Reviews

John McLaughlin DVD - Meeting of the Minds – The Making of “Floating Point”.

This DVD is an intimate record of how John McLaughlin’s latest CD release, “Floating Point” (see recent review), was made. It is a fascinating study of the great man’s approach to his music, and how he imparts his vision to his fellow musicians.

One need look no further than Glenn Hughes’ long and illustrious career, to know that the man is not only a legend but totally committed to rocking that funky house down at every opportunity.

Enduring LA rockers Dokken return with a new album that promises a return to their much loved 80's heyday. In recent years Dokken have released a succession of albums that, whilst generally well received, where nevertheless felt by many long standing fans to be trying to flirt with modern trends too much - so the question is has Don Dokken and crew delivered an album that can take us back to those halycon days of 1986's classic 'Under Lock And Key'? 

It’s hard to know where to start with Kip Winger. It’s like trying to preach to the deaf. Either you are fully aware of this man’s extraordinary talent or you are not. I don’t like to use the word genius loosely, but there you have it, I just have.

Most songwriters dry up by the time they are 30, whereas Kip Winger continues to produce and compose so much high calibre music it’s uncanny. I always worry that he will run out of any decent material for his own solo work, but I can assure you that, once again he hasn’t.

It seems amazing to think that Get Out Of My Yard (or GOOMY as we shall now call it!) was Paul Gilbert’s first completely instrumental album. One of the true masters of uber technical guitar, Gilbert has given us many delights over the years and, with the song Scarified, he effectively etched his way into the collective shred sub-conscious for all time.

Over the years David Coverdale has had numerous line ups for his pet project and from the gutsy blues induced soloing of Bernie Marsden to the fiery metalized approach of John Sykes he has never been short of great guitar playing. Even the slightly misguided partnership with Steve Vai produced some superb moments.

By Guest Contributer STEVE THORNE:

The title of John McLaughlin’s latest CD offering “Floating Point” describes that unique moment when all the musicians in the band are in the groove, when everything gels, when all are playing as one.

The outstanding musicianship, composition and improvisation to be found on this, John’s 40th recording as a band leader or co-leader, all go to reinforce his standing as one of the truly great musicians of the last 50 years.

Very rarely do any of us put on a new album and get into it on first play. Well the first offering from Newcastle’s finest hits the nail from the off. Vendetta are a classic 5 piece metal band and ‘Tyranny Of Minority’ is a classic metal album.

Matt Schofield is a comparatively young guitarist/vocalist whose star is most definitely on the ascendant. In recent years he has garnered some amazing press from all over the world, and has been hailed by fans and critics alike as British Blues' great new guitar hope.

Charles Dominici has forever been known in metal circles as Dream Theater's 'lost' vocalist, having appeared on their debut album 'When Dream And Day Unite' and then disappearing when that album failed to live up to commercial expectations. Petrucci and gang went back to the drawing board and drafted in Canadian James Labrie, who has fronted the prog metal leviathans ever since, and Dominici was seemingly consigned to history.