I guess I never knew what I said yes to, when I agreed to do a review of this album... Stereo Gentleman is a quite talented guitar player who has chosen to release a full instrumental album. So far so good. The big question I have is "Why the hell did he base the music on top of Techno-like Dance beats?" I guess it was a try to do something different. Well, more about that later...

After a short intro the first track displays a 007 vibe while dance beats are coming from my speakers. A guitar sound slowly eases into the picture before crashing into a heavy guitar riff. The guitar playing continues to weave throughout the song, but always it returns to the same melody. At the end of the song I feel it all does get a little monotonous and I miss some wilder guitar playing. the cool solo is not quite enough to hold my attention.

Well, I had to give this album a chance, so I've tried listening to it many times, only to put on some other CD after the first couple of songs. Then I sat down and gave it a thorough listen. Now I've come to the conclusion that this guy has talent with a guitar, there's no denying that. If only he could make his music more interesting in some way.

I feel the background music, which sometimes includes dance beats and other ambient sounds, but also various keyboard arrangements with an eastern atmosphere, is too much part of the music. It really gets on my nerves at times, I would much rather just listen to the guitar playing. The only reason I can give for this is that the background music is just too simple and uninteresting for my taste. If the background music had been used to challenge the guitar in some way, then maybe it might have been quite an interesting result.

Another Planet's sky and Birth have some good guitar melodies and a good atmosphere. Eastern necklace is very similar to Rolling Head in the way the guitar enters the music. Faust and Mephistopheles ends with a cool solo. Jerusalem's Night has a good up-beat feeling and great guitar. Horseman contains some great acoustic guitar playing, but here I feel the background music ruins the atmosphere. And so it goes on. There are many good parts in the music, but overall the feeling I get is that the tracks are too similar and the overuse of electronic sounds alienates me from the album.

The guitar playing is no shred-fest. It is mostly kept inside the boundaries of melodic solos and sometimes breaks into a heavy riff.

The only thing I can think of comparing Stereo Gentleman to is a guitar version of Jean Michel Jarre, only with not so much originality or experimentation.

This is definitely a listen before you buy. There is just not enough variation in the music to hold my interest. But if you decide to give it a listen I would recommend you taking a listen to Another Planet's sky, Birth, Jerusalem's Night or Rolling Head to get a feel for the album.

I can't rate this album within our normal rating system, but you should have an idea if this music is something for you based on the above.

Written by Steen
Monday, January 27, 2003
Show all reviews by Steen

Ratings

Steen: 666/10

Members: No members have rated this album yet.

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Comment by Peter Petchalov (Stereo Gentleman) (Anonymous) - Thursday, January 30, 2003

Steen Well... thank you very much for your presious time spent on me. I really did like your review but the only thing is that I understood one thing: not that I'm not good enough but I'm not good at all. Yeah, of course it's always easier to say than to do but if you could be more precise in your comments... Say what do you mean by saying "if the background music had been used to challenge the guitar"? Or "if only he could make his music more interesting in some way"... My tracks are "TOO SIMILAR" as you say because the whole album has to be in one stream or line if want to call it so. One style, that is. And the "OVERUSE OF THE ELECTRONIC SOUNDS" is done with the purpose not to alienate YOU from the album but to alienate the music from the usual rock stream. What's bad in it??? I wanted to do something unusual and I think I DID! But I say: when you make coments or even reviews you have to be precise in your explanatios to let the musicians satisfy you and those like you around the world. Overall rating to your review from me and those like me taking a risk to creat is: 666/10 Have fun Stereo Gentleman

Comment by Stereo Gentleman (Anonymous) - Thursday, January 30, 2003

Hey again ...and if you won't come back to me on it I'l describe it like nothing in this world has a worth! All the best Stereo Gentleman

