Music Review: Eric Clapton: Unplugged

Eric Clapton is first a guitar player, and his guitar playing shines in the album.  He kicks right off with an instrumental, and through all the numbers the guitar playing is excellent.  He has two standby numbers which never disappoint, Tears in Heaven and Layla, an acoustic version.   This is a live album which was recorded in front of an MTV studio audience for the show, "Unplugged."  The album was very well received with three Grammys and the best selling live album of all time.

Music Review: Carlos Maceiras: Guitarra Latinoamericana

Carlos Maceiras: Guitarra Latinoamericana

This C.D. of guitar music is much more enjoyable than that the previous instrumental I listened too from Chet Atkins.  I have always enjoyed Latin guitar.  However there are a couple of pieces which didn’t work for me.  There are a couple of waltzes, but I always thought that would be dance music.  I have a hard time hearing the beat, and if I had the beat right the music is much to fast to dance to, without physically causing an injury. 

However a couple of the pieces were very nice.  “Terasca I and II” had a very nice feel, and the rhythm kept me entertained.  Also “Sons of Carrilhoes” had a nice feel.  There was one song called “Tango” which started very nicely, but then got bogged down with trying to be artistic, with stops in the music a couple of times.  This song didn’t work for me other than the beginning and the end.  “Guarania” was also a nice song and very relaxing.  This music would be great at playing as a background to relax, like in a store or someplace.  Plenty to like in this album. 

Music Review: Chet Atkins: Relaxin’ With Chet

Chet Atkins: Relaxin’ With Chet, Delta Entertainment, 1999.

This C.D. is very relaxing, and at times too much so.  It is all instrumental, featuring Chet Atkins on the guitar.  Some of the tunes are catchy, while others are repetitive and boring.  The first song, “Blues for Dr. Joe” starts off with a very pleasing bass guitar and then adds lead guitar.  However, the middle of the song degenerates into organ note progression which is very boring.  With luck, the song ends where it started, with another catching blues melody on the guitar.  Another song that has a catchy fell is “Say Si, Si.” 

Chet does an excellent job on the guitar, however most of these songs are just too much, and I seem to get ored quickly, even when the guitar playing is excellent.  Relaxing music is true; however there was no indication on the C.D. case that this was all instrumental.