Customer Reviews

Harp Guitar Compilation

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

 

 

There is a deceptive simplicity to Stephen's music. After much in-depth listening I think that this is in part due to the profound melodic qualities of his performance. This importance attached to the melodic line is also what makes his music so emotionally complex. Stephen has in fact, tapped in to the depths where we are seldom touched. After listening to his music it is possible that you will be, for a moment at least, a better person.

It has always amazed me that we have accomplished so much with the few musical notes which are available to us. Now that music is so available to us it would seem that we would at some point reach the limit where everything would begin to sound the same. But performers such as Stephen Bennett teach me that this will never be so. Their talent is coupled with an immensity of spirit which seems to know no bounds. It is born in human emotion, which truly does seem boundless.

Stephens music is an expression of that depth. There is a place within us which touches the cornerstone of life and death, where we come to that deep stillness of recognition that life does indeed matter. With careful listening, Stephens music will bring you to that place. His is a rare talent and I highly recommend his music to you.

I bought this CD at the same time as buying a harp guitar! Superb melodic compositions making full use of the harp guitar's range. Highly recommended to anyone who likes solo steel strung guitar music. Now I need to practise a lot to get anywhere near to SB's standard of playing!

Although he plays other types of guitars as well, Stephen Bennett is well known as one of the world's foremost champions of the harp guitar, a freakish-looking hybrid instrument (which you can see on the album art albeit certainly not up to scale)! This wonderful album is a collection of his greatest compositions for this mutant with a sound of gold, spanning across his discography up until 2004.

This is the very definition of a "best of" album--every single song is a masterpiece in its own way, and there are no weak spots. We are even treated to a few additional sounds, such as mandolin and New Age synth (which I loved in the context of the song even though I usually hate electronic sounds of that nature). The playing is impeccable and heartfelt throughout, and the melodies are incredibly tuneful, melodic and quite often sublime. I love solo guitar music in general, but Stephen is undeniably special, and his music touches me in ways that few other artists can. In an age of ridiculous performers, Stephen is the perfect antidote, and this is the perfect place to start if you want to get to know the artist and his instrument. I assure you that you will treasure these recordings, and of course, Stephen's other work is available on Amazon, his website (sometimes for ridiculously cheap prices), and elsewhere.

I was first introduced to the harp guitar by Michael Hedges in the Eighties. Here was this mutant guitar with a dozen or more strings that as it turns out has been around for more than a century! When I heard Hedges perform "Because It's There," I was stunned by the beauty of this instrument's sound.

Years later, I picked up a copy of BEYOND SIX STRINGS which was produced by Stephen Bennett and Gregg Miner. This was a collection of various artists displaying their technique with this amazing instrument.

Bennett's contribution to that album, "November," is also included here. First released in 2004 as a 2-CD set, HARP GUITAR - A COMPILATION collects 29 tunes from previous releases by Bennett on the Cimirron/Rainbird label between 1992 and 2004. Each of these solo pieces is a complete joy and (at the price!) an economical way to introduce yourself to one of the principal practioners of the harp guitar. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED