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Eric Mantel -
The Unstruck Melody : : |
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Band/artist: Eric Mantel
Title: The Unstruck Melody
Released: 2006
Label: Holistic Music Entertainment |
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Track
listing:
1. The Unstruck Melody
2. Tribute
3. The Simple Things
4. The Real You
5. Tai-Chi
6. Shine On
7. The Under a Different Light
8. Merry-Go-Round
9. Why So Lonely
10. Exit 10
11. Intermission
12. Gloria
13. Affectionately Yours
14. There Are No Words
15. Wings of Fire
16. Only Want Your Love
17. True Home
18. Finger Pickn' Country
19. The Unstruck Melody(Reprise)
20. Don't Let the Day Go By
21: Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven But Nobody Wants To Die (Rose &
Shari Joly) |
: : The Players : :
Eric Mantel
(guitars, guitar synth, talk box, e-bow) - John Falstrom (bass) - Rusty
Hall (keyboards) - Patrick Doody (drums & percussion). GUESTS: Keith
Marx (back-up vocals) - Paula Mantel (vocals) - Amanda Elliott (back-up
vocals) - Mari Zen (back-up vocals) - Rich Kock (steel guitar) - Clar
Monaco (sitar) - GiGi Monaco (tampura & tamboori) - Anil Datar (tablas) |
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: : The
Unstruck Melody : :
 Eric
Mantel is a Chicago-based guitar player and guitar teacher that has been
in the music business for quite a few years. According to his biography
he was a gifted musical talent at a young age, and has been a member of
several bands. He has released several CDs over the years, and got his
15 minutes of fame in a Guitar magazine in the early nineties. However,
as a musician he is not what you may call well known, and is probably
better known as a guitar teacher. The Unstruck Melody is his 6th
release.
Musically Eric Mantel serves us well produced, slick music on this CD.
There's few rough edges to his musical output, and thankfully he's
rather fond of melodies, moods and atmospheres, saving the showcasing of
technical abilities to shorter sections in each song, as well as
incorporating subtle touches in brief moments throughout most songs
here. The musical style here is most often in the borderline between pop
and rock; tinged with jazzy influences. Mantel do play a handful of
tracks in other styles here as well (bluesrock, eastern, classical
guitar and country), but most of the tracks here is in a pop/rock style
that at times made me think of Spandau Ballet.
It should be mentioned that this is not an instrumental album. Mantel
sing on 8 of the tracks on the CD. The bonus track, by someone called
Rose and Shari Joly, is a track with vocals as well.
The album as such isn't a very good one though, at least not in my
opinion. Most songs become a bit bland, unoriginal and boring. Some
highlights is found here and there though, "Exit 10" being the standout
track. There is a handful of other good tracks here as well, but as a
whole this album is a bit on the weak side.
Guitar players will enjoy this one though; as Mantel is a good player,
and one of the few focusing more on melody and mood than on technique
and speed.
Rating: 5 (out of 10)
Reviewer: Olav Björnsen
: : Visit the Artist’s
Website :
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: : Discography : :
The Unstruck Melody (2006)
Guitars At An Exhibition - Volume 2 (2004)
Guitars At An Exhibition - Volume 1 (2000)
A Time To Remember (1995)
The Politics Of Experience (1990)
Montage (1983) |
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