Customer Reviews

Voice

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you're reading this, you already know who Neal is. I have been listening to Neal for close to thirty years now, and I have my favorites, like everyone else. What you gotta realize is Neal shines brightest when he's playing searing MELODIC solos over the top of MELODIC music. I love the Schon/Hammer stuff, and really love the EARLY Journey stuff (think "Spaceman" off the "Next" album), and of course Santana, but c'mon, guys-HIS MOST CONSISTENTLY GREAT melodic playing is the first bunch of Journey albums w/Steve Perry; up to about the time Gregg Rolie left the band. The reason was because he was playing on top of some REALLY RICH SONGWRITING. I think his playing since those days has been great, and there has been moments of brilliance, but overall, the blues stuff and the solo albums don't IMHO showcase his best attribute, the truly genius sense of MELODY. This release blows me away. The songs that some of these reviewers think are cheesy have one thing in common- they are great songs. And they sound 1000% better with Neals soulfully crisp tones icing them down. I think it took a lot of guts (Jeff Beck type guts) on his part to release this, and I'm glad he did. I haven't heard him play this good in years!

On paper this shouldn't have worked. Put Journey guitarist Neal Schon covering some big pop hits and mainly staying true to the original blueprints. It should have come across as bland fuzak. However, in Schon's expert hands and with his brilliant tone, these songs come to life in ways that make them really shine. Many of the tunes I prefer to their more bombastic vocal versions. One trap of Schon's recent playing has been to throw more notes into each run but without adding much to the melody. No such problem here as his playing is more lyrical and nuanced than anything he's done since "Late Nite." Very good.

Everyone's entitled to their own opinions, but "a music fan from California" (last review) must not be as big a Neal Schon fan as me. If you want original music from Neal Schon, it's there. In fact, when you think of all the recordings he's put out, whether with Journey, Santana, Hardline, Schon&Hammer, HSAS, Bad English, Michael Bolton, and his many solo recorndings, I'd say there's plenty of original stuff to choose from.

This one has Neal's signature majestic and soulful sound; his guitar beautifully capturing the melodies and vocals of these modern classics, and in a language only Neal knows how to play.

I love it. If you haven't already bought this, and you're reading these reviews deciding whether to buy it, STOP READING, and just get it!! :)

Neal Schon has done the unthinkable ... he has taken some of the finest rock, pop, and other songs written, and he has removed the lyrics, inserting instead his driving guitar solos ... and it works! I sampled this CD one afternoon at the local Barnes & Noble, and I immediately purchased it. The pop tracks are the weakest of the listening experience, but they are wealth worth enduring for the high moments of this incredible guitarist's talent. Excellent for background noise or relaxation therapy.

"VOICE" BY NEAL SCHON IS JUST SIMPLY A GREAT CD. NEAL IS AN EXTRAORDINARY GUITARIST. HIS TALENT IS DISPLAYED IN THIS CD. HIS VERSION OF "HERO" WILL TOUCH YOUR HEART. THIS CD IS A "MUST" FOR ANY SERIOUS JAZZ FAN.

This is mood making, sexy, great music. Neal adds a slight rock edge to some beautiful and familiar melodies. This album is great for background music (we play it in our store), party music or just for listing. One of the best guitar players of all time 'sings' with his instrument. BUY IT NOW!

OK Journey Fans!....Mr Schon has really went and done it now! Neal has put together one of the best instrumental cd's ever! Like the "Journey" guitar sound?, well here you go, some of the greatest songs ever recorded....just played by the best guitar player ever. From track one all the way to the end, nothing but SUPER! Highly recommended!!

Amidst all the mass-marketed music out there, this is one rare gem that I'm glad to have in my collection. I've always heard these songs on the radio and television, and being a guitar player myself, often wondered what some of these tunes might sound like if done on guitar. From the most subtle notes and nuances to the ripping solos, everything just sounds perfectly phrased and executed ... and yet somehow I feel that Neal pours more emotion into his renditions than most of the original artist ever did recording them the first time around. This album is nothing short of breathtaking and in my opinion a shining example of a master guitar player at his very best.

I was not at all skeptical when I saw this release... I knew right away that I HAD to have it. I have Schon's "Electric World", and there's some great stuff there, and like just about anyone else who grew up in the 80's, I'm a Journey fan. But since I've been on somewhat of a CD buying dry spell for the past few years, it would take more than just the prospect of another good solo guitar album to really motivate me to get off my lazy butt and buy. "Voice" was the answer. I was very intrigued with this CD's concept... having a very talented guitarist cover well known songs, soloing over the entire song, sans voice. I ordered it before I even bothered listening to a few of the samples here. I was not at all disappointed in Voice! Yes, it's technically not original work by Neil Schon, but it is very inaccurate to characterize this as merely a CD of cover songs. His playing does bear strong resemblance to the melody line sung on the original recordings of these songs, but by no means does he merely play the exact notes of the singer. It's very difficult to pick out one song as my "favorite", since every track on this CD is absolutely fantastic. Hero and Everything I Do are performed wonderfully, with lots of emotion and feeling. From This Moment On is a beautiful song, and Neil really does a great job here too. Con Te Partiro gives me chills every time I hear it... I guess if I had to pick a favorite track, that would be it. The musician in me forces me to evaluate the more technical aspects of this CD. The background instruments (all performed by the producer/recording engineer, and one other person) sound great, and the CD is well produced overall. In more than a few spots, you can actually barely hear the slight buzz of Neil's amp, though I don't consider this to be a bad thing... it's merely a side effect of his playing through a REAL amp as opposed to the various electronic modeling gizmos that wannabes like me use. :-) As for guitar sounds, his trademark fat, saturated tone is present on most tracks at one point or another, though he also uses some less distorted and/or hollow body sounds when appropriate. Anyway, even if you can't stand Mariah Carey and Celine Dion, don't let that throw you... this CD is full of very enjoyable and inspirational music that you are sure to love. My only complaint, as another reviewer mentioned, is the photo on the cover. I think the art director was aiming for some sort of "deep in thought, introspective" look, but it insted seems that Neil has just been scolded by his mother for playing that damn guitar too loudly. :-) Seriously, he really looks depressed. Cheer up, Neil!

Neal Schon has to be one of the greatest guitarists in the past 25 years. Starting with Santana and continuing through his work with Journey, Schon has one of those signature sounds that you can recognize a million miles away. The question then has to be, "Why this?" This new solo album features Neal covering pop songs by Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, and Bryan Adams (among others). I'm not sure that I really needed to hear Neal Schon offer his guitar take on "My Heart Goes On" (the "Titanic" song that won't go away....) True, his guitar playing always shines, but whether or not an album like this is needed remains to be seen. Neal Schon doing elevator muzak.