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Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2600.0. "Shawn Lane" by RICKS::CALCAGNI (Buckethead for president) Mon Sep 28 1992 13:21

    I know Tom D mentioned something about Shawn Lane in the General Discussion
    note, but the guy is good enough that he probably deserves his own
    topic.
    
    I risked some bucks on Shawn's debut CD "Powers of Ten" this weekend.
    He's been much hyped in GP lately (world's best "cult" guitarist, etc.)
    and there's a good piece on him in the latest "Musician".  I like the CD,
    a lot.  Both Tom and the GP article pretty much hit the nail on the
    head.
    
    Shawn wrote all the tunes, except for the Ray Gomez cover "West
    Side Boogie", and plays all the instruments himself.  The album falls into
    roughly three distinct sections.  The first four tunes are somewhat guitar
    oriented, although still fairly heavy with synth textures, and at times
    bordering on fuzak.  If I have one complaint, it's the overly glossy
    production.  Some of these wouldn't sound out of place on your local soft
    jazz station; only "West Side" really kicks some butt.  Which is too
    bad, because if you can get past the syrupy texture, there's a lot 
    going on in here.  Great melodies, unusual structures, and Shawn just
    burns on whatever instrument he plays.
    
    "West Side Boogie" culminates the first group, and is the only full
    blown guitar track on the album.  It smokes, but the cheesey sampled
    rhythm section is a bit of a minus for me.  I guess this is what Shawn
    means by "modern production values".  The drums are drum samples, but
    played live by Shawn tapping on a keyboard.  Makes me want to hear Gomez
    original version (with a real rhythm section, I presume).
    
    At this point, the album takes a sharp turn.  The next two pieces are
    heavily orchestrated, featuring mostly synth and piano and hardly any
    guitar; together they total about 22 minutes.  Shawn shows off his
    keyboard and composing chops here; incredible music, defies
    categorization.  Interestingly, for me the samples and synths work
    much better on these tunes, as if the tunes were written with the
    sythesized textures in mind (which they probably were).
    
    The final section is the weirdest, and perhaps the most satisfying.
    Lots of good guitar here, quirky, inventive synth stuff, and bizzare
    tunes.  Lots of free jazz and classical music influences, but still
    very original.  Shawn rips of a couple of great solos here too.
    
    All in all, I highly recommend this CD.  As Tom mentioned, this is not
    a shredder's album; the tunes, not Shawn's guitar chops, are the main
    attraction.  Yet you can't help but be impressed by both the breadth
    and depth of Shawn's talent as an instrumentalist.  If you didn't read
    about it in GP, you might be tempted to think this was some hot new
    keyboard player's album.  On the other hand, Shawn rips off some
    absolutely mind-boggling displays on six-string.  At times, he's
    reminiscent of Beck, E.J., Holdsworth, and Morse.  In fact, given
    the potential he displays here, he could be faulted for not cutting
    loose enough on the album.
    
    One other point.  This is a very "un-commercial" album.  Although
    clearly in the popular music vein, it is extremely ambitious and
    doesn't fall neatly into the categories preferred by the record
    industry.  I think we need to encourage and support more artists
    like this, especially those of Shawn's caliber.
    
    Buy it; you'll be glad you did.
    
    /rick
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2600.1USPMLO::DESROCHERSMon Sep 28 1992 17:3712
    
    	Hi Rick - nice review!  It was right on.  Glad that someone
    	took the chance too.  Btw, Bob Conroy heard it and was very
    	impressed also.  
    
    	I bought it along with Larry Carlton's new one and this just
    	blows it away.  
    
    	The free jazz tune is terrific !!
    
    	Tom
    
2600.2more tidbitsRICKS::CALCAGNIBuckethead for presidentMon Sep 28 1992 18:5627
    Shawn does a cool trick that I like; in what seems like a normal
    and familiar progression, he'll suddenly throw in a slightly dissonant
    interval; the effect is subtle but it really adds some spice to the tunes.
    A lot of similar things in his playing; subtle things that'll sneak by
    if you're not listening.  It makes digging into the music very
    rewarding.
    
    If you're into speed, Shawn does a few solos that I'll wager are as
    fast as anything on record (e.g., on "Grey Pianos Flying").  When
    guitarists play this fast, the trick is making it sound like something
    other than mush.  This is something I think Shawn excells at; he can
    play fast, but it still sounds like something.  Speed isn't the main
    point to his playing though (although some of the articles I've seen
    seem to suggest this); it's just another color on his palette.
    
    Shawn has two basic amp rigs he plays through.  One is a Holmes
    "Mississippi Blues Master", 100w solid state, with a Westbury tube
    driver (both companies now defunct, I believe).  The other is a custom
    Class-A style all tube amp built by someone named Bob Gjika from
    Austin Texas.  It's pretty easy to tell the Gjika amp; it has a huge,
    rich, 100 lb violin tone, very similar to E.J.'s.  In fact, E.J. should
    check this guy Gjika out; then maybe he could get his sound without
    blowing out peoples ears with his 100w Marshalls.  Shawn says the
    tone on the Gjika is actually too rich for some situations, hence
    the Holmes.
    
    /rick
2600.3Powers of TenBTOVT::BEST_Gpeacemaker dieMon Oct 26 1992 18:0919
    
    This is a great album.  I don't really know what to say other than
    the guy is awesome in a multitude of ways.  
    
    His guitar work alone is amazing.  That he plays keys and composes
    as maturely as he does is simply mind-boggling.  Somehow he has managed
    to squeeze a taste of every one of the influences listed on the insert
    into his music.  I hear classical, jazz of several types, some Holds-
    worthian stuff (guitar), Metheny (or Lyle Mays keyboard stuff), and 
    on and on.....you can tell he really WAS influenced by all those
    listed....again mind-blowing....
    
