Stressfest

Steve Morse | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 16, 1996)
• Original Release Date: April 9, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Highstreet Records
• ASIN: B000001322
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #134,434 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #90 in Music > Indie Music > Rock > Rock Guitarists

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Morse at his best!, February 26, 2000

By 

Ned Rankin (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stressfest (Audio CD)

This CD is absolutely incredible. Mixed with some funk and shuffle, Steve's playing is absolutely mind-boggling. 64th notes! StressFest is by far the best record that Morse and his band (with magnificent bassist Dave LaRue and chopster Van Romaine on drums) have made yet. It's sort of a departure from his stuff with the Dregs, and is more agressive and grungy. This adds a new edge to Steve's music, but he's still playing meticulous as ever and is still perfect in every note. Even though the album is mostly heavy-hittin' rockers, it is tinged with a few low-key balladeering numbers, such as "4 Minutes to Live," where Steve plays guitar synth, making his guitar sound like a piano, and "Delicate Balance," a beautiful classical guitar duet between Morse and LaRue. No matter how odd the music is, Steve can still make it more emotional than any other fusion or progressive rock guitarist I've heard. Even if you're not a Morse fan, you'll love this album. It has something for everybody.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This album shows a meaner, leaner, Steve Morse Band., February 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Stressfest (Audio CD)

Stressfest is must own for any Morse fan as well as any fan of progressive rock music. The songs are performed with exceptional skill and the music is obvioulsly a culmination of all three of the players. The basslines are up front and punchy, and the drumming is so tasty you hang on every beat. Some will argue that this is the same old Morse, but this is not so. This album has a "fun" feeling about it, and lacks the over the top perfection of Stuctural Damage and Coast to Coast. Do not think this album lacks incredible playing, because all that the Steve Morse Band is famous for is clearly present. The mix is very good, the music very powerful, and the execution flawless. This album overshadows most of his other works in that every song is appealing and catchy, even if you are not a guitar nut. Stressfest is a fantastic album for those that already love the Steve Morse Band, or those that are looking for something fresh.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Live to ride.., February 2, 2001

By 

spiral_mind (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stressfest (Audio CD)

Mind-blowing picking. Guitar pyrotechnics. 64th-note shred-fests. Sound familiar? Of course; superhumanly fast guitarists are a dime a dozen lately. There's a fair amount of it here, too, but here's the kicker: all this work is based on a solid compositional foundation. Steve Morse can work miracles with his playing, but it's the writing skills and melodic sensibility, more than anything else, that have made him one of the world's most respected guitarists. Stressfest falls somewhere between the Dregs and Deep Purple: there's a mix of rock, blues, soul and funk blended with a leaner, crunchier guitar sound and a hard-edged attitude stemming from his time with DP. Not just a display of shredding for fellow guitarists to drool over, this is a collection of SONGS for anyone to enjoy. Eat your heart out, Yngwie...