Monday, February 11, 2008

Secondhand Smoke - A Tribute To Frank Marino (2005)

REVIEW
"Secondhand Smoke - A Tribute to Frank Marino"
Frank Marino, the 70's rock guitar guru from the band "Mahogany Rush" has long been held in high regard by his peers for many years and now they get a chance to prove it. The mere mention of his name to many of the world's top guitarists like Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Marty Friedman, Steve Lukather, Paul Gilbert, Ronnie Montrose and George Lynch will evoke the responses of "Amazing", "Phenomenal", "Un-copyable", "Relentless", "Legend" and of course "Superhuman"!
This Frank Marino tribute CD features 10 tracks from 10 top guitarists such as Ronnie Montrose, George Lynch, Jennifer Batten, Rick Ray, Jeff Cloud, Audley Freed, James Byrd, Karl Cochran, Randy Hansen and John Norum. The uniqueness of this tribute is that each artist was given full reign over their selected track and not by just throwing a solo over some backing track. What you hear is their version from start to finish. The music varies from Rock to Jazz to Symphonic Metal to Tribal Rock and all points in between.
"Secondhand Smoke - A Tribute to Frank Marino", is an internet release only and it is available now. Be sure to check out the man himself, Frank Marino, at (http://www.mahoganyrush.com/)

TRACKS
1 In My Ways - George Lynch 4:57
2 Dragonfly - Karl Cochran 5:18
3 Stay with Me - John Norum 4:18
4 It's Begun to Rain - Audley Freed 5:56
5 He's Calling - Jennifer Batten 5:40
6 Poppy - Rick Ray 6:07
7 Babylon Revisited - Jeff Cloud 4:50
8 Try for Freedom - Ronnie Montrose 7:38
9 The Answer - Randy Hansen 4:40
10 The World Anthem - James Byrd 5:28

Buddaheads - Howlin' At The Moon (2004)

REVIEW
Buddaheads - Howlin' At The Moon CD features 16 trax (78 minutes) of awesome top-shelf blues rock riffage from this amazing, gifted guitarist, that was recorded through the years. The music ranges from full-out killer blues/rock riff rippers, to classic mid- tempo in the back pocket blues burners, to cycodelic trippy hendrixy jams ("dance maria" is Alan's musical tribute to Jimi), to deep beautiful dynamic bluesy minor ballads and everything in-between. There is something here for everybody. And as an added bonus, the "Howlin' At The Moon" disc features "special guest" blues/rock axeslinger supreme & good musical brother Philip Sayce jamming hard on his strat with Alan Mirikitani & the BUDDAHEADS on the title track. A killer BUDDAHEADS jam worthy of the price of admission alone.
Alan Mirikitani is a "man on a blues-rock mission" and he sets the record straight on the "Howlin' At The Moon" disc. Not only is he an awesome guitarist and soulful, clean, melodic vocalist, what sets him apart from the rest is his strong ability to write incredible outstanding songs with lyrics that really mean something. Raw and powerful, yet melodically rich, the songs (and we mean "songs") on "Howlin' At The Moon" are classy, diverse, mature and full of depth complete with classic powerful heavy guitar riffage. This is REAL music for REAL people. The BUDDAHEADS are blues/rock at it's best. "Howlin' At The Moon" is an incredible musical document on this incredibly gifted guitarist and band.
Alan Mirikitani has been playing his axe since he was 4 years young(!!!) and he first hit the musical scene with the BUDDAHEADS back in 1994 with the major label (RCA RECORDS) debut, "Blues Had A Baby...", an awesome display of outstanding dynamic blues/rock riffage. Several other killer Buddaheads discs followed, including a record deal in Japan. Even though you may not have heard of him and you should have, Alan Mirikitani has been keeping busy through the years writing great outstanding music and also found success with film and t.v. soundtrack work. He also started up his own recording studio called DAWGHOUSE, where all of the trax for "Howlin' At The Moon" were recorded (...have you ever been to electric dawgland?!!!). Alan Mirikitani deserves all the credit he can get for his vast musical efforts.
The BUDDAHEADS: "Howlin' At The Moon" disc is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to fans of ROBIN TROWER, JIMI HENDRIX, Z.Z. TOP, S.R.V., JOHNNY WINTER, RORY GALLAGHER, CLAPTON, DOYLE BRAMHALL, WARREN HAYNES and just about any other killer blues/rock axeslingers you have ever heard. The BUDDAHEADS are the "REAL" deal and Alan Mirikitani is definitely up there with the best of them. He is a powerful blues/rock force to be reckoned with and he "shines" on the "Howlin'At The Moon" disc.
TRACKS
1 Long Way Down 5:16
2 Nothing to Lose 3:52
3 Howlin' at the Moon 4:31
4 Crawlin' Moon 5:49
5 Showdown 3:38
6 911 5:07
7 Better Day 4:53
8 Train Train 4:09
9 Mississippi Queen 4:12
10 Company Graveyard 4:32
11 When the Blues Catch Up with You 5:25
12 State of Grace 4:04
13 Dance Maria 6:29
14 Every Now & Then 5:36
15 Alana 6:53
16 Don't Cry

