd put John Petruccis suspended animation up there with them.
I didn't like Suspended Animation at all, but Erotic Cakes is now my favorite instrumental album!
Interesting to see Suspended Animation getting a mention. I'm a BIG JP fan, but for me SA didn't really hit the mark. I think that JP is more interesting playing off of a great keyboard player - the Liquid Tension Experiment stuff is amazing!
Having said that, SA is pretty complex stuff, and I really enjoyed it much more watching just how he was playing the stuff at a clinic.
Suspended Animation was just a massive Satriani, Crystal Planet rip off, and isnt in the same league as Erotic Cakes.
I still like it though.
I didn't hear that at all in that album. I think JP is in a different league to Stach, which was plainly demonstrated when he did G3. To me Satch looked lost when jamming with JP, and it was obvious JP was being curtious and holding back.
Axisus, I would agree that SA could have been a better record had he used Jordan or Derek. The "evening with Jordan Rudess....." album is extremely impressive IMO.
I'd like to see Guthrie do a G3 show, I think the jam session would be very interesting. _________________ Dont practice till you get it right, practice till you never get it wrong.
Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 570 Location: gothenburg, sweden
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject:
DaveUK wrote:
carnflab wrote:
Suspended Animation was just a massive Satriani, Crystal Planet rip off, and isnt in the same league as Erotic Cakes.
I didn't hear that at all in that album. I think JP is in a different league to Stach, which was plainly demonstrated when he did G3. To me Satch looked lost when jamming with JP, and it was obvious JP was being curtious and holding back.
pardon?! u gotta be kidding. or something ...
concerning SA, i can't give judgment on that album since i've only heard four or so songs, but the first thing that struck me though was: eh, a little too much satch-sounding compositions here (i mean that in a bad way). i thought that was pretty obvious. i'm going to get the album as soon as possible though so i can listen through it.
i bought "not of this earth" when it was released (before "surfing..."), and i actually got "when day and dream unite" when it was new, in 1989. i've been following both these players a looong time, i like them, and have been inspired by them.
but your comparison between satch and petrucci just baffles me. satch can be a pretty cheesy songwriter (as well as a brilliant one), but when it comes to expressing himself on the instrument, i find it quite uncontroversial to say he's got more to say than petrucci. petrucci is a fantastic guitar player, but quite often stiff, unlyrical and derivative. well, he's a great picker though, if that's what counts.
Joined: 16 May 2005 Posts: 40 Location: Leeds - UK
Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:39 pm Post subject:
DaveUK wrote:
I didn't hear that at all in that album. I think JP is in a different league to Stach, which was plainly demonstrated when he did G3. To me Satch looked lost when jamming with JP, and it was obvious JP was being curtious and holding back.
Utterly ridiculous statement! For the record, JP is heavily influenced by Satch and not the other way round - why do you think that is? _________________ The more you learn the less you know
i find it quite uncontroversial to say he's got more to say than petrucci. petrucci is a fantastic guitar player, but quite often stiff, unlyrical and derivative.
Total and utter b.......! (EDIT- please insert your own PC friendly expletive, lest my tesicular tirade should cause offence)
I too have followed JS since NotE (good old vinyl!), and JP since I&W, and I find your statement to be absolutely ridiculous. JS has been brilliant, and has been very important to all fans of guitar music - but I think he has had nothing to say since Engines of Creation. Every record that DT releases is full of breathtaking songs and solos from the whole band.
I'm quite happy for anyone to say that they don't like his music personally, but your statement was an insult.
and whoever said that SA is a crystal Planet rip-off ..... whaaa????
Last edited by axisus on Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:55 am; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 570 Location: gothenburg, sweden
Posted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:10 pm Post subject:
whatever ... don't really think we have anything disagree about. as i said: i have great respect for satch and jp. they're great players, both of them guilty of superb stuff as well as almost embarrasing moments. but in the flesh, wire and wood department, satch is hard to beat when it comes to vibrato, timing, general 'feel', tone, improvising and dynamics (regardless if the context is somewhat cheezy). those are satch's strengths in my opinion. were i to describe petruccis strengths, it wouldn't be in those words. how many people would care about jp if he didn't play fast? don't get me wrong! it's certainly not the only thing he does -- but the prog kids out there wouldn't really care about him sans his great ripping moments. he's great at it. it's a primary aspect of his style. but he's not the most dynamic player out there. but i still like to listen a lot of his stuff. he's still a thousand times the musician i could ever be.
but actually: i don't see why i bother to write this since i don't care too much about any of these players nowadays. so i'll just shut up and go back to my oz noy, adam rogers and jim campilongo records.
Are you guys done arguing about who's better out of Joe Satriani and John Petrucci... obviously neither of them compare to Ted Nugent, now there's a guitarist who's given the second amendment the consideration it deserves.. heck Petrucci and Satriani don't even offer personal hunting trips.. I bet they don't even own guns.
I loved Engines of Creations, not least of all because I can still buy XXXXXXXXXXXL tour t-shirts for $4 at the Kwiki Mart in the bargain bucket next to the Betamax version of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Don't buy the tees, guys.. I've nearly got enough for every day of the month.
axisus, you said the b word back there, I hope you're sorry about that. If you want to change the word to "heck" or "rubbish" or "trash" I'll respect your decision to opt for milder curses.
_________________ Fabulous powers were revealed to me the day I held my magic Suhr(d) aloft and said "by the power of great scale!"
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welcome to the forum.
don't really think we have anything disagree about. as i said: i have great respect for satch and jp. they're great players, both of them guilty of superb stuff as well as almost embarrasing moments. but in the flesh, wire and wood department, satch is hard to beat when it comes to vibrato, timing, general 'feel', tone, improvising and dynamics (regardless if the context is somewhat cheezy). those are satch's strengths in my opinion. were i to describe petruccis strengths, it wouldn't be in those words. how many people would care about jp if he didn't play fast? don't get me wrong! it's certainly not the only thing he does -- but the prog kids out there wouldn't really care about him sans his great ripping moments. he's great at it. it's a primary aspect of his style. but he's not the most dynamic player out there. but i still like to listen a lot of his stuff. he's still a thousand times the musician i could ever be.
