Audio CD review:
Alvin Lee - Saguitar

Alvin Lee - Saguitar

Band: Alvin Lee Title: Saguitar Rating: Release Date: 2007-09-18 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: Anytime U Want To 2: The Squeeze 3: It's Time To Play 4: Midnite Train 5: Motel Blues 6: Only Here For The Ride 7: Memphis 8: Got A Lot Of Living To Do 9: Blues Has A Hold On Me 10: It's All Good 11: Education 12: Rapper 13: Smoking Rope 14: Rocking Rendezvous

Saguitar: Move Along.....Nothing to Hear Here! As I sit here and tap my keyboard,I find it difficult to write what I truly feel about this album. Alvin Lee rapping? Well I guess I've heard it all now. After all,I've seen Alvin Lee live twice,as well as Ten Years After. I've purchased and repurchased most of the TYA catalog several times in my life. So Alvin is like an old friend. But loyalty to my music purchasing brethern forces me to come clean. While Mr. Lee's guitar playing is somewhat crisp,the backing instruments ie;drums and bass sound wooden and unremarkable. While this normally wouldn't be a problem,it does drag Alvin's guitar work down with it. Also,the drumming sounds mechanical and uneventful. It's my understanding that a drum machine was used throughout this recording (bad idea). Also, while there are many styles of music here,the rockers all sound the same and are basically indistinguishable from one another. There are a couple of okay tracks:"Motel Blues and Blues Has Got a Hold of Me" are bona fide blues incursions and Alvin does his best Elvis impersonations on "Midnight Train" and "Memphis". But most of the stuff here is forgettable. That includes the awkward and embarrassing tune "Rapper" (white men can't jump. . . . or rap,apparently). All in all,this recording has a "basement" feel to it. And while it's none of my beeswax what Alvin does at this stage of his career,it is my business when he outputs musical drivel like "Saguitar" and expects to be renumerated for his efforts. One would expect that as one of the "elder statesmen" of the second British Invasion,Alvin would be crafting gems at this point by using studio musicians or big name producers and songwriters. There is none of that here. Instead you get Alvin Lee rapping. Save your money. . . . Let's Rock He is has been and still is one of the great rock and roll guitar players of all time. I had the chance to see Alvin with TYA a number of years ago after watching him on the big screen in the Woodstock Documentary. On Saguitar, he shines both playing and singing with his signature sound, This is a quality CD offering and should be picked up by all his fans and fans of rock and roll. Every song will grab you and bring back those good time feelings. Thanks Alvin for this release- You have a loyal fan base in Colorado who would love to see you come out this way. Keep on Rockin'. A Short Review This CD is one of the top "old timers" discs out right now, and that is saying something when you consider Steve Winwood, Robin Trower/Jack Bruce and Joe Cocker have also just released some excellent work. It's a crime when a talent like this goes under appreciated. Alvin Lee more that proves he is a master blues/rocker. Buy this disc!. Alvin Lee' Saguitar after having seen Alvin Lee on Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD 2 and having Alvin Lee's Ten Years After Live DVD released a few years ago had to buy Saguitar . . Recommended . . Alvin Lee Moving Forward ! I highly recommend this to all Alvin Lee fans and everybody that digs straight up blues/rock. No this is not a blazing hot guitar licks record like the works of Alvin Lee and Ten Years After, but it is a very fine blues/rock record. No filler at all on this record, every track is great. Nice to know artist's like Alvin, that have been writing, singing,and playing for decades can still get the job done. You can see a complete list of all Alvin Lee discography, or go back to the Alvin Lee tabs