Comment by Steen (Staff) - Thursday, January 30, 2003

View Profile Comments: 518 Hey Peter I did what I could trying to describe the music, but I also wanted to send my own opinion across. Those two quotes you mention kind of say the same thing. Maybe I wasn't clear enough, but the simplicity of the background music / electronic sounds was what I was trying to comment on. I know that you have created something unusual, but I just want it to be even more unusual (If that makes any sense?). To try and explain what I mean by the background music needing to challenge the guitar is pretty hard, but I'll try: It's kind of like trying to tell you: Yes, I know you're doing something different, but it does not knock me of my chair going "This guy is a genius". If that should have happened then there should have been more innovation in the way you have melted the two very different genres together. I feel that the dance beats and electronic sounds do not enhance the guitar melodies or work together with them, maybe because there is not enough variation in the beats. Imagine the way two instruments can play together to create a musical landscape with momentums, highs, lows, climaxes etc. I do not feel that way listening to the electronic sounds next to the guitar playing. Instead I feel like they are playing next to each other instead of playing together and thereby challenging each other. Mostly I feel like the electronic sounds are only there to create atmosphere, not to give me a musical challenge to listen to. I mean, if I've heard the same beat a couple of times, then there is no more to it if it does not evolve, IMHO. I'm sure that this music would work quite well in some dance clubs or something like that, but I did the review from the point of view of sitting down and listening to the album and seeing what it gave me back. Nowhere in the review did I state that the music is bad. That is not my opinion. Basically what I was trying to say is: Yes, I acknowledge what you have created here and I have never heard anything like it before. It is just not enough for me. I want more variation, progression, experimentation to satisfy my greedy taste for music. I hope you are able to use these comments for something. Good luck with future projects. Steen RevelationZ Magazine Posted by Steen (Staff) Thursday, January 30, 2003

Comment by Massimo (Anonymous) - Thursday, January 2, 2003

Hi this is Massimo from Milano. I listen to the music on your www.stereogentlemen.com site and i think it is great, especially i like the Roling Head and Century X songs. where can i buy the cd, i did not find it in Milano? Keep rocking! ciao....Massimo.

Comment by Pedro (Anonymous) - Thursday, January 2, 2003

Hi, Stereo Gentleman has created something unique which is working superb! I'm a fan. Should find from local shops soon...

Comment by Century X Artist Mgmt. (Anonymous) - Sunday, February 2, 2003

Hello everybody, More updates should follow soon on the www.stereogentlemen.com web site there's 4 new songs with vocals coming and preview streaming clips should be there soon. > Massimo, the Rolling Head CD is not in stores (yet?) and there's very few copies available from the first pressing. You can order it from the guitar9.com website, here's the address http://www.guitar9.com/rollinghead.html Long live Rock'n'Roll! Century X Artist Management

Comment by Guy (Anonymous) - Sunday, February 2, 2003

A new guitar hero is born Rock' n Disco ! That's a Roll Keep Rocking Guy

Comment by Anne (Anonymous) - Sunday, March 2, 2003

Stereo Gentleman is pretty good stuff, got the CD from a friend of mine. Fantastic guitar solos, melodies that goes straigth into your heart. Cool party music, and try driving the highway on the Cote d'Azur 180km/hour, sunshine and Rolling Head: nothing can beat that! Waiting for the next album, Anne

Comment by PK (Anonymous) - Friday, May 2, 2003

Having listened to Stereo Gentleman for many months already, Rolling Head and Century X, plus other songs on the CD like Eastern Necklace & Jerusalem Nights kick some serious ass. Especially when you're in a Club and in "high spirits mode" after a few drinks there's vibration for you!

Comment by Carlos (Anonymous) - Friday, May 2, 2003

Rock on the great Russian! More this in the clubs and the heat is on!

Comment by Piccini da Todi - info@piccinidatodi.com (Anonymous) - Monday, June 2, 2003

Hello Stereo Gentleman, from the start, this first album is very promising. There is not any doubt. You are a professional. You are a true Rock'n'roll singer. This marriage between "Rock'n'roll and Dance beats" is very pleasant. It's time for you, after having passed this course, to find a sonority and sets of themes much more personal. Go on !!! See you soon, we will follow you, it's just the beginning. Your music inspired me!! That's good ! Diego Piccini da Todi

Comment by Century X Artist Management (Anonymous) - Tuesday, September 2, 2003

Hello all, please feel free to check out www.stereogentlemen.com as the new site is now live. the free discussion forum should also be available soon... Keep Rockin' CX

Comment by RockTrain (Member) - Wednesday, March 19, 2008

View Profile Comments: 2 Ratings: 0 I believe the album is cool, and it is different, my wife like dance music, and I like guitar instrumental, so, I think we are going to like SG new album, It is different, but hey! That is what makes a good album, we need diversity in instrumentals, and Peter done just that in his own work, thanks Peter! Good Job! Posted by RockTrain Wednesday, March 19, 2008