Lost/Forgotten Album #256

[Jon]

This week's selection might be the second in a series. Then again, it might not.

Even though this album shares similarities with last week's selection (which was the first album in a series, maybe), it's a bit different. Instead on John McLaughlin, we have Marty Friedman with guest support from Billy Sheehan, John Petrucci and Steve Vai. For those unfamiliar with Mart Friedman, don't worry. There'll be a brief bio of Marty below, courtesy of allmusic.com. It also helps by making this post look longer than it actually is.

Originally released in 2006 in Japan, "Loudspeaker" entered the the Japanese charts at #13. It was released in the US in 2007.

Now for the promised bio:

"One of the ultimate '80s guitar shredders, Marty Friedman first made his name with the speed-burning virtuoso outfit Cacophony, but landed his most widely renowned gig as the lead guitarist of Megadeth during the thrash legends' greatest period of popularity. Friedman was born in 1962 and grew up in the Baltimore area; he began playing guitar at age 15 in a band called Deuce, shortly before his family moved to Hawaii. While in Hawaii, Friedman hooked up with a local band (which changed names and personnel fairly often) and recorded with them on three different albums. Friedman studied guitar in earnest, going so far as to explore ethnic music (particularly Asian and Middle Eastern) in search of new, exotic scales to incorporate into his lead playing. He initially connected with the shred-guitar label Shrapnel in 1981, but it wasn't until 1987 that he, along with friend Jason Becker, made an impact on the larger guitar community. The twin-guitar heroics of their debut album as Cacophony, Speed Metal Symphony, made an instant splash, and both took the opportunity to record the solo albums they'd been working on individually prior to the genesis of Cacophony. Friedman's solo debut, Dragon's Kiss, was released on Shrapnel in 1988, and it was stylistically similar to his Cacophony material. After one further Cacophony album, 1989's Go Off!, Friedman and Becker went their separate ways. Friedman joined Megadeth in late 1990, becoming their third lead guitarist in four albums; however, he managed to bring some stability to the position, remaining with the band for ten years. His debut with the band, Rust in Peace, demonstrated his immediate impact on the rest of the group, still standing as one of the most technically accomplished albums in all of thrash metal. His second album with Megadeth, Countdown to Extinction, was the band's popular breakthrough, making them one of the biggest heavy metal groups in the world. In 1992, Friedman capitalized on the group's popularity as an opportunity to do something different: he stunned metal fans by hooking up with new age star Kitaro for a reflective, Asian-tinged instrumental album titled Scenes, which also appeared on Shrapnel. Pleased with the results, Friedman continued in that vein with his second contemporary instrumental album, 1994's Introduction, which boasted an even stronger Japanese flavor; that year, he also married Chihiro. Friedman continued to pursue his solo career as an outlet for less aggressive sounds, releasing True Obsession in 1996. Friedman left Megadeth in 2000, about a year after the release of their Risk album. He released Music for Speeding in 2003, followed by an instructional video called 99 Secret Lead Guitar Phrases in 2006. Loudspeaker arrived in early 2007."

This album shares a similarity with this week's AOTW.

NO MICHAEL McDONALD!!!!

No collusion!   

Loudspeaker

1. Elixir
2. Street Demon (Santa Rosa Wrecking Crew Mix)
3. Black Orchid
4. Paradise Express
5. Sekai Ni Hitotsu Dake No Hana
6. Glycerine Flesh
7. Stigmata Addiction
8. Viper
9. Static Rain
10. Coloreas Mi Vida
11. Devil Take Tomorrow

Availability: Around $6 used.

 

[Scott]

Interesting!  Stellar geetarist!

[Scott]

I am a fan of his time in Megadeth!  Shame they couldn't/wouldn't make it work with him for another go 'round!

Didn't realize this would be an instrumental album, no complaints, the guy can play balls out and with great technical proficiency.  I do like some instrumental albums, Scale The Summit does some freaky good music!  And Vai has a few cool albums out, and Flying In A Blue Dream by Satriani is unbelievably cool!  Probably my favorite.  This is miles heavier than anything I mentioned, but its good and even great at moments.  Not sure its a purchase for me, but it does make me want to pull out some Megadeth and crank it!!!

Oh, and that Satriani tune I talked about?  Its been shared on SHT a long time ago (player no longer works)  and since its been soooo long why not share again!  Great work Jon!!!

[RJhog (Admin)]

So, two instrumental albums in a row.  And two excellent guitarists in a row.  Of course, this one is a lot heavier than the previous one.  

But still, no matter how good the music is, there are no vocals.  Should I make up some words so I can sing while listening to this?  I guess some people like instrumental albums, and some don't.  For the most part, I'm in the second group.  I have a handful of instrumental albums, but mostly just so I can say I have 'em.  I never listen to them, and probably for the most part never will.

There are some vocals on the next to last track, but they are in a language that I don't understand and the inclusion of them seems weird.  But the music on that track is probably my favorite on this album.

I guess we get more of the same next week.  No problem, I can dig it for an hour or so.  By the way, I'd say I prefer last week's album to this weeks, but only by a small amount.