Customer Reviews

Love Is Greater Than Me

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Chris Duarte Group, a power trio with attitude, has just launched their stongest project yet with "Love > Me." The ride is an unbelivable one, starting off with the fuzz funk of "Baddness" moving through the rollicking "Brand New Day" and into the melodic "All Night", which you cannot sway-proof yourself against. The Led Zepplin-induced "Metaphor Song" is as heavy as they come, showing Chris' power and versatility. "Free 4 Me" pulses, and "How Long" is one of those songs causing the uncontrolled head-bob. But for the all-out Hendrix-a-thon, scramble your brain with "Watch Out.". This one burns so hot I wondered if it would be wise to clear the area before playing it again. This song also really shows that Chris' rhythm section is pure nitro: John Jordan on the 7-string thunder bass and Jason Patterson on drums form a strong backbone from which Chris can launch his spine-tingling attack. For those who prefer comparisons when shopping, artists like Stevie Ray, Hendrix, and Trower jump to mind. But Chris has his OWN thing: original, powerful and intense. "Love > Me" is a must-have CD. Enjoy!

Austin-based guitarist, songwriter and singer Chris Duarte is such a promising young upstart in the world of modern blues that he's already being compared with the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. It's heady stuff for the musician, who plays a rhythmic style of Texas blues-rock that is at times reminiscent of Vaughan's sound, and at other times reminiscent of Johnny Winter. The truth is, Duarte has his own sound that draws on elements of jazz, blues and rock & roll, all the while balancing vitality and rawness with astonishing and deeply spiritual playing.

Love Is Greater Than Me, their first album in three years, explores soaring post-Hendrix rock ("Baddness," Watch Out"), blues ("All Night," "How Long") and the intriguing Eastern modal sound of "Metaphor," offered in contrasting electric and acoustic versions. Chris Duarte is esteemed in guitar circles (he placed fourth in a Guitar World poll - behind B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy!) and this is the hard-rocking album his many fans have been waiting for, with 11 new original songs. Produced by Doyle Bramhall.

Just got the new release today. If you are a fan of CDG, then you know what to expect. If you are a fan of rock / blues along the lines of SRV etc... then this is definetly worth the $$. Every track is strong playing and creative writing. Chris is more diverse then previous releases. The only drawback is the quality of the recording itself. It seems like it could have been mixed better. Chris Duarte proves once again that he is at the top of the pile of "blues guitarists". A must purchase and definetly a must see.

This is my first Chris Duarte CD and I like it a lot. His guitar work rips and his voice is sufficient. He knows when to be quiet and let the music do the talking. I really liked the homages to Hendrix and SRV. I haven't had it long, but will enjoy it more and more. If you like Jake Andrews, Walter Trout, Indigenous, etc., then you will enjoy this CD.

Chris has come a long way from "Texas Sugar..." as can be attested in "Love Is Greater Than Me." The current trend of Austin musicians seems to be reaching more of an experimental blues sound. Like Ian Moore's "And All the Colors..." this is definitely a departure from the blues that Chris and Ian first cut their teeth on. The blues are still in there, you just have to listen a little harder for it.

Although I thought that "Texas Sugar..." was a great album, it sounded like SRV mixed with Red Hot Chili Peppers in a blender. With "Love > Me" Chris has established his own sound that is colored by -not a reproduction of- SRV, Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, RHCP, and even the Santana sounding piece in "Azul Ezell", (after all, SRV's sound was colored by the King's, Hendrix, Waters and Wolf).

The greatest part of this album is that it is about something. The songs on this album are about Chris overcoming the evils in his life that had beaten him down. The songs are very inspirational and mostly upbeat. His poetry is backed by good rhythm playing from himself and his band, and his solo work is strong a catchy. There isn't a song that won't keep your foot from tapping. This is one of my favorite albums of the post-SRV generation of "blues" men.

Good ol' Chris has got another CD out. I was a bit skeptical at buying it at first, because I knew Chris was going through a rough time (as he explains on the other side of the album cover). I figured it would be a bunch of depressing songs (kind of like how some of Clapton's CDs turned out, but that's beside the point). But, being a supporter of Chris I bought the CD anyways. Man was I wrong.

I was glad to see that Chris wrote all of the songs on this CD. It shows too, because the songs are all top notch. Chris shows with songs like "Watch Out" that the dude can still wail. "Brand New Day" is filled with clever lyrics and guitar lines, and the man solos most excellent on "Baddness," which is not quite as rock/blues as "Watch Out" but it's close. No matter what genre you like, who you like, buy this CD anyways. Chris Duarte is not Stevie Ray Vaughn, but he doesn't have to be. He's Chris Duarte. There's only one SRV, one Jeff Beck, one Clapton...and one Chris Duarte.

I think this will become Chris Duarte's signature CD. His songwriting is masterful and he along with his band delivers these songs in an outstanding fashion. The music is very powerful and diverse, and it displays the great versatility of this band. He has taken everything to a new level, even his singing. This CD will bring many different musicians to mind when you hear their influence on his writing and playing, but make no mistake, this is Mr. Duarte at his finest. If you have ever had the great pleasure to see him live, you know exactly what I mean. This CD was well worth the 3 year wait. You won't sample through this one folks because he grabs you right away and takes you on a fantastic journey. A future classic!

Yet another disappointing release from CD. I really wanted this one to be good. This isn't blues by any stretch of the imagination. It is a rock album, but not much of one at that. "Free 4 Me" is ok as is the only one that can be considered blues "How Long." I really love Chris' first release, but something really bad must have happened in this guys life 'cause this disc is nothing more than one man's cathartic mess. I sure hope he gets it together some day because I really believe he has a lot of talent. If you are looking for the same brilliance found on "Texas Sugar..." pass on this one.

Chris is a great guitar player. His previous albums were full of sparkling funky rhythms and solo playing. He knew how to play blues. This album lacks of originality, it's not very bluesy. Most of the tunes are hard to listen to all the way through. I am very disappointed. Where is Texas blues going to?

When Chris Duarte released his debut album, "Texas Sugar, Strat Magic," it felt as if the void left by the passing of Stevie Ray Vaughan just might be filled. Duarte's follow up album, "Tailspin Headwhack" took the listener in another more experimental, Hendrix influenced direction. This alienated Duarte's hardcore blues audience, sales suffered, and the band scrambled for a record deal. "Love is Greater Than Me" is the result. Instead of using his struggles as inspiration to reach new heights, Duarte recycles themes and riffs from previous albums in a much less inspirational way. Production is not as crisp as previous efforts, and soul is sorely lacking. The fact that Chris Duarte is an amazing talent makes this album worth buying, but this album will disappoint fans.