Paul Nelson -
Look
BWB
Records
By: MuzikMan (Associate
Writer)
2001-09-24
Artist:
Paul Nelson (www.paulnelsonguitar.com)
Title: Look
Label: BWB Records
Genre: Rock-Blues-Jazz-Instrumental
Paul Nelson is a disciple of Steve Vai. Need I say more? He rocks like there
is no tomorrow and he is blindingly fast with a clean and tight sound. Nelson’s
five-song sojourn Look is over twenty minutes of instrumental fire that leaves
burning embers in your ears long after its over. This guy isn’t a shredder or a
crash and burn kind of player; he plays with a lot of class and taste. The
influences of jazz, blues, rock, and fusion are evident amongst the five songs.
"Diagonal Blue" is contagious as hell. What a great sound Nelson gets from
his instrument, its just dynamite. "Full Blast" is about what you would expect
with a title so explanatory, he cuts loose and burns the house down on that
number, sounding very much like his teacher Mr. Vai… Satriani comes to mind as
well. There is absolutely no filler here, its rock solid straight ahead music
with no frills. Nelson gives you nothing but his very best on every cut. My only
complaint is that it didn’t last long enough; I could take seventy minutes or
more of this stuff.
1. Diagonal Blue
2. Complicated
3. Rocking
Chair
4. Full Blast
5. Out Of Nowhere
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
Paul Nelson - Look
Paul Nelson, formerly a student at Berklee College of Music
under Steve Vai, a Metal Blade recording artist with Liege
Lord, and a top replacement audition choice for such acts as
Slaughter, Anvil, and Dio, shreds without abandon on
Look. The genesis of this five song EP is unclear,
since the press kit and CD liner notes have no information on
this release at all save a track listing.
The songwriting is a standard shred framework for Nelson's
guitar solos, including a ballad, a slow funk tune, and a Vai
style shuffle to end the EP. The lead guitar passages are very
scalar and simplistic, fast and very crisp but trite, while the
bass and drums are blandly competent and mechanical. The solo
in "Diagonal Blue," harmonized in dissonant flat 5ths over a
walking jazz bass line section, is a abominable stylistic
juxtaposition. The rhythm guitar tone is muddily compressed
and subdued in the mix, but the lead tone soars with a thick
rasp. The snare drum is drenched in reverb, which thematically
fits the 80s style playing.
Paul Nelson's bio claims influence by many guitarists,
including one "Jimmy Hendrix." If Nelson wants to be taken
seriously in rock guitar, he needs to upgrade his songwriting,
and then find a publicist who knows at least enough about the
father of rock guitar to spell his name correctly.
Reviewed by Scott Andrews
More information at: www.paulnelsonguitar.com
EDITOR's NOTE: Jimi Hendrix be the correct spelling,
from John, "Johnny", Allen Hendrix. (1942-1970)
This free info courtesy of E.E.R.
"Daddy let's rock out while Mom's out shoppin'!
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