Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mind-blowing!!!!!, June 12, 2002
Yes, five exclamation points. Surely I exaggerate, right? Not here. Niacin's Time Crunch is an aggressively awesome jazz-fusion album dripping both chops and infectious energy. It's so musically intense that I'm not really prepared to say it's melodic in the sense of "catchiness," but at the same time it's very hard to stop listening to it. Other reviewers have thrown the word "addictive" around, and let me tell you this CD makes heroin seem like peanut butter cookies. (Okay, now I'm exaggerating...) If John Novello isn't the best keyboardist in the world, he's pretty damn close. No one 'rocks' with the keyboard like this guy does. His Hammond B3 onslaught would make Keith Emerson sound tepid in comparison. His frenzied, reeling organ rocks atop the fusillading bass of Billy Sheehan and polyrhythmic drumming of Dennis Chambers with heart-stopping precision and energy. This album just rips, no doubt about it. There are times when the album slows down and goes for more easygoing jazz grooves like "Hog Funk" -- not an exhilarating song like "Elbow Grease" or "Time Crunch", but still captivating on sheer groove-power. This band must have sold their souls to the devil to become such mighty groove-demons! "Invisible King" is a slow eerie cut with pianos and Hammonds painting doomy tones. There are two cover songs, where Niacin tackles the stormy "Red" by King Crimson and later keyboardist Jan Hammer's proggy jazz-rock tune "Blue Wind".As tri-ryche mentions in his review, this power trio replaces the guitar with the keyboardist. You may doubt a band's jazzy rock power when they don't even have a guitar in the line-up, but I can assure you John Novello's keys rock more than 99% of the Joe Guitar Men out there -- he has the awesome B3, gritty lead tone, and bobbling pianos. And, to echo tri-ryche's fine review further, you will initially be blown away by the musicianship. However, even once you've become acclimated to the band's instrumental godliness, boredom is impossible! The songs are just too much fun, with too much dynamic energy. You know you want it. Give in to your spending impulses!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a rush! What a trip! What a Crunch!!!, March 29, 2002
The most surprisingly addictive instrumental album?! 'Wonderful rush,' 'exciting trip,' 'flawless,' 'I want more,' are the sorts of phrases that come to mind when listening to Time Crunch, but it's really hard to explain why.I purchased it based primarily on reviews by musicians praising the incredible abilities of the three virtuosos involved. However, as the album only seemed to gain attention from musicians, I was sceptical about the possibility of it becoming a key member of my collection. I do love superior musicianship, but, as a non-musician, find it hard to appreciate virtuosity when it is an end in itself. The expectation was that this would be another one of those albums where the virtuosity would blow me away for the first few spins and then wear off for lack of substance. WRONG!!! Time Crunch is tightly packed with infectiously groovy and/or melodic, intense (in a fun way), progressive and rock-solid tracks, which poke into jazz and rock territory without being limited by the boundaries of either. Although not easy to classify, it will surely be appreciated by anybody who is into challenging jazz and/or rock. Time Crunch is an awesome driving album, but it is also great for a party (of people with good taste) or for a loud morning blast to sharpen your dazed mind and energise you for a positive and action-packed day. Everybody knows Billy Sheehan as the bass virtuoso from Mr Big and David Lee Roth's band, but you only know half the story until you've heard him with Niacin. His playing here is so inspired, soulful, fluid and so integrated into the band's sound that you are almost certain to start crying out 'shame, shame, shame' over the fact that he is primarily associated with his more commercially oriented projects. I know Dennis Chambers' clinical work has made him a legend among drummers, but I did not expect much in a context of playing for the band/song. Boy was I wrong? His playing makes the songs so addictive it should be criminalized. I was initially a little weary of a power trio without a guitar. But that was only until I heard John Novello's incomparably powerful and tasteful keyboard work, which does not rely too heavily on 'samples' and cheesy electronica, opting instead for more natural and pleasing sounds, primarily from a B3 organ. His playing demands your undivided devotion so successfully that you forget about the lack of a guitar, or, when you do notice that it's not there, you say 'thank God for that.' Novello is now officially my favourite keyboardist. While the immense abilities of each of the three musicians involved were no surprise, the way they're all integrated was a HUGELY welcome shock to the system. If you are to have only one instrumental album in your collection, then consider Time Crunch as a front-running contender. If you have deliberately avoided instrumental albums, give Time Crunch a fair go and I'll place all of my otherworldly fortunes on the chance that it will alter your perspective...
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Furious Fusion!, December 27, 2002
What do you get when you combine the complexity of jazz, the grooviness of funk, and the drive of rock and roll? The answer is Niacin, and their latest album, "Time Crunch" is thrilling fusion of the highest order.First things first. These guys can play. Niacin is the ultimate "power trio". Even bands like Rush and Primus, talented as they are, could surely take some lessons from these guys. On your first inspection of the CD, you may notice that there is no guitarist to be found here. Well, don't despair, because once you hear the great John Novello in action, you will undoubtedly forget all about it. This guy is an incredible keyboardist, seamlessly combining upbeat Hammond organ, melodic piano, and shredding solos. Billy Sheehan makes for a great companion. Often called the "Eddie Van Halen of bass", he surely lives up to his name. He shreds, taps, grooves, and all on a 4-string bass. And then we have Dennis Chambers. What a drummer. Insanely complex, inhumanly fast, and on top of that, he can hold some pretty sick grooves. Many of the best drummers are all flash and no groove, but not Chambers. He's one of the grooviest drummers I've ever heard, as well as the most technically proficient. Another thing I like about his playing is that he never "overplays". Meaning, for all the amazing stuff he does on the kit, he never sounds like he's pushing himself, or playing to his full potential. Take that for what it's worth, but I think that really says something. Now, onto the music. I think this album is excellent from start to finish. It starts off with a bang, with the energetic "Elbow Grease", and never lets up from there. "Stone Face" is a bit more laid-back, with some nice upbeat piano work, and "Glow" and "Invisible King" are more soft and peaceful, but aside from those three songs, it's pretty much nonstop jamming. "Daddy Long Leg" is certainly worth a mention. It features jaw-dropping solo spots from all three members, and "Damaged Goods" and "Outside Inside Out" have some pretty wicked solos as well. And, of course, the cover of King Crimson's classic instrumental, "Red" is definitely another highlight. Novello's keyboards are a perfect match for Robert Fripp's guitar work, and Chambers puts the great Bill Bruford to shame. It has a bit of a different feel than the rest of the album, but I'd say it fits in just fine. If you're a fan of jazz, fusion, or any kind of instrumental music, I'd say this is definitely worth checking out. It may seem a bit uniform at first, but the subtle nuances in the music keep the songs interesting throughout. This may be difficult to get into for those who aren't a fan of technical music, but if that's what you're into, you can't afford to pass this up.
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