Texan guitarist Eric Johnson demonstrates his lively licks across a mix of self-penned and cover songs, opening on Stevie Wonder’s Up Tight [Everything’s Alright] which is a tough task to rock on but Johnson does just this.
Third To Love You
is a sweet ballad slowing the pace, but at eight minutes also providing space
for his fine guitar work to luxuriate, as it does – the second solo spot a deep
groove of echoed lead.
The instrumental Stratagem
is an electrified romp followed by the acoustic instrumental of One Rainy Wish, both demonstrating
Johnson’s exemplary playing. This is followed by the Beatles’ cover We Can Work it Out, a Paul Simon’s Gracelands-esque
re-working that works. In a dramatic shift, this is followed by the blues
standard which B B King’s made well known, Rock
Me Baby – and covered by another Texan axeman Johnny Winter – and here
Johnson plays it with a jazz-smooth tone and some lightning riffs.
The musical rounds gets visited a la 60s again with an
instrumental cover of The Ventures’ Pipeline
and this too updates with echo of its time and modernising, the mixed sounds of
calypso and Jeff Beck exemplifying the musical meld.
The album closes on another glorious instrumental To Whom It May Concern and Johnson
displays here a mellowness within a deft quickness of playing that impresses. A
fine album.
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