Eric Johnson - Bloom
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Free Music Notes for Bloom
Free Music Review: 10 years wait for this?
Hit: 3 Stars
I never thought I'd see the day where I got completely bored with an Eric Johnson album after only 2 listens and filed it away. I go through my music, I see 'Bloom' and I can never get myself to go back to it again. Ten years waiting for this? What's surprsing is how some people think the album is a snooze fest after track six (when the electric instrumentals stop), but I found it the opposite. The first six songs put me to sleep because not one of them was really different from the others, and they are all riffs and lead work and scale runs we've heard Eric do countless times before, in much better songs. I love all of Eric's past work, all the way to the Electromagnets, but it seems he's run out of ideas for 'electric instrumentals'. I did like his attempts at 'non electric' instrumentals with the country, jazz, and even the homage to his electromagnet days, although surprisingly it's inferior to anything from that 1975 album. You'd think that if he's doing a rip of that era, in the ensuing 30 years Eric would have been able to write at least one song that should have not only matched the power of the original Electromagnet compositions, but should have EXCEEDED it. He's had thirty years of 'artistic growth' and yet it sounds like some bad outtake from 1975 sessions. Disappointing to say the least.
I'm a guitarist, so I'm already predisposed to like and love listening to guitarists, so what does it say when I come away from this Cd almost bored out my mind after the first 6 tracks? Fer Chrissakes, the majority of music I listen to is 'instrumental guitar'!! Imagine what these tracks would do to someone who doesn't even care about guitar. I'm sorry, but this just does not cut it. There are plenty of other players out there today delivering the 'instrumental' goods, so there is no reason to settle for substandard instrumentals from Eric Johnson.
Thankfully, he finally changes gears half way through the CD. Too little, too late. If this is a concept album, as some think, it's a bad concept. I could have maybe accepted the quality level of this CD were it quickly released within a year of 'Venus Isle' but ten years later!!! Considering how so many other 'old guys' like Schenker are able to release consistently high quality work 'every year' at the age of 50, there's no excuse for a timeline like this from someone of Johnson's supposed caliber. That's just ridiculous.
And I'll agree with what someone else said about the production. It's way overproduced. I know Eric has an obsessive/compulsive nature when it comes to identifying the sound of one wire from another, but this is a good example of too much time in the studio counting the hairs on your sac.
I still listen to Tones, Ah Via Musicom, Venus Isle, Electromagnets, on a consistent basis, and this album has been a let down in comparison. The really weak point to me is those 6 'boring clone' instrumentals, and right at the front of the CD! It just brings the album to a skidding halt. If they were interesting instrumentals, okay, but they are sleep inducing. Cut those off, add some more acoustic, jazz or fusion or country, and I'd be adding a star to this review. I'm beginning to think that Eric is tapped out as an electric guitarist, and should maybe switch genres. He's always much more interesting to listen to when he's on acoustic, or playing jazz. Give us more of this Eric!
Listen to Petrucci's new instrumental solo album 'Suspended' to hear someone who can still consistenly inspire on electric guitar and is still on the top of his game.
Bye, Eric. We'll see you again in 2015. Hopefully by then you've got a consistently good studio release written.
Free Music Review: Great Tones/So-So Tunes
Hit: 3 Stars
Let me preface this review by stating that Eric Johnson is one of my favorite guitar players. I have been following his career since his 1986 Guitar Player magazine cover story ("Who is Eric Johnson and why is he on our cover?"). "Ah Via Musicom" was such a tremendous influence on me personally, and is certainly a seminal album for a generation of would-be guitar virtuosos everywhere. His playing has always connected with me in a way that other "shred" guitar players haven't - his tone, phrasing, those huge intervallic leaps across the fretboard, cascading single note runs, shimmering chords, and his "vibe" have been profoundly influential to me as a musician.
So why don't I love this album?
Because it's hit or miss with this one - some songs are wonderful, others aren't. The guitar playing is fantastic (as any fan of EJ would expect), and there are definitely a lot of cool "new" tones that EJ is working with, but a lot of the songs are just kinda "there". Interesting, but not memorable.
If you listen to this album with reference to his previous studio outings, it is obvious that he is maturing as an artist. That's a good thing. The high points of this album demonstrate this - the slow (and surprisingly authentic) jazz/fusion turns that he takes on "Hesitant" and "Magnetized" are nice harmonic departures from the more pedantic instrumentals such as "Summer Jam", "Columbia", and "12 to 12 Vibe". These later three songs (though amazingly executed) fill me with a sense of deja vu - I've heard this type of thing many times before.
