Customer Reviews

Acoustics

5 star:		(4)
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Ever remember exactly where you were when you first heard something great? I was in a large independent record store in Durham NC in the early 90s, back when they were the only ones that would let you listen to CDs before buying, not to mention even carry discs like this in the first place.

I had spent the previous couple of years reacquainting myself to bluegrass, and already knew Tony to be one of the pre-eminent pickers in the genre, so I thought I'd give this "Tony Rice Unit" a go.

When I put those phones on and the first notes of "Gasology" rang out...well, my eyes were opened that day. I still love bluegrass and related acoustic music in all its iterations, but the level of skill Tony and these guys bring to the plate when tackling these jazzy tunes has to be heard to be appreciated.

The whole disc is a winner, but if I had to pick some tunes to sample, I would start with "Gasology", "Old Gray Coat", and "Four on Six"...Wes Montgomery would be proud.

The emotion and energy conveyed through Rice's technical mastery is sublime. Like Backwaters, the jazz/blugrass influence make Acoustics one of my favorite albums ever.

The musicianship on this album is absolutely phenomenal! I have only recently begun to listen to Tony Rice, but when I heard this cd ....., it blew me away ! Within the first two weeks of buying it, I probably listened to it 40 times, maybe more, no kidding. This is one of the finest albums I've heard in years. If you like bluegrass with a twist, this album is a must-buy. I sincerely hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

If you like to listen to skill, and you can't stand country music...it doesn't matter. The TRU whips up a bunch of jazzy acoustic instrumentals that can be enjoyed directly, or serve as the perfect background music; just put it on continuous play. Swing '51 is fantastic. Buy this CD without hesitation, and then buy some Gryphon.