    I'm still warming up to some tunes, having only had 4 listens or so,
    but that's usually a good sign for me.
    
    Check it out!
    
    
    guy
2600.4Help!IOSG::CREASYGoodnight out there... whatever you areTue Oct 27 1992 11:468
    Could one of you nice guys enter the Record Label and CD order number
    details in this note, please? I tried to track down this album when I
    was in Canada a coupla weeks back, with no joy...
    
    ...and now I'm back in England, so the only option looks to be getting
    someone to import it for me...
    
    Nick
2600.5Good for himUSPMLO::DESROCHERSTue Dec 01 1992 17:2611
    
    	Shawn won "Best New Artist" category in the new GP poll.
    	Looks like alot of readers went out and bought the CD
    	after reading the article.
    
    	Like Rick said in .0, this is the kind of music that
    	should be supported so the artist has the opportunity to
    	continue their craft.  
    
    	Tom
    
2600.6Powers of publicistsDREGS::BLICKSTEINdbTue Dec 01 1992 19:259
    Tom, if, god forbid, you should get "involuntarily separated", I think
    you'd have a brilliant future as Shawn Lane's publicist.
    
    ;-)
    
    	Regards,
    
    	Dave Blickstein
    	Steve Morse's publicist
2600.7USPMLO::DESROCHERSWed Dec 02 1992 09:5013
    
    	Omigod - I'm not as sickening as you with this hero crap
    	... am I ???
    
    	But I must disagree.  Half of the replies are from me so
    	I'm not exactly helping him achieve platinum status.
    
    	Of course, what should I expect?  The last thing disgussed
    	in this conference is music...  ;^)
    
    						Gary Mooreorless
    
    
2600.8career fareRICKS::CALCAGNIBuckethead for presidentWed Dec 02 1992 10:436
>>    Tom, if, god forbid, you should get "involuntarily separated", I think
>>    you'd have a brilliant future as Shawn Lane's publicist.
    
    Yeah, you'd really be rollin in dough then, eh Tom?
    
    /rick_who_wants_to_be_neil_young's_guitar_tuner
2600.9Eb, B, G#, D, Ab, F |^ONAVY5::SDANDREALeslie Stratocaster PaulWed Dec 02 1992 10:4810
   >> /rick_who_wants_to_be_neil_young's_guitar_tuner
    
    
    Rick, 
    
    Neil needs an "un-tuner"....it's an art to get yer axe just out of tune
    enough to drive guitar players crazy, but nobody else notices....Chuck
    Berry mastered the art......you could be next!
    
    8^)
2600.10if one of you could just do this favorCOPCLU::SANDGRENKeep it simpleThu Dec 17 1992 05:329
    
    Could a friendly person supply the record company and number of this
    incredible CD??? I have been looking for it here in Europe, but with
    no luck...
    
    Thanks,
    
    Poul
    
2600.11USPMLO::DESROCHERSThu Dec 17 1992 16:447
    
    	Warner Brothers - 9 26621-2
    
    	Just had a firedrill so I grabbed the CD from the car.
    
    	Good luck
    
2600.12thanks so muchCOPCLU::SANDGRENKeep it simpleFri Dec 18 1992 11:011
    
2600.13'new' CDCOPCLU::SANDGRENKeep it simpleMon Aug 23 1993 05:4134
	I have had a taped copy of 'Powers Of Ten', then decided to
	order the CD. To my surprise, the tracks have been put in a
	new order, as well as two of them are *rearranged*.
	The tracks on my CD are numbered like this:

		1. Get You Back
		2. West Side Boogie
		3. Not Again
		4. Esperanto
		5. Illusions
		6. Piano Concertino: Transformation Of Themes
		7. Powers Of Ten: Suite
		8. Paris
		9. Rules Of The Game
	       10. Gray Pianos Flying
	       11. Epilogue (for Lisa)

	1 & 2 have been rearranged: they have a more 'live' sound, with
	Barry Bays on bass and Sean Rickman on drums. I always thought
	the Hammond Leslie on 'West Side Boogie' was a bit annoying; on
	this recording, it's far more in the background. He also fires
	the guitar a bit more on these tracks, compared to the old ar-
	rangements.

	The CD has the number 9 45316-2 (Warner Bros.).

	This CD will always be one of my favourites. It really has 'soul'
	and the 'experimental' tracks simply grow on you. Also the guitar
	sound is fantastic - when I read he plays Charvel guitars, I was
	nearly on my way out to buy one..

	Poul

2600.14don't buy that Charvel just yetRICKS::CALCAGNIspeeding towards our sun, on a party runMon Aug 23 1993 13:5211
    Actually, Shawn claimed in the interviews that his main axe for the
    sessions (and for years prior) was an old Roland GR guitar synth controller,
    just used as a guitar.  I suspect he just played a little Charvel here
    and there on the record and picked up some endorsement money.
    
    This whole re-arrangement thing is kind of a bummer if you already
    bought the old CD (like me).  Do I drop another 15 bucks now for these
    tweaks?  I kinda feel penalized for supporting the guy way back when.
    Oh well...
    
    /rick
2600.15cold fusion, at HobRICKS::CALCAGNIthick slabs of dirt in a halo of airy twangThu Jan 02 1997 14:3610
2600.16PIET09::DESROCHERSpsdv.mro.dec.com/tomd/home.htmlTue Jan 28 1997 11:025
    
    	Of course I go back to this note in hopes that I didn't miss it and
    	it was last night!  Anyone go?  Any reviews?  
    
    	Tom