Customer Reviews

Niacin

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

 

 

This CD is for fans of instrumental Jazz Fusion styled playing with a dash of Rock n Roll. The ferocious playing will surely blow your mind. John Novello plays a mean B-3 organ a la Keith Emerson, etc. while Dennis Chambers provides a steady groove on the drums. Add bassist virtuoso Billy Sheehan and you have the band Niacin. This CD will take you through a variety of adventurous moods and styles of playing. It is hard to believe that this CD is their first. Bassists need to check out the song Clean Up Crew to believe it. I give it my highest recommendation.

After listening to all FIVE of Niacin's CD's I must say this one is lackluster compared to the others all of which I would rate at 4 1/2 stars or higher. There are signs of the genius on this CD that Niacin is but not enough to warrant a repeat listen. Buy the other FOUR CD's and skip this one unless you are diehard. 'Time Crunch' is their best to date and is a great place to start your Niacin diet as well as 'Deep' which came out after this CD and shows unreal progression from this mundane CD. Hope I saved you some cash or boredom.

'Nuff said!!!

Frankly, when I see names like Billy Sheehan and Dennis Chambers on the roster, I expect some monstrous playing. I expect the doors to be blown off, but my house is still intact. Instead, this is a passable collection of instrumental tunes that make for pleasant background listening.

The playing is rarely challenging and the musicians hardly cut loose. Chambers on drums has some great moments, but Sheehan on bass is quite restrained. The few times he does rip off some wild bass runs, his axe is so buried in the mix that you miss it if you're not listening closely. Only a few of the tunes really get the blood pumping, others are just sort of bland with melodies that don't stick to the brain.

I KNOW these guys are capable of much more challenging, cutting-edge music - because it took them until their 4th album, Time Crunch, to do it! That is the definitive Niacin CD to get if you want to have your doors AND your roof blown off!!!

It's really incredible how a band like Niacin gets no promotion for an album like this debut. Great musicians making such nice songs is hard stuff to find nowadays.