Customer Reviews

Tones

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Eric Johnson is a very proficient and impressive guitarist. I've always enjoyed listening to Tones and respect his guitar playing prowess. I also like his singing. Tones consists of nine tracks--four of the tracks are instrumentals. The album's musicianship is tight and skilled. The production and songwriting are also good and solid. My favorite songs are "Friends" and "Emerald Eyes." Both of these tunes are melodious and feature nice vocals from Eric Johnson. The chorus of "Emerald Eyes" is infectious. I'm glad I have Tones in my collection. It's a good piece of music. Worth a listen.

This piece of work is best listened to whilst driving. The power and depth of most tracks are such that make it very difficult to not drive fast. (hence the warning) Don't get me wrong, this is not for those who just want loud "noise", this is for anyone who enjoys clarity of sound and precision guitar work. This man is an outstanding example of a guitar craftsman. He does't just play the instrument. He and instrument become one.

Tones, Eric Johnson's 1986 debut album, highlights virtuoso performances by one of the most agile, engaging and innovative young guitarists in modern music. I know Eric Johnson's old band back in 1975 with The Electromagnets. Tones features nine original cuts written or co-written by Johnson, including the blistering instrumentals "Victory", "Zap", "Desert Song" and "Soulful Terrain." A great starting place for those not familiar with Eric Johnson's brand of guitar magic. This album was recorded in August 28 through November 17, 1985.

I'VE BEEN PLAYING GUITAR FOR 42 YEARS (33 PROFESSIONALLY), WAS RAISED ON JIMI HENDRIX, JEFF BECK, CLAPTON, SANTANA, THE VENTURES AND THE KINGS (B.B., ALBERT AND FREDDIE). WHAT ERIC DOES HERE ON THIS BREAKOUT ALBUM RIVALS SOME OF HENDRIX'S BEST PLAYING. "VICTORY" ALONE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION. WHILE THE VOCALS AT TIMES ARE A LITTLE WEAK, I'D RATHER HEAR HIM SING THAN GEORGE BENSON. HIS CREATIVITY AND TECHNICAL WIZARDRY SEEMS AT TIMES ABLE TO MOVE MOUNTAINS. TO WATCH HIM PULL THIS STUFF OFF LIVE IS UNBELIEVABLE....A REVELATION ! WHILE SATRIANI AND STEVE VAI FLAIL AWAY AND TRY TO OUT-SPEED EACH OTHER....ERIC WILL USE SPEED LIKE A GOURMET CHEF USES HOT SPICE....TO FLAVOR THE EXPERIENCE AND NOT JUST SPEED FOR VELOCITY'S SAKE. HIS MOVES FROM BLAZING POWER RIFFS TO GORGEOUS AND SENSITIVE LIQUID CRYSTAL TONES IS BREATHTAKING. NO WONDER CLAPTON CALLS HIM THE GREATEST GUITARIST ON EARTH.....HARD TO ARGUE.

I've been a fan of Eric ever since i saw his first Austin City limits performance back in the mid 80's. After i saw the performance i was hooked and bought Tones. Needless to say i was disapointed. The album had no energy, and everything seems to be canned and polished, it doesnt breath. The Drums have that horrible gated reverb sound which was the in thing at the time i guess, but sounded weak! This album didnt do Eric and his band justice. Granted it did win a grammy, but i think the production should have been more straight forward. I heard that Eric was supposed to produce the album but the record company had other ideas and brought in a producer who mainly produced new wave and pop groups of that era. I'm against going back and remixing older albums, but i wouldnt mind seeing it done to this one. Long live Eric the Great!!!!!!!!!

