Roth's mix of the classical and the contemporary doesn't always work. It's not an exact science.
When you're attempting to blend volatile substances the chemistry can create a mini masterpiece or just as easily blow up in your face.
This 2 disc set, 'The Best Of Uli Jon Roth' naturally succeeds in hiding some of the uglier creations from view and instead presents us with the acceptable (and sometimes strikingly handsome) face of neo-classical, guitar driven rock.
Like Zeno, Uli Jon chooses his fellow musicians well. Don Airey, Jack Bruce, Barry Smith, Shane Galaas, Tommy
Heart, Ule Ritgen and Michael Flexig, to name but 7, all contribute their talents across these 2 CDs.
He picks his classical influences just as carefully. Puccini, Vivaldi, Bach, Chopin and our old friend, Wolfgang Amadeus, all get the treatment here. Some come out of it extremely well and nobody fares badly.
Roth started this roll with his post
Scorpions band, Electric Sun, and the debut album, 'Earthquake'. He had long been an admired virtuoso guitarist and this album saw his neoclassical style take flight. Like it or not though, the tracks on this 'Best Of' aren't presented chronologically. As usual, this has something to do with flow and feel, according to Roth, who chose the tracks and the running order. Me, I find it confusing, and would much rather observe the artist's musical development, with the tracks running sequentially.
To attempt to pick a standout or standouts from such a sizeable and varied body of work would be foolish and pointless. All you can really do is note the more remarkable.
On Disc One, Tommy
Heart's in particularly good voice on Roth's interpretation of Puccini's Nessum Dorma.here known as 'Bridge To Heaven'. It's also quickly apparent that Roth is taken with the notion of heavily romanticised, overdriven - sometimes strident - arrangements, less so perhaps with his own compositions, but clearly moreso when he's interpreting the classics. Though there are exceptions.
Arguably, his Vivaldi and Bach derivatives, 'War Of The Winds' and 'Air De Bach' respectively, could have been toned down to much better effect. Yet his own conceits, 'The
Heart Of Chopin' and 'Dance Of The Water Spirits' are much lighter, more streamlined affairs, and all the better for it. It's interesting, and probably relevant, that these latter two tracks are both from a more recent work 'Metamorphosis Of The Seasons' (2003).
Disc Two is centred around Roth's love affair with heavy rock, and that sits well with the earlier material that introduces this second disc, with the first three tracks taken from Roth's debut album, 'Earthquake'.
The pivotal tracks though are Roth's covers of both Hendrix's 'Voodoo Chile' and 'Little Wing', of Cream's phenomenal 'White Room' and his own composition, 'Sky Overture'. You have to say that all four of these tracks cast a giant shadow over Roth's first stumbling solo efforts earlier on this disc. But then again, it's no shame being put in the shade by these timeless classics, and he was either very brave or very stupid to sequence them so close together. That said, his versions of the Hendrix and Cream tracks are jaw droppingly outstanding. Having Jack Bruce handle the vocals on his own song was a treat indeed (recorded live at Castle Donnington, 2001). 'Sky Overture', also recorded live at Donnington is a perfectly constructed piece of romantic guitar rock, with neat and satisfying time changes and a cracking melody.
After listening to these 32 tracks, there can be no doubt that Roth's place in the pantheon of rock guitarists is deserved absolutely. You may not always be struck with his style, but if you are in any way interested in guitar driven rock, and in instrumental, neo classical rock in particular, then you really need to own these discs.
Written by
Brian Tuesday, February 27, 2007
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