Avtor: Peter Podbrežnik
Izvajalec: Morse, Alan
Založba: Inside Out Records
Izid: 2007
Ocena: 3.5/5
To most well-informed fans of “more demanding” music, Alan Morse is a reasonably familiar name, while the vast majority of the wider music crowd still has no idea who he is. Alan is best known as the guitarist of modern prog rock icons Spock’s Beard, where he took over as the unofficial leader of the band in 2002 after the departure of his much better-known brother Neal. Though Alan is best known as a superb guitarist, he’s an all-round musician and multi-instrumentalist, just like his brother. The oddest thing about Alan’s guitar playing, especially for a rock guitarist, is that he doesn’t use a pick. He’s also known for his extensive use of the sustain effect, which has earned him the jokey nickname “Al Sustainiac” over the years.
After years of honing his chops on guitar in Spock’s Beard, Alan decided the time was right for a solo debut. Even though the album feels very personal throughout, don’t expect classic progressive rock like what he does in his home band. What you get instead is first-rate instrumental jazz rock fusion with a heavy emphasis on electric guitar. “Four O’ Clock And Hysteria” has no real claim to being called a Spock’s Beard side project, and sits much closer to the legacy of artists and bands like Return To Forever, Colosseum II, Dixie Dregs, Allan Holdsworth, and what another Morse, Steve Morse (Deep Purple, ex-Dixie Dregs, ex-Kansas), is still creating today. Steve, by the way, is no relation to Alan and Neal.
It’s no surprise that Alan got help on keyboards from his far more seasoned and recognizable brother, who has had a successful solo career for years. Alan has no intention of copying his brother’s career, though, and went for a completely original approach. Instead of cutting yet another Spock’s Beard clone, he and Neal made the kind of music Alan couldn’t have expressed within his home band, music in which his own musical voice comes through loud and clear. A few of his bandmates from Spock’s Beard also guest on the album (drummer/singer Nick D’Virgilio, bassist Dave Meros, and keyboardist Ryo Okumoto), along with special guest Jerry Goodman (ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra) on electric violin.
For the most part, the album is solid jazz rock fusion, and it blooms most on tracks like the aptly named “Cold Fusion”, “Return to Whatever” (its title makes it more than clear who it’s dedicated to) and the somewhat funkier “Chroma”. Still, Alan keeps proving his all-round musical approach and his equally strong grip on other styles, like blues on “R Bluz”, flamenco on “Spanish Steppes” and a few pop leanings on “Major Buzz” and “First Funk”. He also shows a flair for balladic pathos on the closing “Home”. The heaviest piece on the album is definitely “The Rite Of Left”, where he digs into the guitar a bit harder, in a similar style to what he does in Spock’s Beard. In other words, it’s the track that comes closest to what Alan does in his home band.
In my opinion, “Four O’ Clock And Hysteria” will thrill guitar enthusiasts and fans of every form of jazz rock fusion the most, while the average Spock’s Beard fan will probably be a little less excited about Alan’s debut. The album manages to leap beautifully into the right kind of guitar stratosphere, built on the best elements of jazz rock fusion and outside the traditional confines of progressive rock. In strict artistic terms, Alan’s debut doesn’t bring much that the masters of jazz rock fusion (who undoubtedly had a big influence on Alan’s musical path) haven’t already demonstrated nicely in the past. Still, it’s a fine showcase of Morse’s dynamic approach to guitar playing, where he successfully plants a few personal seeds in the world of quality jazz rock fusion melodies. Every top-notch guitarist carries a (hidden) agenda and a constant urge for endless musical exploration, for discovering new frontiers and their own capabilities. Alan’s debut is the first step toward showing off some of his hitherto undiscovered potential as one of the most talented and inspired guitarists in modern progressive rock.
Zasedba
Alan Morse – guitar
Neal Morse – keyboards
Gary Lunn – bass guitar
Scott Williamson – drums
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Dave Meros – bass guitar
Nick D’Virgilio – drums
Ryo Okumoto – keyboards
Jerry Goodman – electric violin
Eric Darken – percussion
Produkcija
Alan Morse & Neal Morse
Seznam skladb
1. Cold Fusion
2. Return To Whatever
3. Drive In Shuffle
4. R Bluz
5. First Funk
6. Dschungel Cruz
7. The Rite Of Left
8. Chroma
9. Spanish Steppes
10. Track 3
11. Major Buzz
12. Home
