Customer Reviews

Piranha Blues

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As Neal Schon recommends in the liner notes, "crank it up." This CD is incredible. As someone who has followed Neal throughout his career and is fond of both his work with and without Journey, this is a great addition to the collection. It is raw, it is bluesy, it is fantastic. The group apparentlly recorded most of the songs on the day they were written. It gives the feel of the CD such raw energy. Ross Valory and Prairie Prince provide the rhythm, which just shatters my subwoofer -- incredible. The CD is so different from Neal's latest work on Beyond the Thunder and Electric World for Higher Octave Music (both highly recommended). He really rips through his PRS guitar. I've been listening for days and am finding more and more in it that amazes me. I hope people will recognize with this CD that Neal is truly one of the top guitarists of today -- and diversified. He really is a master of so many different styles. A must buy!

AWESOME! THANK GOD NEAL AND HIS BAND DIDN'T OVER REHEARSE THESE SONGS.THE FACT THAT THE SONGS WERE RECORDED THE DAY THEY WERE WRITTEN HELPS HOLD ALL THE RAW ENERGY AND THE SOUL OF THE SONGS.WHEN YOU PUT THIS CD IN AND CRANK IT UP YOUR WHOLE BODY TINGLES FROM THE POWER AND FEEL GENERATED BY NEALS GUITAR PLAYING AND THE SOUL GENERATED BY THE RHYTHM SECTION.ALSO,I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THE SINGER BEFORE BUT HIS VOICE ADDS A TEXTURE THAT JUST BRINGS EVERYTHING FULL CIRCLE.THIS CD IS FOR ALL NEAL SCHON FANS AND PEOPLE THAT ENJOY GREAT GUITAR PLAYING WITH A COMBINED TASTE OF BLUES AND GOOD OLD ROCK AND ROLL.ENJOY AND ROCK ON.

Far from being just a traditional blues album this is traditionally-based blues rock,showcasing both the ferocity of Schon's axe attack and the smoothness and elegance he is known for.A collector's item!

This is some of the best guitar playing i ever heard.New blues guys like K.Wayne Sheperd and Jonny Lang could learn alot from Neal's playing.The more I listen to this,the more I like it.

The GUITAR!!!
Neil shows HIS own blues/rock impression.
The vocals are repetitive,but the guitar play would have impressed Stevie Ray himself. This is a must buy for enthusiasts of hard working guitarist's.

Neal Schon again proves how talented and versatile he is with "Piranha Blues" ... the passion and love for the blues and for the guitar certainly comes through with even the first listen. In addition to Schon, the other musicians on this album make a wonderful contribution: Ross Valory on bass, Prairie Prince on drums, and the vocals supplied by Richard Martin Ross. But for me, as always, it is Neal Schon's soulful guitar that draws me in. My personal favorite song is the instrumental "Blues for Miles."

I highly recommend getting this album if you are a Schon fan, or if you are simply a blues fan. You won't be disappointed.

Definitely not for fans of Journey (Steve Perry-era), this CD smokes from the opening guitar riff of Whiskey, Women and Blues to the hypnotic closing of Blues For Miles. After veering off into the Craig Chaquico-like New Age Jazz realm with his last couple of CDs, Neal and old friends Ross Valory and Prairie Prince rock the rafters with some hard edged blues-rock. A couple of the tracks made me think a little bit of Humble Pie, while songs like Play the Blues have a Jonny Lang-type sound to them. As Neal states on the liner notes, this new singer's rough, whiskey-laced voice complements the material perfectly. With all the pablum and ... stinking up the airwaves these days, it's amazing how great music like this has to be sought out to be heard. This album sounds better the louder you play it.

Neal's post-Journey work has been very impressive; however, the blues doesn't seem to be his forte. The singer chosen to head up this version of a "band" creates a feeling similar to fingers on a chalkboard. Can't really say what Neal was thinking when he chose him. Neal is, and has been, one of the finest guitarists out there. Although he did manage to pull off a few good solo riffs on this album, it is mostly disappointing. For good quality guitar playing, you would be better served with "Beyond the Thunder" or "Electric World". Those two are classic Neal Schon at his best.

This effort had a fine assembly of talent. I was expecting something beyond maybe Lovin' Touching' Squeezin' ala Journey, maybe more snappy than Stevie Ray, or ZZ Top. It just wasn't Bluesy enough. Neal was Neal, but the song selection was crappy. I gave it three stars for the recording quality.

As a big fan of Journey's first 3 records and knowing how Neal is such a great player with a killer tone it is great to hear him playing the crap out of his guitar. I loved Beyond the Thunder and Electric World but this is how I like Neal best. The singer sounds like a cross between Warren Haynes and Paul Rodgers. Neal, if you read this thanks for a great cd and please keep this band together for more cd's and maybe even a tour.