Venus Isle --- Eric Johnson --- 1996 (Capitol)
(Thanks go to
Plankton)
Well it was certainly no surprise to me that a future guitar legend like plankton would choose an album by a guitarist for me to review, but I must admit I knew nothing of Eric Johnson prior to this: I didn't even know he existed! So, as I always do in such cases, I ran crying to Wiki who made it all better by telling me that Johnson is seen by some as one of the most respected guitarists on the planet, that he has worked with people like Christopher Cross, Cat Stevens and Joe Satriani, has seven albums of which this is the fourth, and is in high demand.
For some reason he's seen fit to have the aforementioned Cross guest on two tracks, but on the rest he sings himself, and in addition to being a guitar whiz it would seem he's quite the singer. The album opens on the title track, which sort of threw me a little in its opening almost two minutes of instrumental, with a vaguely arabic melody with sitars and a guitar riff I've heard in Floyd's “Momentary lapse of reason” somewhere. But then it settles down, and it's excellent but the melody really reminds me of Richie Sambora's “Stranger in this town”. “Battles we have won” niggles me a little again with a reminder of Peter Gabriel's “San Jacinto” in the opening keyboard riff (I know: is there anything you don't compare tracks to Trollheart? Sorry, it's just how it affects me: when I hear a familar melody or part of one I always search my mind to remember where I heard it before).
I absolutely love “All about you”, probably my favourite track on the album. Very Journey, a great rocker with real AOR legs and a killer melody. Also reminds me of (sorry sorry) Sambora's “Undiscovered soul”, though that album came two years after this. Have to say I wouldn't have recognised Christopher Cross if I hadn't been told it was him singing! Superb guitar work from Johnson near the end of this. More excellent guitar work in “SRV”, a tribute to the great man himself and featuring his elder brother Jimmie Vaughan on guest solo. Fair brings a tear to the eye! We miss ya, Stevie!
Cross is back for “Lonely in the night”, with some really nice strings arrangements, one of only two tracks on which Johnson has no writing input. It's a nice semi-ballad and leads into a trio of instrumentals that take us towards the album's conclusion.
First up is “Manhattan”, quite jazzy with sort of soul overtones, bops along nicely with a sense of maybe Steely Dan in it? It's followed by “Camel's night out”, much harder and rockier with a big growling guitar sound searing through it. Yeah you know, reminds me of some of Plankton's material here. Some great guitar histrionics and a pretty neat drum solo to end. And then to end the triumvirate (like that word, huh?) a beautiful gentle piano led instrumental in “Lynne's song”. But if you think that's the end of the good stuff well just think again: one of the better tracks comes in the shape of “When the sun meets the sky”, a sort of mid-paced half-ballad with some absolutely superb fretwork on it and a gorgeous vocal, again slightly Journeyesque.
“Pavilion” is yet another instrumental, this time much faster and in the mould of “Camel's night out”, with some great keyboard work and a slight sense of classical about it, and we end on “Venus reprise”, one more short instrumental to bring everything full circle and end on a high.
There's no doubt I loved this album, despite not knowing who Eric Johnson was before Plankton let me in on the worst-kept secret in guitar music. I'm glad he did though because like Ki with Devin I now have to go look up the rest of his discography. This will probably make it to the “Recommended by ...” thread.
Nice one, Plankton! Just hope you like the album I sent you!
