Customer Reviews

Crimson & Blue

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was ambivalent about Keaggy's "Inseparable". Not so with this album. After twelve years after first drafting this review, I am convinced Crimson and Blue is Keaggy's tour de force. If you are a guitarist who has heard about this talented muso, this is a good place to start.

Yes, there are other great instrumental albums of his, both electric and acoustic, that are worth listening to, but all fall short of this album. It's here you hear him interact with a great band, hear him sing covers, play long engaging solos and most of all, show unbridled joy. Phil plays with bravado. Much credit must go to producer, Lynn Nichols, Phil's friend and fellow musician of years past. From what I have read, Phil said that Lynn pushed him to the limit of his singing and playing ability. The production is superb, the recording bright and detailed and for 70 minutes plus, one is caught up in the joy and vitality of a band in full flight.

Indeed, this captures a band playing with the fervour of a garage jam or live concert. (How I wish I could have seen the tour supporting this!) In many ways this album, like one of the song titles, is a "Reunion of friends". Drummer John Sferra met Phil in the 8th grade. They played together in Glass Harp. Now Sferra holds all together magnificently. His drumming is probably more responsible for the cohesiveness and consistency of the 60s and 70s rock style than anything else. Wade Janes locks solid on bass while Phil Madeira, another friend of long standing, fills the soundstage with his Hammond B-3 organ. Against this bluesy backdrop we come to the maestro. Whether he is deftly playing Beatlesque licks that would make Harrison smile, or whether he is rocking the house down, this is exciting stuff!

From the opening strident rock anthem, when Phil shouts, "All creation shows the glory of the Lord", this album slowly builds with intensity. One hears many musical influences, with three Beatle-like tracks ("Everywhere I look", "Love divine" and "Reunion of friends") which are almost too close to Beatle originals for comfort, to tones that remind one of Clapton in his Cream days. Yet Phil adds his own flavour as again and again his honest lyrics reflect his heart. You cannot separate his musicianship from his faith. The final four tracks continue to lift to the crescendo that breaks loose in the penultimate track, "Doin' Nothin'". This eight minute rock boogie will satisfy those longing to hear Phil unleashed. Together with the Clapton inflected "Don't pass me by", these are easily the heaviest Keaggy I have heard on a studio album of his. The final track is a masterful blues ballad as Jimi may have played. Phil focuses the album on the source of his joy and wholeness, his saviour. With this track there is an emotional depth that communicates lyrically and musically. A brilliant album from a mature, gifted musician.

In my humble opinion, this is Phil's best rock album by far. The band is as tight a rock group as you'll get a chance to hear and the set list is first rate. The feel for most of the album is sort of late 60's early 70's Cream as evidenced on the tracks "Doin' Nothin", "John the Revelator", "Stone Eyes" and, to a lesser extent, "Shouts of Joy". Each of these tracks has the standard rock song verse/chorus arraingment followed by exteneded instrumental work that really shows off the tight interplay of the band which includes Phil Madiera Lynn Nichols, John Sferra and Wade Jaynes.

Songs like "Love Divine" and "Everywhere I Look" show the strong influence the Beattles have had on Phil's writing and singing and balance the heavier stuff nicely. The slower treatment of Van Morrison's "When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God" is exceptional and moving as is the solo electric guitar work on "Nothing But the Blood." In fact, the only complaint I might have about the album is that I think the song might have osunded better as an electric guitar solo instrumental.

Fans of Keaggy's instrumental music will find this radically different than Lights of Madrid or Byond Nature. Additionally, as Phil identifies himself as a Christian musician, many of the songs refelct strongly Christian themes. However, whether you're a Christian or not, if you are a fan of good, solid, tight rock music; this album is a "must own". I recommend it without reservation.

Apparently never listened to this album. This was one of the first actual Christian cd's I remember hearing. This was before I knew that they sold Galactic Cowboys, and King's X in Christian bookstores. This is one of the best albums from the 90's. I mean no wonder Jimi Hendrix is quoted as saying Phil Keaggy is the best guitar player in the world. I haven't heard such fine rock and roll since his days with Glass Harp, and this is in some way a reunion of sorts as he reunites with John Sfara the drummer. I actually bought the cassette of this album after hearing one song, and that was "World Of Mine". I remember I was at a Christian Singles gathering on Labor Day, 1994, and was playing softball when I heard this song, and I was blown away. I remember going up to a guy, and asking "Who's doing this song?" That was when I was introduced to the world of Phil Keaggy, and yet looking back I had one of his earlier releases when he was with a garage band in the 60's. He did a song called "Batmobile" I had it on a "Highs In The Mid 60's" compilation from Pebbles records. I forgot about "Batmobile", so I didn't know what kind of guitar player Keaggy was.

