Label: First World Records
Category: Music
Average customer rating:
Format: Enhanced
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
UPC: 656613405123
EAN: 0656613405123
ASIN: B00005REVL
Release Date: 2001-11-20
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Artist: Trey Gunn
Label: First World Records Category: Music Average customer rating:
Format: Enhanced Media: Audio CD Number Of Discs: 1 UPC: 656613405123 EAN: 0656613405123 ASIN: B00005REVL Release Date: 2001-11-20 |
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Trey Gunn is still best known as a member of the most recent incarnation of King Crimson, playing his Warr Touch guitar, a variation on the Chapman Stick. Gunn's work with Crimson carries over into his own ensemble, except instead of holding down the bass player's role, he stretches out into some scintillating lead work that owes a debt to his mentor, Robert Fripp, especially the long, undulating sustained melodies. Teaming up with another Warr guitarist, Joe Mendelson, guitarist Tony Geballe, and drummer Bob Muller, Gunn shows that 2000's <I>The Joy of Molybdenum</I> was no studio fluke, as he brings the same hell-bent fury and sky-scraping architecture to the live performances captured here. Jettisoning the vocals that often make King Crimson sound like two different bands--one a quirky pop group with Adrian Belew singing, another storming the gates of instrumental heaven--Gunn's band sets their sites on the instrumental heaven, with roles shifting in the band as guitars become percussion instruments and drums become melodic. But topping it all are elaborate guitar and Warr guitar leads veering from African style cross-picking to feedback frenzies. <I>--John Diliberto</I>Customer Reviews:
Impressive Music.......2004-01-30
One sonic reference point is King Crimson, circa 1981-84. The opening track sounds like some type of Robert Fripp experiment circa 1979 as played by the 1984 band. I mean this as a compliment. This sounds a bit like the Crimson of "The Sheltering Sky" but playing compositions with more changes in them.
The quality of the recordings is quite nice, a strong clear sound.
Why buy it? Because it nicely balances aggression and adrenaline with relaxation and an etherial quality, and because it's musically interesting. Why not buy it? I can't see any reason not to.
Fine Live Thing.......2003-03-03
"Dziban" opens the disc with an 80s-Crimson gamelan-type guitar pattern. The mood is mellow, but gradually gives way to a searing, skysaw section that shreds. It is here that you hear the trademark Gunn sound, a very growly but clear raspiness that is a joy in itself to listen to. The mood switches back to mellow then, with some pleasant but not overwhelming melodic noodling to close out the piece.
"The Glove", one of the standout tracks on "The Joy of Molybdenum", here gets an extended treatment. Opening with frantic, tabla-like percussion that is jittery and entertaining, eventually a heavy, fuzzed out two power-chord riff comes in to serve as the foundation for Gunn's strasopheric shredding. All kinds of other interesting noises and fills pepper the mix from the remaining musicians. The piece finally fades away to a simple lyrical line that serves as a transition to the next song.
"Kuma", sounding very much like something that belongs on King Crimson's Discipline, is a bouncy, slightly cerebral piece with "eastern" percussion. A heavier second theme reminds you that this isn't just a King Crimson guitarist you're listening to, and then gives way entirely to a minimalist "jazzy" section. The thing about the piece, and perhaps Gunn's band in general, are the various marvelous mixes of guitar tone they put together. And this, unfortunately, is not something describable. You simply have to hear it.
At first, the improbably named "Hierarchtitiptitoploftical" seems like a song from a completely different band. Guitars in the left and right channel swap chords while the bass, in the center, punches its notes in what sounds like a different key. The guitar chords then go dissonant and "progressive" with all kinds of nifty harmonies. The swapping here between the guitarists (hardly any of the notes hit together) is definitely a virtuoso display, but not merely for the sake of showing off. It would probably not be possible for one guitarist to play the combined chord progression (and certainly not with the alternating guitar tones). Gunn then enters on a run to put some spicy noodling over the top of all of this. A very successful (and impressive) piece.
"Sirrah" brings us back to "Dziban" territory, although overall in a mellower mood than the opener, drifting back and forth from more driving gamelan-type guitars to atmospherics and melody. The backing arpeggio during the first solo is especially yummy in execution and tone. This section then repeats, with footpedals amped up a bit, to close the piece.
"Arrakis" opens with a spacy, one wants to say "sci-fi", bit, including touches of Gunn's talk-guitar. Hyper drums and "keyboard" washes (on guitar) set a jittery, semi-ominous mood, followed by a jerky, angular bass section. The bass line proves to be a sample of things to come as a very similar line then pops and jumps all over the frets from the guitar section. A more interesting section of powerfully driving bass follows, with frantically linear guitar lines, first clean and then with signature Warr distortion, buzzing right along, the percussion putting extra oomph into the mix.
"Tehlikeli Madde" follows. Not one of the most inspired songs from "Joy of Molybdenum", the additional energy of being played live doesn't necessarily make it more interesting. A rolling bass line undergirds a rather conventional melody, gives way to a quieter passage, and then returns again with a slightly dull guitar line. The flatness of this piece, of course, is simply in relation to the rest of the album.
"Brief Encounter" opens with an oud-like melody. A full-throated bassline and eastern percussion evoke the Middle East perfectly before Gunn sets off on one of his more inspired solos. Way too many cool guitar noises here (with gorgeous pedal abuse along the way) to name them all; a dropping bass note line toward the end steps the piece up amazingly one more notch, and it is almost impossible not to press replay as the piece ends. This is probably the must-have song on the disc.
"Rune Song" opens mellowy, and with a rather too-chirpy guitar melody that thankfully finally gives way a heavier, straightforard jam where Gunn really gets to show off his stuff (without becoming merely showy), especially at the end of the section. A third section begins with an arpeggiated line that is then shared around the band in various configurations. A few raunchy chords serve as a break from the "melody" before it returns again and ends so suddenly that the crowd doesn't notice the song is over right away.
All around, a very solid sample of the Trey Gunn band live. A good place to start if you've heard good things about him and are curious.
Cada vez mejor.......2002-12-23
Incredible.......2002-11-22
I have often been critical of too much electronics used to produce music because too many people fall into the trap of using technology to cheat and make things easier... However, to actually see Trey Gunn play the Warr guitar leaves me in awe. There is nothing easy about that instrument. The level of mental discipline and coordination required to play what he plays and how he plays it is stagering.
If you don't believe me or even what you hear buy the album just for the two imbeded Quick Time movies of Kuma and Rune... If you're not totally hypnotized buy Trey, watch Bob Muller on drums. You will be stunned buy the shear, flawless professionalism of this band!
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