Customer Reviews

Kiss My Axe

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is one of Al's best albums. Very cohesive in terms of mood, an very adventurous in terms of the places that it goes.

One reviewer mentioned that it was "Soft", if by soft you mean not alot of electric guitar and power chords blaring then yes it is "soft".

If you need "hard" then get a Yngwie Malmsteen, Symphony X or other metal album. You definately will not find the items produced on this album there.

This ablum is about adventure and romance. It goes into some very interesting places. It has a mature feel to it - textures are luxurious and all the compositions are cohesive - par for the course with Al.

Most songs are composed by Al with one from Chick Corea and one from Barry Miles - who plays keyboard on the album.

The title song has a definate "attitude" and style which you will only find with Al.

If you like Al then this album is a must.

The people saying negative things about this album are either musically ignorant or unattentive listeners. Kiss My Axe is full of very sophisticated, melodic compositions with great playing, and the production is first rate. The album title is Al's response to various record company executives who refused to even listen to the record while Al was shopping it around for a label. To say DiMeola's playing is cold and technical is a cheap shot from people who don't really listen. This cd contains some of Al's finest compositions such as One Night Last June, Morocco, and The Embrace. Great music!

While I too think Elegant Gypsy is Al's finest moment, his other work has always been a musical pleasure. His Winter Nights is simply superb. Electric Rendezvous short but sweet! Casino is as close to Gypsy as can be. Kiss My Axe is also worth the money and your time to give it a listen. If you like a variety of styles intermingled - here's the happy meal! Blazing guitar, gut wrenching bass on some of the tunes. Light and airy on others.

In following Mr. Dimeola's career, there seems to be a maturity in his work-While Gypsy is a simply a marvel in its blazing guitar work - each piece is technical bliss and speed! The works thereafter have been all about change -evolution if you will. The man still has the chops, but it's tempered and controlled. Youth to experience is the best analogy I can make here. It is obvious that he wants to stretch his music in other styles - not specifically jazz fusion.

I will continue to purchase his work simply because it has never failed to entertain me. Mr. Dimeola is simply one of the best of the best. One other reviewer wrote something to the effect "surely the Master knows more than his admirers!" I think there is a grain of truth in that remark. Each work that this man has done has been a step in his musical journey-I, for one, am glad he's allowed me the opportunity to walk with him along the way.

The majority of the tracks are full blown collaborations and are excellent!!

A few of the dispensable tracks on this CD are Al's solo recordings - on these, he basically messes around with electronic keyboards, drums and acoustic guitar over some chord changes (fortunately, these "Interludes" are short).

4 and 1/2 stars...rounded up.

A fantastic offering by Al Dimeola.
This recording was voted Best Jazz Guitar Album by Guitar Player Magazine in 1992.
A complex and diverse album that intrigues and delights with every listen.

Every time I put this on i'm taken back to road trips i took from Northern California down thru Death Valley and into Arizona. I played it over and over.

Al Dimeola is a true master. He stretches the boundaries from fusion to classical to world music. he takes chances and is not afraid to follow his heart. We should all be so lucky.

I love this album. Even after all these years I still like to toggle it up on my iPod and indulge myself in some of the best guitar available on record.

Like a fair number of Al recordings, this one required a few "training runs" for me - it's not accessible on the first or second listening. The music doesn't always go where I expected it to go the first time I listened.

Once trained, I found I craved this album at times when the music fit with what was going on in and around me. It's a definite "must have" for fans of Al Dimeola electric guitar, and the beginning of the trend toward other forms that he would explore in the years that followed the release of this album.

This album has eveything: Emotion, Fury, and pure creativity. This album has a nice mix of electric and acoustic. Morroco is a great acoustic number. The Embrace is a soft jazzy number with one of the coolest solos. The tone on the solo is awesome, even though the playing itself is nothing major. Kiss My Axe is a cool rocker-type tune. Phantom and Global Safari are also awesome songs with great guitar playing. For anyone trying out DiMeola for the first time, this would be a good start along with Elegent Gypsy. Highly recommended for guitar fans!

I don't know how this album was given anything under 5 stars and rave reviews. I really have no idea what anyone can have against this one, since this is probably the best by Di Meola. There is, however, one annoying track with some clock sounds in it that tries to fill but winds up annoying. Get this album and listen to it loud.

the real question is not why "a musician has to resort to a cheesy soft-porn cover to get people to buy their album" but why does someone of Mr. DiMeola's obvious talents have to practically beg record companies to pay attention to him? Is it because he plays a real instrument and doesn't go on stage with 10 dancers doing their overly choreographed and tired moves? Is it because he employs a talented drummer like Omar Hakim and doesn't resort to sampled and/or looped drum tracks? Is it because record companies think all the world needs are 3 minute pop tunes you can dance to, regardless of how mindless they are? That a musician of DiMeola's talents had such a difficult time says more about how clueless and outright stupid so many record execs really are. If I had a record label and Al came to me signing him would be a no-brainer. Yeah, but what do I know?!
Just get this already!
www.electriceyes.us

Kiss my axe is an awesome cd,There is a lot of subtle textures and it flows smoothly from theme to theme.It is very mellow and relaxing without being boring or repetative.One thing about Al is that his style varies so much that everyone is bound to like different aspects of his playing, that said I do'nt understand the 1 and 2 star ratings, this cd is much better than that.Two tracks I really thought were very good were Kiss my axe, and Global Safari, they both have some great lead guitar licks.Like I said this is a very tranquil and mellow cd, which I find a very nice departure from some of his other faster more electric work.