While Tones is not loaded with the same diversity, edge, or refinement(and lacks just a tad of energy) like Johnson's 1990 release Ah Via Musicom (a cd my brother played over and over) it is still pure musical artistry in the making !I'm no guitar playing expert but the hooks, licks, and atmosphere of Tones kept my attention---it's not hard rock or heavy metal- ear -and -mind- blowing -earth shattering- stuff---but it's great stuff nonetheless! Many have criticized Eric Johnson's vocals (however, I don't buy an Eric Johnson release for the singing. To me, simply put, his vocals are reminiscent of rocker Bryan Adams' without the raspy, grating, sand paper quality---great example is the track Friends)...That said, Tones is like the opening act to a movie or play that is only gonna get better (as is the case with his later releases).Tones is also in essence a teaser or sampler debut. His work on the track Desert Song is incredible and definitely captures a Southwest, Sedona, desert-like atmosphere.Eric Johnson can make his guitar sing, scream, talk, and even whisper. With the diverse tracks on Tones you will be stunned and soothed ! This is an album that definitely gets played from beginning to end without skipping a single track.I also give great credit to his band---especially those drums ! I don't care if a friend or critic says it sounds like 80's pop-rock music(there's absolutely nothing outdated, formulaic or generic on Tones); To me it's timeless and a very important/critical part of my vast music collection. This 1986 release gets five stars because as I said there are quite a few instrumental artists that I cannot listen to their albums in their entirety without skipping a track or tracks; Eric Johnson's Tones is that exception !

My Main Man From my Home town. To me Eric Johnson I the most classiest guitar player I`ve heard. He seems to have a conservative flair. He is a melodic perfectionist. If you like virtuosos and if you play guitar you will appreciate Eric Johnson. He is a master especially at integrating rythm and lead into one technique. An excrutiatingly mature style. Very knowledgeable. Love him.

Eric Johnson may not be the best known guitarist but he is one of the most gifted. This 1986 set begins with the fast paced "Soulful Terrain", a song I remember back in college (I had a friend who could play it on guitar). "Friends" features some cool jazz licks with introspective lyrics. "Emerald Eyes", which was recorded for his Seven Worlds LP (Eric's true debut, though left out of print for many years), finds it way here. "Off My Mind" was a minor radio hit in Texas. "Desert Song" is beautiful, peaceful, and mysterious. "Trail of Tears" is Eric's ode to the Native American (this was another song my friend learned to play on guitar) which segues into "Bristol Shore" (a hopeful song about waiting on a true love). "Zap" is another song that was originally included on Seven Worlds. This power-blues instrumental allows the other band members to shine brightly. Concluding this CD package is the more laid-back "Victory" (which didn't originally find its way on the original LP but, thankfully, is included here). If you listen closely, the final chord sounds strikingly familiar to the opening chord on "Ah Via Musicon" (the opening track on his next album).

If you appreciate guitar, and especially if you PLAY the guitar, you will love the entire EJ catalogue. These are the guys from the OTHER High School, the ones who made you decide to go get a Real Job. The low end production is sparse - as in "conscice" - with a tight bass and drum mix.

The guitar is everything you thought you could do...if only you had the talent, the time to practice, the co-producer, and the studio. EJ could have been a neurosurgeon - he apparently chose music.

The lryics would drive "serious" critics crazy, and EJ is a better guitarist than a poet. His words, if not in perfect pentameter, are honest. While they will never be mistaken for Peter Gabriel's ruminations, they certainly hit a chord for me - the normal guy who has played guitar since he was 5, but now sews up drunks in the ER.

Martin

Eric Johnson was the best unknown guitarist in Austin afeter Stevie Ray Vaughn left and everyone wondered why after Johnson made his debut with "Tones." Not flashy or overpoweringly loud, Johnson took the title of "musician" and raised it a step.

Sure the lyrics aren't GREAT, but they FIT THE MUSIC, and Johnson never claimed to be a SINGER... but a GUITARIST? OH MY GOD, YES!!!!

Taking his cues from the best, Eric Johnson coaxes tones and textures from a guitar than would make Jimi Hendrix cry and Jeff Beck hang his head in SHAME. From fiery jazz fusion to a nice acoustic piece, "Tones" is a timeless (ala U2's "The Unforgettable Fire") tasteful masterpiece.