Reeves Gabrels - Rockonica (2005)

Más de Reeves Gabrels aportado por Pedro Rock

Artista: Reeves Gabrels

Álbum: Rockonica
Año: 2005
Género: Rock alter
Nacionalidad: EEUU

Lista de Temas:
01. Sign from god
02. Leper
03. Underneath
04. Anywhere (she is)
05. The conversation
06. Continue
07. 13th hour
08. Tunnel
09. Uphill both ways
10. Long day

Alineación:
- Reeves Gabrels / Guitarras, efectos, sintetizador, programación.
- Sin información adicional

Yo no tengo idea de que va este diso, ni quienes tocan, ni nada. mhhhh mejor copio algunos comentarios y ustedes vean...

Reeves Gabrels had been laying fairly low in the 21st century when he turned in his third solo album, Rockonica, for Steve Vais Favored Nations label. Gabrels is clearly best known as a hired gun, and on previous efforts has called in favors from his more famous singing employers, whether it was to add "star power" to an album or because Gabrels was unsure of his own vocal abilities. This time out, all the lead and many of the backing vocals are handled by Gabrels (who seems to have gotten more confident as a vocalist), and the album actually comes off stronger as a result. Hes a good though not great songwriter but he is a great guitarist, and since thats presumably the direction most listeners will come at this from, they wont be disappointed. As a player, Gabrels rarely plays it safe and the songs provide excellent vehicles for his gonzo soloing. Bruising riffs are offset by pedal and lap steel guitars, excellent wah-wah playing, sumptuous feedback, and even a lovely acoustic guitar duet ("13th Hour"). No surprise, there are lots of guitars on here and lots of space in the songs to showcase them -- especially on the epic and majestic "Anywhere (She Is)." Folks interested in Reeves Gabrels solo material should start here.

Sean Westergaard

Well my first exposure to Reeves Gabrels was when he was with Tin Machine. His playing back then, to my ears, was a cross between Fripp and Van Halen which is an explosive combo. Reeves style was much more than that though. I know that he’s been working on and off with Bowie since the Tin Machine days. Although I haven’t heard any of those release (I will make amends and find them).
About a few months ago, I received a package from a local promotion company here in the Los Angeles area called On Target Media Group with a solo album by Reeves Gabrels. I was ecstatic and quickly opened it up, put into my player and give it a spin. The music sounded great, up until the vocals chimed in. They’re not bad vocals but not good either, in fact they seems to take away something from the songs. I read on his site that previous solo albums had guest vocals, so I guess he wanted to give it a try on all tracks. I really wished hat Rockonica was instrumental. With that said, I still think this is a rocking’ album and sorry Reeves, you’re a great guitarist and a mediocre vocalist.
The music on Rockonica can be classified as modern art rock with splashes of classic glam sounds of the 70's. It takes a listener that has an open mind to enjoy this album since this isn’t a top 40 singles machine. Fans of his previous work would enjoy this release as well as those that like strange rock music that’s beyond mainstream.

Ron Fuchs

It probably is not surprising that Reeves Gabrels's new disc, Rockonica, has a few moments that remind me of David Bowie. Gabrels was instrumental in helping Bowie forge his sound on the two Tin Machine albums, and on Outside and Earthling. He is a guitarist of consummate skill whose avant-garde leanings have led him to work with a number of artists where the music is slightly outside the mainstream, including Nine Inch Nails and the Cure. He likes pure sound and texture, much like Adrian Belew, another guitarist who has been on the cutting edge.
Rockonica is a high-energy record that has the volume and density of heavy metal, but Gabrels mixes in some pop-song savvy with his gritty approach. Unfortunately, Gabrels doesn’t always have the melodic ideas to keep his sonic and conceptual flights aloft. Rockonica is clearly the work of an intelligent, careful musician, but it will take a patient listener to enjoy the rewards that come from straining to catch the sonic details Gabrels plants throughout the recording.
There is a lot of processed sound here, and there are times when Gabrels crowds things. In addition, he and his supporting musicians play at full throttle for most of the disc, which can be a little wearing over a nearly 60-minute haul. It may be that this guitarist needs the discipline and focus of collaboration to bring out his best. Better songs and a more compelling lead vocalist (Gabrels sings on all the tunes) could make all the difference next time out.

Joseph Taylor

Reeves Gabrels is a Grammy-nominated guitarist/songwriter/producer, who's probably best known for his work with David Bowie. In addition to his own solo project and the bands he has worked with, Gabrels has also contributed to various projects. For example, he produced and co-wrote instrumental music for Eidos/Quantic Dream game titled as Omikron (released under the title The Nomad Soul in the U.K.) with Bowie. About five years ago Gabrels decided to split from Bowie and set out on his own for good, and actually his debut album 'Ulysses' was nominated by Yahoo as the "Best Internet Only" album of the year (2000).
Gabrels' latest solo effort is titled as Rockonica, and it features a fusion of rock, jazz, blues and country with a hint of experimentation. The music on Rockonica is rather intricate and thus the long-term appeal of this album is rather good. However, I'm not the biggest fan of Gabrels' vocals, and I would have preferred some other vocalist over him. Nonetheless, I must admit his voice is occasionally very fitting to the music.
Rockonica was produced together with Reeves Gabrels and John X. Volaitis. Volaitis handled the mixing both at the Cherokee Studios and his own house. The sounds are mostly to the point and the mastering has been done professionally as well. Bruce R. Buehlman took care of mastering at Larsson Studios, Los Angeles.
In case you listen to guitar-oriented fusion music and aren't put off by experimentation, then Reeves Gabrels' Rockonica is the album for you.

Mage