Post Description

If you have even the slightest interest in the playing of an electric guitar you absolutely MUST check out this DVD.

Eric Johnson fans have been circulating old VHS copies of this for decades. EJ has appeared on "Austin City Limits" as often as any performer - perhaps helped by being from that town, although I don't recall seeing other Texans appearing nearly as often. Austin City Limits is one of the most treasured live-music shows in American History. Madonna and Britney Spears and other over-hyped lip-syncing media sell-outs can hog up the mainstream airways as much as they like - all Austin City Limits performers have artistic heft that can't be faked.

This 1988 performance is dated by Eric's "Flock of Seagulls" hairdo and Sergeant Pepper/Michael Jackson/John Phillip Sousa jacket. But the music is timeless. Eric joins his perfectly supporting 2-man bass and drums combo to blow our minds. The now-platinum Ah Via Musicom had just been released and it is fair to say he was "peaking". A known perfectionist in the studio, he would record tracks over and over and over again until they were "just right" and I saw in an interview that he simply didn't think he could play better than on that recording. That being said, he doesn't have the opportunity to "redo" on this live performance, but as he unleashes the most overwhelming guitar technique ever known it doesn't really matter, does it? The man is a force of nature in this performance. Best of all - the DVD features crystal clarity in both the picture and audio. Every one of his flood of notes rings like a bell.

"Musicom" cuts like "Steve's Boogie" and "Desert Rose" surround his performance of perhaps the most incredible instrumental in rock history "Cliffs of Dover". He also covers some Hendrix and "Are You Experienced?" makes us remember the left-handed master while marveling at Hendrix' able successor.

The album-oriented rock airwaves have been flooded for decades with speed demons who race up and down their stratocasters without a thought for tone or note selection. Here is where Eric Johnson completely shines: although as fast as Vai or Malmsteen, Mr. Johnson is as thoughtful and careful in his note selection as Clapton or Louis Armstrong. His tone is so bell-like clear... it is simply unrivaled.

Guitar fans - this is heaven.

1. Righteous
2. Love Or Confusion
3. Steve's Boogie
4. Trail Of Tears
5. Western Flyer
6. East Wes 7. C.W.
8. Camel's Night Out
9. Emerald Eyes
10. Cliffs Of Dover
11. Desert Rose
12. Zap
13. Are You Experienced?

Audio:  HD PCM 2.0 en DTS 5.1
Cover en label incl.
Thanx again Els.

Have fun, Johan.