Other highlights of this album are "Good To Me" - killer groove, with beautifully nasty guitar sounds punctuated with well-articulated talk-box effects; "Sea Secret" and "Ciel" are fine compositions - excellently produced "mood music", with tasteful guitar and synths.
The vocal tunes on this one don't do it for me - though EJ doesn't have a terrible voice, it's quite thin, especially when contrasted with the huge, agressive guitar tones that he coaxes out of his overdriven Marshall amps.
Eric Johnson is (truly) an awesome guitar player, and a fantastic musician. I just wish this album was better.
Free Music Review: eh.... good but.....
Hit: 3 Stars
I admit i am only familiar with some records but this record is pretty much stuck in late 80's / early 90's production and style. Is this a bad thing? weeelll..... no, not entirely. but it can rob the music of sounding fresh or new. I bought it on a whim and i do like it but i was hoping after years of not buy his stuff and only having a via musicom from back when he actually got played on the radio, that he had some new ideas or at least current or progressed in his sound. I hate to sound insulting but its just nothing new or stellar. All the instruments sound over produced and dated and drum loops are rarely every actually pleasant. they're just something producers make musicians use so that it sounds "current". I wish musicians would pick up on this. Anyhow... all this being said, Eric is a great guitarist and i would love to have half the talent this guy has. And he can actually sing though he all too much reminds me of one of the singers from the Christian band, Pray for Rain. Its kinda funny. Anyhow,I don't consider this a waste of money but it will take a few listens to time warp back to 1990. Great musicianship and pretty decent songs. Its very "adult contempo" though. Almost.. new age-ish. Very repetitive signature EJ licks but never really sounding inspired. It almost sounds very routine with no real stand out tracks. I would recommend buyers to start on earlier records. Via Musicom was a great record and i don't think he ever had that success again. I can see why, with this record. I also think the production is more a hinderance. It tends to lack much low end or fullness. it pretty much sounds like it was produced in 1990. there is a good chance that die hards will disagree and rate my post negatively cause it perhaps incinuates that they too are stuck in a timewarp. well... tough. Guitar geeks freak out "what are you talking about?!..he's a genius!". Well, yes he is quite talented but it doesnt mean he can't make bad records. So if you're just disagreeing with me, just remember: you're almost 40 now, time to grow up and be honest with yourself.Free Music Review: No real direction
Hit: 3 Stars
Firsly, I am a monster EJ fan and have seen him live on several occasions in addition to owning all his albums/cd's but Souvenir.
This cd however seems to be thrown together from things he's worked on over different periods. The prelude section reminds the listener of his alien love child sessions. Same tone and on at least one cut, same riff. Not much inspired guitar work but pretty groove oriented in a good way.
The second section is more reflective of his efforts on Venus Isle. Some thoughtful vocal tracks and progressive jazz influenced phrasing in the melody lines of the guitar work. Its as if he intentionally avoids the pentatonic glory of Ah Via Musicom. Again there is very little in the way of memorable guitar virtuosity. It is absolutely solid but somewhat uninspired.
The last section seems to hint at a new direction that is deeper and more inspired than the rest. It left me hungry to hear more and sad that the entire cd was not a complete fleshing out of ideas hinted at in this last section.
I have only been through the cd twice so I am hopefull I have missed some of the nuances that are always present when EJ lays down a track. If your a fan, its a must own because its still EJ playing, and him on a bad day is better than everyone else (O.k. maybe not Metheny) If your not already a fan, this cd will introduce you to the scope of EJ's creative vision and breadth of influences but if you want to hear him at his best, its still Tones & Ah Via Musicom.
Free Music Review: Makes me appreciate Venus Isle even more.
Hit: 3 Stars
I agree with the other reviewers that, on his worst day, Eric Johnson turns out better music than the other guitar gods. (And one can only guess at what guys like Clapton make of EJ's rendition of stuff like Crossroads).
But Bloom is all over the map. Its not a totally ripping guitar album like Ah Via Musicom and as a super complex concept album it falls way short of his gorgeous Venus Isle.
The playing is superb and flawless, the vocals ok, the lyrics insipid (as always) but I didn't find one tune that knocked me out. He destroys My Back Pages, sounding even worse than Bob Dylan. He plays it like he's late for an appointment. (Check out Carl Verheyen's version of My Back Pages if you think the Byrds didn't handle it well enough).
Your Sweet Eyes sounds like Fleetwood Mac, harmless and good for the "soft and warm" stations.
So yeah, from anyone else it would be pretty darned good. But I know what he can do! Before they shut Napster down I got several bootlegs of Eric playing Cliffs Of Dover to screaming audiences. People who could not believe what they were hearing; so much beauty, fire and skill. Compared to that, Bloom just doesn't stack up. Sorry.