Anyway this album is high energy from the beginning of "Shouts Of Joy" to the Beatlesque sounds of "World Of Mine". Well we should all know by now that Keaggy was influenced by the Beatles, so there's a trace of their music in his I mean he continues paying tribute to the Beatles with "Everywhere I Look", and "Love Divine", but don't think he's just stuck in that Beatles vein....far from it. He also does some good acid rock sounds with "John The Revelator", "Doin Nothin", and "When Will I Learn To Live In God?" The album does have it's weak moments like with "Stone Eyes", but for the most part this was done up splendidly. Even to the final track with the old hymn "Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus"; it sounds like Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter", but is done so reverently and humbly it's one of the best last songs to be put on an album. Keaggy was 42 when this came out, and people ususlly call the over 40 crowd Geezers. Well this was written by a Geezer, and I say "Pooh To You". I will definitely get this on cd as it was one of the instrumental albums that led me to a faith in Jesus.

Phil Keaggy / Crimson and Blue: This is a very fine album by any standards and a welcome relief to Christians who wanted something other than the usual 1990's generic `praise' sound. This Christian Rock album entertains as well as glorifies Jesus. This is a Five Star album.

.. and Jesus, you'll love Crimson & Blue. Of course there's much more than the Beatles inspiring Phil on this disc, but when folks ask me "What's your favorite Beatles song?" more than once I've nearly answered "Love Divine"!

I bought this album after hearing "Reunion of Friends", which sounded like a Beatles song. I am an old classic rock fan, who followed such bands as Deep Purple, Beatles, Blind Faith, Steppenwolf, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, Stephen Stills, etc. This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Phil released 3 CDs from this session. (1) Crimson & Blue, the Christian version, (2) Blue, the secular version, and (3) a jam session CD. After more than 10 years, I still pick this CD to listen to on a regular basis. I've got a lot of Phil's CDs, but this is my favorite. Other good ones are True Believer, Invention (Keaggy, King, & Dente).

Be sure to look over the CD cover, where you'll see that Phil lost part of a finger on his right hand, but still plays like a guitar sage, as good as Hendrix, Bolin, Blackmore, etc.

I usually get bored with many of Phil's instrumental CDs, but a few are "ok" to listen to every once in a while.

Check out some of the Randy Stonehill CDs with Phil Keaggy. They make a great duo in singing, and song writing.

Keaggy truly is a legend. After The Wind and the Wheat, this is my favorite CD of his. The variety ranges from meditative Avalon (a brilliant remake of Van Morrison's song) to high-energy Shouts of Joy. Lyrics are just as strong as his off-the-hook musicianship. As always, his guitar artistry mesmerizes. Not a single weak track here. It may be older, but it is an absolute classic.

I had not been a Keaggy fan for more than a year or so when this album came out. Phil had done Sunday's Child, then Find Me in These Fields, both excellent rock, guitar-driven albums, and then took a break from the rock genre to record Beyond Nature, probably one of his best instrumentals. But Crimson and Blue shattered everything else, with Way Back Home being a more low-key exception. What an amazing band! John Sferra (his old bandmate and drummer from Glass Harp), Phil Madeira, a legend in his own right, Wade Jaynes on bass...half of the album (the "Crimson" part) is very Beatlesque, but with a new sound. The "Blue" half has long, instrumental breaks, monster guitar solos, and nothing cheesy. I did see the band on this tour, and it was an amazing experience. I was excited to find that the live recording of "Shouts of Joy" was recorded in Lancaster, PA, where I saw him! You can hear this recording on his "Time" anthology. Just to see Phil Madeira playing a marching snare drum was cool.

I highly recommend this CD it's really awsome, and it got here right on time! It was perfectly fine and there was no scratches and no skipping! Thanx for the great business!!!

Carissa

I just started listing to Crimson & Blue again. When I was younger I couldn't appreciate what Keaggy was actually doing on the Guitar not to mention how tight the band was. This is a solid Rock Album I would recommend Crimson & Blue to anyone who plays guitar or would just like to hear refreshing rock music like it was meant to be played