by Alissa Ordabai
– Sr. Columnist —
Having realized that virtuosity on its own is rapidly declining in value, Paul Gilbert these days uses comicality and compositional simplicity to attract new listeners. Amusing song titles, jokey lyrics and the overall easy vibe of his new release take Gilbert miles away from his early solo albums of knotty virtuoso extrapolations.
Here the focus shifts to humor and radio-friendly songwriting and the result is monotonous predictability. Rock, Rockabilly, and Blues when relayed by Gilbert’s chopsy vacuousness lose their original substance and become vaudeville music for the worn-out, disillusioned middle-aged demographic — those who are tired of rock, ashamed to engage in mainstream pop, and unequipped for anything beyond, much like Gilbert himself.
Gilbert’s previous collaboration with singer Freddie Nelson featured some startlingly beautiful melodies and imaginative compositional ideas. But on this record, the task is simpler. Catchy triviality and flawless musicianship not only boost the record’s salability but strip Rock music of its emotional content. The weird pose this album strikes between kookiness and commercial appeal leaves a distinct impression of a master technician who is unable to make music a spiritual pursuit but equally lacks originality to make it memorable entertainment.
Genre: Rock
Personnel:
Paul Gilbert – guitars
Freddie Nelson – vocals, guitars
Tony Spinner – vocals, guitars
Kevin Chown – bass
Thomas Lang – drums
Track Listing:
01. Everybody Use Your Goddamn Turn Signal
02. I Can Destroy
03. Knocking On a Locked Door
04. One Woman Too Many
05. Woman Stop
06. Gonna Make You Love Me
07. I Am Not the One (Who Wants To Be With You)
08. Blues Just Saving My Life
09. Make It (If We Try)
10. Love We Had
11. I Will Be Remembered
12. Adventure and Trouble
13. Great White Buffalo (bonus track)
Label: earMUSIC
Online: www.paulgilbert.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 3/10
which early solo albums of Paul Gilbert are you talking about?Spaceship?Burning Organ?King of Clubs?Flying Dog?Alligator Farm?humour has always been a part of Paul’s works even from his Racer X days. i think you should get your facts right before considering yourself good enough to review an artist’s album. Gilbert is one of those very few so-called virtuoso shred guitarists,if not the only, that has the courage to dapple with so many genres including jazz, blues and yeah even pop (his earlier works are considered mainstream pop in the ‘universe’ outside the States). Racer X and Mr. Big are very different bands and so are his many solo albums. Every album has different styles of music: Alligator farm, Raw Blues Power, Silence, Get Out of My Yard, Vibrato,etc.– all of something original and unique to offer.And the spiritual pursuit of music is not just about the seriousness of music; inducing joy,laughter, and having a good time and communicating these emotions through music is also a part of music’s spiritual journey!listen to his collaborations with Marco and also his solo efforts (at this rate im sure you know only a couple of albums) and you will realise how versatile he is (as oppose to what you term as ‘unequipped for anything beyond) and how ‘unequipped’ you are to write this review!