Walid Itayim Where I Want to Be
by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer
The debut album from Lebanese guitarist / singer / songwriter Walid Itayim revives the warm retro glow of the golden age of vintage blues-rock with elegant precision and plenty of old-school finesse. If you think of Lebanon as an unlikely place to churn out glow-in-the dark bluesy soft-rock tunes that evoke the fulsome poise of Chrysalis Records mid-Seventies gold reserve, this record will make you think twice as Itayim is as polished and focused a songwriter as he is a guitarist.
On standouts “Faith” and “What She Does” he contrasts the silky glimmer of his spare, assured guitar technique with instantly memorable hooks, and the rich tone of his guitar perfectly fits the dynamics of instantly catchy harmonies of his songwriting. If Itayim’s guitar leads show plenty of balance, structure, and emotion, his smoky vocal delivery contrasts his guitar extrapolations perfectly, while other highlights like “Theodore”, a tuneful, nuanced story-song, shows off his penchant for an intelligent lyric the way we don’t always hear even from the majority of native English speakers.
To sum it all up, the album is a dexterous display of good taste, skill, intuition and a sheer passion for the music of those who have shaped Itayim’s art and whose names he lists as his heroes in the liner notes: Clapton, Zappa, Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Gary Moore, Johnny Winter, and Alivn Lee – just a few among those who have left the most recognisable impression on Itayim’s music.
Track Listing:
1. Angel
2. Running Out of Time
3. Thank God It’s Over
4. Moving On
5. Faith
6. Can’t Live This Way
7. Image and Appearance
8. Strangest Little Creature
9. They Call It Love
10. Theodore
11. What She Does
12. Where I Wanna Be
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10
Well said Alissa,
Speaking as a big fan of Walid Itayim, he has always inspired us with his great tunes, and it makes me glad to see such reviews about this sensational musician..
Go Go Abu Fuad!
This review definitely does justice to the man I frequently refer to as ‘the Middle East’s own Clapton’ – a great songwriter and a soulful and highly skilled guitarist. The album and the refined way it was recorded surely demonstrates the talents and capabilities of Walid Itayim, and should be added to the music collection of rock-lovers all over the world.