Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Encyclopedia of Shred , March 31, 2007
Make no mistake about it, this album is a fusion masterpiece and "Time is the Enemy" itself is maybe the ultimate Shawn Lane track and one of the most mind-blowing demonstrations of guitar virtuosity ever. Two other versions of this track exist on official albums that I know of (a slightly faster but more out-of-control and metal-sounding one on "Personae" and an excellent early one on the Michael Shrieve "Two Doors" album) but this one is by far the best.
At a breakneck tempo with Sipe & Hellborg behind him raising the heat and slow-burn controlled intensity to a level mere mortals would spontaneously combust from, Lane takes off and starts flying, soaring, unleashing nearly every lick in his formidable arsenal in lightning fast, endlessly creative patterns and runs and with consummate taste and a tone that's one of the purest he's ever achieved on any record. Just when you think the solo couldn't get more intense and there couldn't be any more thousand note runs to play or that maybe Shawn would simply get exhausted and lose control from all that non-stop shredding, he ups the ante and keeps going and then does it again, time after time, with such perfect control that would make even Frank Gambale's or Allan Holdsworth's jaws drop to the floor. Now, Shawn has always had incredible speed, even back when he was a member of Black Oak Arkansas at 16 years of age (for a demonstration check out the you-tube videos) but the level of his playing and especially his musicianship once he hooked up with Hellborg jumped up about 10 notches from the already high place it occupied.
To me this one, "Abstract Logic" and "Temporal Analogues of Paradise" are the masterpieces of Shawn's electric fusion-period output with Hellborg and Sipe (and Kofi Baker, Ginger Baker's son on Abstract Logic). I also love Lane's acoustic playing on the Indian fusion albums "Icon" & "Good People in Times of Evil," those are both classics. These albums are Shawn's real legacy and truly represent his most mature output as an artist and telepathic improviser. They will ensure the spread of his fame and legend as the years go by. His post humous fame will far exceed his lifetime recognition.
As for Hellborg, the man is a rock of indestructible integrity and despite the irreplacable loss of Shawn, still keeps putting out incredible albums one after the other, the most recent ones being "Kali's Son," (electric, groove-oriented and meditative Indian fusion) and the "Paul Hanson, Jonas Hellborg, Jeff Sipe" album which is a trio fusion album featuring the scariest sounding, most intense Bassoon licks played in the history of the instrument. That album has been out for a while and for some reason is not for sale at amazon. Do yourself a favor and go pick it up at the fusion-specific abstractlogix site. While you're there, you might also want to pick up the Jeff Sipe "Art of the Jam" album, another furious and unrelenting barnstormer Hanson and Hellborg play on in addition to a great guitar player named Shane Theriot.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything of Shawn's is10 stars, August 10, 2005
What can i say? Even though I don't like every second of every album the good parts make up for it 10 times over. The ripping solos are just beyond belief as usual. If you get Shawn you know what I mean so nuff said. 10 Stars
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
look no further, June 26, 2007
I bought this based on reviews I've read regarding Jonas Hellborg's playing. This line up, Hellborg ,Sipe and Lane is quite simply the best you will ever hear. This is improv and interplay at it's zenith. Buy this and you will end up buying everything by them you can get your hands on.
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~ Jonas Hellborg
~ Shawn Lane
~ Jonas Hellborg
~ Jonas Hellborg;Shawn Lane;V. Selvaganesh
DVD ~ Jonas Hellborg
by Shawn Lane 
