Customer Reviews

On Solid Ground

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

 

 

I haven't heard everything that Carlton's done, but I do own most of it. For those (like me) who too often find most of this music sorely lacking and getting mired in tired R'and B' grooves that have no sense of dynamics and wear out their welcome long before the tune is over, then this is a fine exception. Matter of fact this album, along with 1986's "Alone//But Not Alone" (where Carlton sticks to acoustic guitar for the entire recording)I would rate as the only 2 "must have's" of his output so far.
Carlton may have been inspired by his famous brush with death just before this recording, who knows, but it certainly shows here in a beautiful, lyrical way. His playing still shows signs of the fusion style that he was originally known for, but the writing is more mature and many of the themes are quite beautiful and expressive. Oddly, though, the recording starts off with the weakest track "Josie" which sounds pretty much like everything else from this genre and isn't going to win anybody over except those already into this type of "all groove and no substance" type of piece. On the other side, I think the best Carlton peace EVER is on here, "Sea Space", and no "Best Of" compilation is complete without this tune (naturally they missed putting "Sea Space" on either "Collection" volumes 1 or 2!). Usually when you see a cover version of a well known tune (in this case "Layla") it's usually a sign of the leader grasping for material (and radio play)due to lack of inspiration, but, again, thankfully, that is not the case here, it actually works. Sure there are a couple of those R'andB' grooves that could easily make one put this in the same catagory as the thousands of other recordings of this type (including the by-the-book saxophone solo in "All in Good Time" which the player could probably have done in his sleep), but these are thankfully saved by the incredible recorded sound, and the keyboards (the wonderful Alan Pasqua and Terry Trotter) which really give most of the recording a sense of depth and beauty, often functioning kind of as a backround orchestral pallette (as is most evident on "Sea Space").
All in all this could have been better with maybe replacing the tired sounding saxophone solos with a real Jazz sax player (anybody from Charlie Mariano to Tom Scott would work better), but all in all, I would pick this up along with 1986's "Alone/But Not Alone" and you will have the best of Carlton in both the electric and acoustic worlds.

A replacement CD for one I lost, I am so glad to have this one in my collection again! "Compositionally" speaking, several songs are excellent, others are fine, and one or two fail to engage. But since I got this for [...] with free shipping, I decided: Why not buy the entire CD!

This was a time of celebration and thanksgiving for Carlton and it always puts me in a better mood. I love Larry Carlton's clean, honest playing. He is a very "vocal" guitarist; I am a vocalist, and I appreciate the way that his playing delivers (albeit wordlessly) the message of the song.

The arrangements are very tight and full, but they do have a bit of the late 80s, highly polished "Hollywood" sound. Still, listen carefully for the well done keyboard work throughout. I am trying to pick up keyboard skills so it's fun to get out my keyboard-synthesizers and Mason Hamlin and chime along with Larry! Arrangements tend to be challenging (chord changes and some challenging modulations).

I have read some "expert critics" out there who claim that Carlton's playing is not complicated enough. To those critics I say: Clearly, you are not musicians -- You may be technicians but you are not artists in this realm. I would add that they should beware of equating technical accuracy and speed with artistry. Moreover, a discerning ear would be able to pick up the nuances such as crescendo/decrescendo, timing and feel, intonation, resonance, and other aspects of the art of music - all of which Larry skillfully and soulfully applies.

But don't misunderstand me - You don't need to have a PHD or be a musician to enjoy and appreciate Larry Carlton! His music communicates to a variety of audiences. Rock out! (Rock on?) ;)

An electric album this time, with gorgeous, soaring melodies (On Solid Ground), fun, infectuous funk (Bubble Shuffle) and a great rendition of "Layla". Every song on the album is great. Play it on a sunny Sunday afternoon, a Saturday evening, or go outside and let the wind blow through your hair. This is a convertible album - throw the top down and blast away!

The CD was described as being in a good condition. However, track #6 had a scratch on it that meant that the track coul not be played (I played the CD on a number of players to see the effect of the scratch). The remainder of the CD's tracks were fine. It's a pity that I didn't get all of Larry Carlton.

at it's best...Larry Carlton has played with the best. I first heard him when he did some work with Michael Franks in the 70's and he has always excelled...This album is an excellent collection of tunes and his covers of "Josie" and "Layla" prove his skill.

This album walks an extremely fine line between smooth jazz and instrumental guitar rock, and fans of either (or of great guitar playing in general) should find much to like about it. On the jazz end, the super cool grooves of "All In Good Time," and "Bubble Shuffle" are great, and for those rock fans, he covers Steely Dan's classic hit "Josie" and Eric Clapton's "Layla," and these are arguably two of the best treatments that these classic rock anthems have ever been given.

An album recorded shortly after the dreadful shooting outside his 335 studio, catching Larry in a reflective mood. I saw him in concert when this album first hit the streets and it was a wonderful experience. We are lucky to have a musician like him still in our midst. Goosebump stuff....go buy it.