Some of the music in this column has no spoken words while other selections have no sung words and only lyrics spoken.
Guitars are featured prominently speaking their own language on two of the discs, while another teaches language through song. The fourth uses the language of rhythm and blues.
If you're a little blue, turn up the volume and enjoy the rhythm of these sounds. You know music is the universal language, which knows no bounds.
Neal Schon, Beyond the Thunder, (Higher Octave Music)
"Big Moon" sounds very similar to the fade out of Journey's, "Who's Crying Now," giving listeners the
familiarity with Schon's past to appreciate his present. He still has that distinguishable sound from the days
when he made his guitar sing to millions. Now, however, his wheels in the sky have landed.
"Cool Breeze" is just one of the instrumentals on this disk that show Schon as more than a rock
musician. He is one of the better guitarists today. "Bandalero" conjures memories of his days as a teen
when Schon played with Santana.
On "Zanzibar," the musician really opens himself up and creates a beautiful ballad worthy of dedicating
to the love of one's life. The song draws upon all of Schon's creative songwriting - the same creativity
and catchiness that helped sell 50 million albums for Journey. And, incidentally, Journey keyboardist
Jonathan Cain joins Schon on ivories and pen to play and write these brilliant tracks.
"Zanzibar" is the kind of track listeners think, "Hmm, I want to hear more of this, maybe I should play
it over" and they think about trying the repeat button on their disc player for the first time. But "Send Me
an Angel" draws them in by that point and they hear another song that would have made the Top 5 if
Steve Perry sounded half as good on a Journey song then as Schon does here.
Schon sounds as though he improvises through parts of "Espanique" and the effect resembles a lead
guitar solo. Throughout the rest of the song, he and the band just play great music.
The whole disc proves how multi-talented Schon is as a writer and guitarist. With Cain's help, the
recording goes beyond thunder and reaches the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Fortunately, he
shares his wealth of talent with listeners.
Click this line to catch a cool
Neal Schon homepage, with links to Journey stuff as well.
Various Artists, Six String II, The Burnin' Sessions, (Mesa Records)
The Al Di Meola Project performs the jazzy title track to his "Kiss My Axe" release - it sounds ethereal
and upbeat. By himself, the virtuoso plays "Paradisio," from his Orange and Blue release.
Scott Henderson's axe uncovers a hard-driving sound on "Hole Diggin," from his album Dog Party. His
style approaches that of Steve Vai and sounds great. That adjective also describes the flamenco sounds
of Strunz & Farah's "Amazonas." In that case, however, the two acoustic guitars create a highly romantic
and danceable sound.
Andy Summers, who achieved fame with the Police and has scored a few movie soundtracks, joins
John Etheridge on "Lolita," from the album Invisible Threads. The track is full of guitar chords that create
a beautiful musical landscape. On "Rockin' Gypsies" Willie & Lobo conjure images of a nomadic lifestyle
and the simple pleasures that go with that. The song is from Fandango Nights.
"Moyo" has background vocals and lead vocals, but the guitars and Carribbean instrumentation
share the stage well. The song, performed by Willie & Lobo, also appears on Fandango Nights. It sounds
great as a world-music piece until some keyboard sounds reminiscent of "Hill Street Blues" or "Miami
Vice" add elements of inconsistency. Lead guitars also overpower the natural and accoustic sounds later
in the track.
All in all, the music on the disc displays the vast range of styles possible with six strings. Listeners
will be impressed at how much visual detail the sounds create on their inner eye and how they won't
notice that vocals are missing from most songs, even if all they listen to is Top 40 radio.
Click here to check out the Willie & Lobo
homepage.
Trout Fishing in America, Mine!, (Trout Records)
"18 Wheels on a Big Rig" sounds pretty good. The liner notes describe it as a counting song. Ezra
Idlet and Keith Grimwood, both fishermen comprising the band, count from one to 18, sometimes singing
only the even or odd numbers.
The title track sounds better than the first two songs. It describes the difficulty of sharing belongings
and brings to it a Middle Eastern quality that helps make it a good song without the educational value.
"Hall of a Hundred Doors" doesn't count as high as it could. It's a story about fear and feeling safe
told in a rockabilly style. Later, in a reggae style, the fish fans describe where they spend time during the heat,
"Swimming Pool."
"Count on Me" is a good ballad about the Chinese abacus, or so the liner notes kid. Really, the song
is about friends. The vocals and music both sound great. "Wishes" tells an interesting tale of goldfish
trying to escape, a cat who wants to taste the fish and a sister who wants to touch her brother's animals.
All get their wish in the end and nobody gets in trouble, either. This song is told, rather than sung.
The disc doesn't sound like the usual disc for children, and the liner notes state that means Trout
Fishing in America did its job. The band also says it doesn't check IDs in case adults like their music, as
most will. In addition to interesting songs, the disc is full of fun illustrations, such as the symbol informing
that the product is recyclable - it uses three fish with bent tails to form a triangle instead of the arrows.
The band earns high points for creativity, harmony and fun. Both old and young should enjoy it.
Click here for a Trout Fishing in America
homepage.
Boxing Gandhis, Boxing Gandhis, (Mesa Records)
The seven-piece band plays some catchy music, especially "Lose My Language," a song about the
Western world moving too far from nature to realize how society has hurt the environment. The song
sounds great even well telling a powerful message.
The band's only female member, Brie Darling, takes over lead vocals for "Again and Again." The song
best describes the Boxing Gandhis' fight: "We can turn all the rage to reason ... that's the reason we're
here right now ... we can turn all the hurt to hunger ... a hunger for a better world again and again."
Most of the music on this disc reflects a similar message through creative R&B.
Another highlight of the disc is "My Friend Tom," a smooth acoustic number about people afraid of
living. The song features a sitar solo courtousy of Babarumraisin Darling and the whole track sounds
great.
"Free" sounds like a fun song to visit. The lyrics describe a place where no one goes hungry and
everyone lives peacefully. "Free" brings a certain hippie movement quality to the disc, although it
recognizes the ideal land doesn't exist.
"Interesting Again" stands out as a jazzy track with some half-spoken vocals that resemble Us-3.
The song sounds interesting. "For Your Attention" has no profound messages; it just describes what one
person will do to win someone's attention, as many love songs do.
All parents should listen to "Born for This," a beautiful message song in which Mother tells her child
all that Baby can expect to find in the world. In general, the band sounds like it has fun bringing good
music and important messages to listeners. That enthusiasm translates well and listeners should catch it,
too.
Click to enter the Boxing Gandhis
Band Page.
(C) 1995 Daniel E. Klatt Enterprises.
OOOO
ROCK
OO1/2
CHILDREN'S MUSIC
OOO1/2
RHYTHM & BLUES
OOO1/2
Ratings are based on a scale of up to four discs, with one meaning the music is a waste of
listeners’ money and four denoting an excellent disc that belongs on everyone’s shelf.