off topic but ..wat pick up's does he use in his strat?
Eric Johnson - Bloom opinions?
I did a quick search and didn't see much recent discussion about Eric's new album. I've been listening to it a bit lately and I feel two ways about it.
A. The songwriting: It's much better. There's not a track that I skip and several of them are legitimately interesting and catchy.
B. The guitar playing: It's not better. In fact it's worse. When I saw Eric live a few months ago, I told a friend that I thought he sounded much slower and sloppier than previously, and now I wonder if he is experiencing physical issues like arthritis. The playing seems much more conventional- lacking many of the wide intervalic cascading phrases he's known for. The dry production on his leads doesn't help.
All in all, I really like the new album as a composition, but I think it's a big dissapointment compared to Venus Isle for guitar playing.
A. The songwriting: It's much better. There's not a track that I skip and several of them are legitimately interesting and catchy.
B. The guitar playing: It's not better. In fact it's worse. When I saw Eric live a few months ago, I told a friend that I thought he sounded much slower and sloppier than previously, and now I wonder if he is experiencing physical issues like arthritis. The playing seems much more conventional- lacking many of the wide intervalic cascading phrases he's known for. The dry production on his leads doesn't help.
All in all, I really like the new album as a composition, but I think it's a big dissapointment compared to Venus Isle for guitar playing.
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In his sig model there a custom wound set. In his vintage ones they're usually pickups that are either original or bought through dealors. He doesn't like giving info on them. Because even he doesn't really know all the origins.
Well, of course Tom likes it. We knew that before he posted. 
I haven't heard it yet ... my copy is in the mail to me right now. After reading this thread, I am not holding out much hope ... but I shall see. Ah Via and Venus were definitely great stuff. Can't say I cared much for Alien Love Child. I was kinda hoping for something more like the older stuff, but it sounds like that ship has sailed for good. He should get somebody else to write some material for him, and put all that talent to use on some better songs.
I haven't heard it yet ... my copy is in the mail to me right now. After reading this thread, I am not holding out much hope ... but I shall see. Ah Via and Venus were definitely great stuff. Can't say I cared much for Alien Love Child. I was kinda hoping for something more like the older stuff, but it sounds like that ship has sailed for good. He should get somebody else to write some material for him, and put all that talent to use on some better songs.
I don't want him to sound like he did in the past- I'm all for moving forward, but I don't call cliched lyrics and sloppy playing moving forward. This album took 5 years and it sounds thrown together.
Dude you don't get this at all. Who are you to say EJ didn't progress? Sure this album isn't as good as AVM or Venus Isle, but if your just bitching about this because you want EJ to suit you more and more with each album then really your just plain spoiled. The guy is trying to be more jazzy, something he himself sys he's not strong at, and for his first jazz record I think its bloody good. Of course I do seem to like everything he does, I don't like the filtered voice recordings on some tracks. Yeah, just not what I'm into. But to say his playing is sloppy when HE'S TAKING ON A COMPLETELY NEW GENRE THAN HE NORMALLY PLAYS is just stupid. It's basically like Rusty Cooley going off to learn some country hybrid picking. A great player outside his element is completely a beginner. And I veiw this more with Tones and Seven Worlds as its an album more about finding his sound than about the playing. I tell you now that if Eric releases another jazz album you will be amazed. Why? Becuase this part will be behind him. Honestly, even if I didn't like it all that much I'd still be telling you this because you can't dismiss something new from a great artist because its different.
And Eric playing isn't sloppier now. He's actually better at what he normally goes for than he's ever been. Just ask Flo who saw him two weeks ago.
I've never considered him the greatest lyricist in the world. And he's not. That's what Neil young and Don Mclean are for.
Stop complaining and just bloody listen to the album. It will grow on you. It may come as a surprise to most of you, but it takes me ages to get into Vai albums, but I do it anyway because I know how much I'll like it in the end. While you were complaining you could have sat down and listen to Magnetized and by now you'd have picked up on all the little intricacies of it, and grown to love them.