Buddaheads - Real (2002)

REVIEW
(by Pat Benny)
If I hadn’t been a fan of BB Chung King and the Buddhaheads for years now, if I hadn’t seen BB perform countless times with various band members using any combination of the name (BB Chung King, The Buddaheads, even the Alan Mirikitoni Band), I might have been just a little nervous about reviewing this album. Why? Well, ahem, it’s about the liner credits; that thing about “Pro Tools.” What the hell is a Pro Tool? Is it like a rhythm machine, or Dolby? Ray Carver, the publisher of SBM, shakes his head and says, “Listen, Pat, you’ve got to get your head into the new millennium. Pro Tools is a high-tech, state of the art computer system used in recording, nowadays.” Computers, says Ray. Well Ray, I thought I told you that I wouldn’t take this job if there was any computer work involved. “You don’t have to operate it, says Ray, “You just have to review it,” says Ray. Well, here goes:
The name of this independently released album is “REAL.” As I mentioned, the Pro Tools stuff kind of throws me, especially when the first song, which bears the album title’s name, bursts through the speakers with a full horn section. I’m thinking to myself, is this live, or is it Pro Tools? But then, BB’s blazing guitar and Boyd Lefan’s throbbing bass take over and I know that I’m on solid ground-REAL solid ground, walking on tracks laid down by a guitar virtuoso-a REAL guitarslinger.
This album is one of many moods that showcase not only BB’s incredible guitar, but also showcases his ability to write a great contemporary blues song, something that is often found lacking with some of today’s blues artists. “911” is a haunting tune that may have to be retitled, as it has nothing to do with the events of this infamous day. This is a song about another kind of heartbreak. The guitar leads sound as if they came from deep in the soul and proceed to take the listener past the satellites and beyond the stars. “Better Day” is a slow tune which demonstrates the quality of BB’s voice, a voice that is much better than a guitarslinger of his ability requires. I’ve listened to his slow blues for years, trying to place who it is that his voice resembles. If Lionel Ritchie could sing the blues-I mean really sing the blues, this is how he might sound.
“Crawlin’ Man” and “57 Chevy” both have a lowdown, sinister quality that lures the listener, baiting him with a steady rhythm that serves as a launching pad for BB’s burning, and I mean finger shredding, string breaking guitar solos that have made him one of the premier blues guitarists of this era. Don’t bother to listen for Lionel Ritchie in either of these tunes!
I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing the Pro Tools thing. It’s just that it’s something new to me. Remember, Howlin’ Wolf hated his first electric guitar. And if the credibility of Pro Tools or any other new recording method must be judged by this writer or anyone else, we must first listen to “Dance Maria,” the band’s tribute to Jimi Hendrix. On this track, BB can be heard jamming along with the great Hendrix himself. The result is a surreal, ethereal and wonderfully nostalgic in its computer assisted, psychedelic way.
The twelfth and final cut on this album is a beautiful instrumental tune entitled “Alana,” named after BB’s daughter. This was a wonderful song to end the 58 minutes of piercing guitar licks.
Listen to this album. Read the liner notes and absorb the bond Alan Mirikitoni, a.k.a. BB Chung King has for his family, his friends and his music and know that this music is as REAL as it gets.
TRACKS
1 Real 3:57
2 911 5:04
3 Better Day 4:51
4 Bye Bye Bye 3:47
5 Crawlin'moon 5:49
6 '57 Chevy 5:14
7 Cold Hard Cash 4:12
8 Tied Up 5:22
9 Dance Maria 6:30
10 Train Train 4:05
11 Fallin' and Crawlin' 2:59
12 Alana 6:53