Customer Reviews

Speed of Thought

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

 

 

Eric Schenkman is a great guitar player. His guitar style is very musical, tastefully done, and creative. The three albums he did with the Spin Doctors (Kryptonite, Homebelly, and Upside Down) are guitar gems. On this album his guitar style is stripped down a bit, with more emphases on singing and songwriting. I particularly like the songs Genuine and Waiting. Corky Laing's drumming is nicely done. Overall this is a good rock and roll album.

It is rare that one listens to a complete CD, but this is an album that keeps the listeners' interest from start to finish. There are 9 hits on here (out of 11 tracks)--Hail Mary, Genuine, Bone Daddy, Midnight Rose, You're All I Need, I Get the Picture, MyMy, Sin City and the last & best song, In This World. This is an album anyone can relate to in any era, any age group. Soulful lyrics, excellent vocals, no gratuitous guitar solos, some of the best drumming and singing of his career by Corky Laing and a beautifully produced album. Laing & Schenkman will be THE writing team of the next decade if they can duplicate or improve on this great debut CD.

The combination of Eric Schenkman on guitars (Spin Doctors), Corky Laing on drums, and a dose of the late Noel Redding playing bass on a number of tracks seems promising on paper. But "Speed of Thought" is a very mixed bag despite the talent on board for this recording.

Mostly loud and technically very good, the music sounds strained and forced at times, making it hard to stick with more than a track or two. And after a couple of listens, one tends to note the better tracks----Bone Daddy and Get the Picture, for instance----and forgoes most of the others. Still. Mr. Schenkman and Mr. Laing can both play and sing with abandon.

The lyrics sometimes seem too much of the same thing and tend to celebrate or denigrate the excesses of rock-star life, and providing little for the ordinary listener to celebrate. Perhaps a follow-up recording will prove more accessible and more convincing. Still, if you can pick up a copy for $2, you might want to hear for yourself.