3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Sharp dressed man, May 21, 2000
This review is from: From the Basement (Audio CD)
Jan Akkerman is known for his work with Dutch prog-rock band Focus in the '70s. He has released a string of musically very different solo albums since the late-'70s, and it's easy to understand why 1984's "From the basement" is one of Jan's few U.S. releases. It features a synth-heavy blues rock that sounds very similar to that of ZZ Top's commercial breakthrough "Eliminator". With drum machines, sequencers, and a guitar synthesizer, but since ZZ Top have done this kind of music with more fun and passion, "From the basement" is hardly more than an inferior duplication. "Headbanger", "Dark rose", and "P.C.B. Chicken" are energetic, danceable 'space boogie' tracks, but they suffer from a too streamlined and clean sound, a problem that plagues most of the songs. The 14-minute cover version of Dylan's "All along the watchtower" (of course, popularized by Jimi Hendrix) is mostly tedious, just as "Wallenberg" and the moody title track. The CD's second half contains some previously unavailable demo recordings, but apart from "Ellington's way", there's nothing particularly interesting to discover there. With a flawless sound quality and extensive liner notes about the equipment Jan used for this album, "From the basement" will automatically appeal to other musicians. It's not an original and innovative album, though.
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