Customer Reviews

Sounds of Wood & Steel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had been searching for this album because I downloaded just one song from the web, Vince Gill's "How great thou art". It took me months to find out where it came from. The emotion in that one song, the way Vince plays it, is what drives me to play the guitar, if only I was that good! I don't really care for the taylor's advertizing a lot of good accoustical guitars out there. While the highlight will always be the song that sent me on the search in the first place, the rest is definately worth the price!

Every track on the album is at least pretty good."The claw" by Clint Black is a tricky piece deftly handled."Java man" by Michael hedges is a work of virtuosity."Liquid Amber" by Laurence Juber has all the dreaminess the title implies."Marina" by Skip Ewing and B.J.Walker Jr. is one the most lovely,sun drenched,yet melancholy pieces of music you'll ever hear.But the most brilliant work on the album has to be "Sadhana" by Steve Stevens.This vibrant,rhythmically manic tour through the possibilities of the guitar has to be heard to be believed.Great sound,balance and superb artist selection.

I bought this album in the hopes of getting some exposure to a lot of different American fingerstyle and acoustic stylists. In that respect, I think the album does a decent job. It's helped me narrow down what my own personal likes and dislikes are for future purchases. I think that a lot of the songs on this album are good...I particularly like "Who Lives Up There" by Snuffy Walden. According to the liner notes, he wrote this in an attempt to answer his son's questions about death and heaven after the passing of a family member and a family pet. It's a haunting and beautiful song that I find myself listening to over and over. Unfortunately, a lot of the rest of the album seems like so much filler...and I particularly didn't like the background accompaniments on songs like Alma D'Alma (which sounds like one of those songs you'd hear on a Smooth Jazz radio station). In fact, I think a LOT of the accompanied songs would have been much better off with only the guitarist. After all, this is supposed to be "Sounds of Wood and Steel," not "Sounds of Wood and Steel and Fretless Bass and Bongos and a Windham Hill Mix".

Overall, something you could put on in the background at a cocktail party, but nothing to rave about.

Taylor Guitars and Windham Hill have joined forces to produce a satisfying collection of acoustic guitarists and their work. If you are a fan of the acoustic guitar (and I am), then you will enjoy this CD. Steve Stevens is truly on fire with his Flamenco piece, 'Sahana'. The late, great Michael Hedges checks in with the introspective 'Java Man'. One of my personal favorites is the wonderfully bluesy 'Liquid Amber' by Lawrence Juber. There is just a little bit of everything in this CD for everyone. All in all this CD is a solid compilation of artists demonstrating a full range of possibilities using a variety of Taylor guitars.

I own both the 1st "wood & steel" compilation CD and the 2nd effort. All I can say, is they might be the BEST solo guitar, finger-style compilations produced. This is a fantastic production from renouned new age label WindHam Hill. All players are playing their Taylors'. What a great idea!

As an owner of a Taylor 512, and fan of many of these artists, i found these compilations to be essential to my collection.

For me and my family, tracks 3, 6 and 10 standout immediately. As I continue listening I'm finding there are several others that I like even more. I'd say that about half of the tracks are to my liking while the vast majority demonstrate much ability and creativity. I am very pleased to own it.

A terrific compilation of contemporary acoustic guitar. The Dirty Linen review is correct when it calls it "uneven", but the good far outweighs the bad. Michael Hedges "Java Man" makes most of the other tracks seem staid and conventional by comparison, yet is itself pleasingly beautiful--something that doesn't happen very often in thoroughly comtemporary music. The other standouts are "Sadhana", a driving, energetic flamenco piece played by Steve Stevens on a prototype Taylor nylong-string (where's the production model--I want it!) and the jazzy-bluesy "Liquid Amber" by Laurence Juber. Disappointments are "How Great Thou Art" by Vince Gill (he can do so much more) and Amy Grant, and "Jesus Maria" by Leo Kottke (yet another exercise in non-melodic arrythmia). Another possible turnoff may be the ever-present Taylor logo and accolades. I own a Taylor myself and love it, but even I found the self-promotion to be a little much. Nevertheless, the guitars (and players) have produced some truly wonderful sounds on the CD.

This is one of my all time favorite CDs. I still remember where I was the first time I heard it- in the gift shop at McMenamins Edgewood over 10 years ago. I've purchased copies as gifts for the accoustic guitar players in my life over the years and everyone always loves it. I listen on repeat for hours- some of the songs are hauntingly beautiful; there isn't one I don't like, even though the style of each song varies. The order of the songs is genius.

How Great Thou Art: Hands down the best version of this song EVAH!
Sadhana: Steve Stevens pulls out all the stops on this upbeat flamenco-tinged burner
The Claw: Countri-fied twang makes my fingers get all twisted up just listening

Really, there's not a bad song on the disc. There are two more editions after this, but this one takes the cake as the original and most well thought out. It's played regularly at our house and has captured the interest of 3 generations.

Nice group of players, yet it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for in terms of fingerstyle technique.