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Band/Artist:
Charles Brown
Title:
Mystics
Release Date:
1999
Label:
Total Time:
62:44
Track List
1. Final Ascent/Mystic Traveler
2. Put Your Boots On
3. Sunrise Serenade
4. Funk It Up
5. Sarabande
6. Maroon Highland
7. Mystics
8. To Dream/The Final Step
9. Western Vista
10. Misty
11. Blackjack
12. New Millenium
13. Granados Meets Blackmore
14. To Be Free
15. Reprise: Sunrise Serenade/Black Earth Jam
16. Aspenglow
Musicians
Charles Brown
Roland GR-30 Guitar Synthesizer, Classical Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, 12 String
Guitar, Fender Stratocaster, Marshall Amp, Keyboard Drums, Percussion
Matt Bassano
Keyboards, Vocals on “New Millenium”
Dave Boerder
Drums on “Mystics”
Aric Strah
Bass on “Mystics”
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If there’s one issue that is
definitely not a problem for Denver, CO guitarist Charles Brown, it’s limiting
himself to any one particular style or sound. Celebrating the range and versatility
of the stringed instrument on MYSTICS, Mr. Brown explores a variety of music within
the progressive arena in a way guitarists such as Steve Howe and Alex Lifeson did
before him.
In no particular historical order, Charles Brown lays down some funky stuff, some
classical guitar, some Texas honky tonk, jazz, serenades, easy listening, and heavy
metal interspersed among spacey Roland synthesizer aided passages. Whew! This is
the kind of talent we hack guitarists can only marvel at. It’s as if, track by (and
within) track, Brown is saying “What are you in the mood for? Yeah, I can do that”.
Did you ever feel like singing a Karaoke to lounge music, and then right after
posture with your air guitar to a rip-roaring solo like you were Robin Trower or
even Eddie Van Halen? Me neither. But you could here! With track 10, an
instrumental of Johnny Mathis’ “Misty” and track 11, “Blackjack”. On “Granados
Meets Blackmore” Brown starts out with a happy acoustic ditty complete with
harmonics, and then mockingly turns the guitar into a distortion laden tribute to
Mr. Deep Purple himself. “New Millennium” is the only track with vocals and employs
a distinctly Zappa approach to satirical rock. The first track “Final Ascent/Mystic
Traveller” and the last track “Aspenglow” are pretty songs, which seem placed to
start and end us in a trance-like state.
This CD could not be
classified as a traditional progressive rock album, but if you are into a jamming
guitar, whether it’s classical, steel, acoustic, light or heavy electric, it’s for
you.
Reviewer: Rick Woodward
Rating: 8 Keyboards
Review Date: 4/7/02
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Charles Brown
: : DISCOGRAPHY : :
Mystics - 1999
Earth Voyage
- 2001 |