Tom. Who likes Eric regardless of of everybody's complaining.
And Eric playing isn't sloppier now. He's actually better at what he normally goes for than he's ever been. Just ask Flo who saw him two weeks ago.
I've never considered him the greatest lyricist in the world. And he's not. That's what Neil young and Don Mclean are for.
Stop complaining and just bloody listen to the album. It will grow on you. It may come as a surprise to most of you, but it takes me ages to get into Vai albums, but I do it anyway because I know how much I'll like it in the end. While you were complaining you could have sat down and listen to Magnetized and by now you'd have picked up on all the little intricacies of it, and grown to love them.
Tom. Who likes Eric regardless of of everybody's complaining.
I saw him a few months ago and guess what- he was sloppy. His live version of Desert Rose was sad. He finally just stopped trying to play the solo and ended the song early. He still sounded great on the clean stuff like Forty Mile Town, but the more technically demanding stuff was kind of sad. I walked home wondering if he might have arthritis.
I have listened to the album, probably 20 times. It's just not that good.
I have listened to the album, probably 20 times. It's just not that good.
Talk about a soft sell! EJ is someone I associate with mastery. I don't want to hear him trying to find himself, I think that's below the standard he set for himself.Tom Gilroy said:And I veiw this more with Tones and Seven Worlds as its an album more about finding his sound than about the playing.
I saw an outtake of him playing Cliffs of Dover at that Eric Clapton concert thing. He was definitely having a hard time hitting the notes, and was hitting open strings by accident. Something's up.
He didn't play Cliffs live when I saw him 2 weeks ago.MehYam said:Talk about a soft sell! EJ is someone I associate with mastery. I don't want to hear him trying to find himself, I think that's below the standard he set for himself.
I saw an outtake of him playing Cliffs of Dover at that Eric Clapton concert thing. He was definitely having a hard time hitting the notes, and was hitting open strings by accident. Something's up.
My guess is he probably has played that song live more than any song to the point where he is probably sick of it and lost his touch.
On the Crossroads Music Festival hosted by Eric Clapton, EJ stumbles on Desert Rose which is a disappointment but when I saw him play Desert Rose live, he nailed it to perfection.
I have to agree. Hesitant is good too.hanban said:best song on this cd is the tribute to jerry reed
By the way, he played Tribute To Jerry Reed live perfectly.
Hesitant sounds too much like somthing George benson would do ,
IMO EJ greatness as a guitar player is phrasing through chords, thats somthing Chet Atkins (rip) mastered. thats what makes songs like manhattan and the tribute to jerry reed great, I think EJ is highly influenced by Chet. I dont care so much for his one line solo runs. I like it when he stick those harmonic runs too, not alot of rock players do those things. again, somthing he took from Chet.
IMO EJ greatness as a guitar player is phrasing through chords, thats somthing Chet Atkins (rip) mastered. thats what makes songs like manhattan and the tribute to jerry reed great, I think EJ is highly influenced by Chet. I dont care so much for his one line solo runs. I like it when he stick those harmonic runs too, not alot of rock players do those things. again, somthing he took from Chet.
Yeah well, mastery is subjective. I find this album masterful as an experimental jazz style album. Don't expect anything, and you will always learn to like something for what it is, not what you expected it to be. Its reveiw based on the material. Not the previous image of it.MehYam said:Talk about a soft sell! EJ is someone I associate with mastery. I don't want to hear him trying to find himself, I think that's below the standard he set for himself.
I saw an outtake of him playing Cliffs of Dover at that Eric Clapton concert thing. He was definitely having a hard time hitting the notes, and was hitting open strings by accident. Something's up.
Eric has said that the whole Crossraods festival was rushed. I think that'd be the cause of the sloppyness on that occasion.
Eric has said he is quite sick of playing Cliffs. I don't think he's ever going to get perfection when he has to play a song live by obligation. If EJ feels this way about Cliffs (whick he has said) I'd rather see him play other songs live, ones that he enjoys.
He definately enjoys playing Trademark.
He should've named the album "Blah"
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