| Fourth Estate By B. Leventhal Color Red February 1996 Music for music's sake satisfies the soul, but it rarely sells record. The trio who comprise the Ft. Collins-based group Fourth Estate are more concerned about their music than their marketability. Guitarist Dave Beegle has made clear statements on the subject. "I like all types of music, popular, marketable stuff, but Fourth Estate [music] is wreitten with an honest intent. When grunge first hit mainstream it was honest. Nirvana had that honest intent, but it loses impact when others copy it because it's pop." And indeed, the 10 tracks on See What I See are guaranteed to sound original and stylistically unique. A similar sound has been produced by Joe Satriani in the past, on his instrumental rock 'n' roll albums, but any comparisons suffer from the apples and oranges problems. Fourth Estate is definitely one of the oranges. The lack of lyrics in this music allows the listener to perceive their own meaning in the songs. For many people, using their imagination is too much like work. For the rest of us, Fourth Estate provides us with aural imagery, presented by artists. The CD explodes from the start with a roller-coaster ride on Beegle's guitar, and his instrument of choice, the TransPerformance DTS-01, a fancy name for a revolutionary, computer assisted, self-tuning guitar. Not only can it instantly re-tune one or all strings, it can also randomly tune to produce unexpected, experimental effects. Beegle is one of the most talented artists I have heard. His precision and power are only overshadowed by his concept and ability. Now if he could only write lyrics, this band would indeed be a force to be reckoned with. Fred Babich is credited with the orchestrations and bass guitar. If he is responsible for the arrangements and continuity of the pieces he is to be congratulated. As for his string manipulation, Babich proves that a bass should not be relegated to tempo and support, but that it excels at texturing melodies and harmonies in addition to providing a cornerstone for the band. Dave Spurr's percussive talents are the result of his heritage as an omni-dexterous octopus with computer guided timing and the instincts of a mantis. His ability to smoothly change meter and direction are impressive, as is his inventive talent. The strengths of all produce some of the most developed rock style tracks on the market today. Most purely, or primarily instrumental De's and groups are either lumped in to orchestral or jazz categories due to the marketing practices of most major labels. Unfortunately, this translates into low market impact, and low sales. Fourth Estate deserves to receive much more attention, for its quality and originality hold promise. Beegle credits the 1994 Arts Fest in Sofia, Bulgaria with the impetus and inspiration for this new CD. Translating folk music and themes into a rock sound demand innovative development and direction. If your interests lie in progressive and unique artistic collaborations, Fourth Estate provides some of the most amazing local proof that the future is now; tune in or you'll be late.
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