Monte Montgomery – Live – At Workplay (Provogue Records).
Monte Montgomery has been described as “The Evel Kneivel of Guitar” and “The Acoustic Shred Master” and on listening to this live album I can understand why. Recorded at The Workplay Theater, Birmingham, Alabama the album opens with 1st And Repair, which immediately establishes him as a strong live performer. His fluid acoustic guitar playing is added to just enough grit in his voice to make an excellent all round package and give us another guitar wizard on the block. Let’s Go is blues rock and not too bad at that. Shock is another blues rock but this time with a funk edge. The only criticism is that he does lose himself sometimes in those amazing guitar flurries. He’s a bit Bob Dylan on Wishing Well – folk rock on the rock side with an extraordinary guitar solo. He gets a well deserved big round of applause for this. All On Me slows things down for the first time and he is able to show how good a vocalist he is. The guitar speaks for itself – stunning!
I don’t know why but I think of Neil Diamond when I hear Come Away. If anyone can illuminate on this then please feel free. Acoustic guitar is Montgomery’s weapon of choice and what a supreme choice it is. There is no quarter given on Splitsville and no respite in the pace. Churning bass from David Piggott is remorseless. Back To The Country is country rock as the title suggests. There are a few errors creeping in but he does play so fast and he can be allowed a few minor ones. How The Story Goes is one of the few slow tracks and he just changes things enough to make it hard to classify him. The Book makes it two slow ones on the trot. This is good soft rock with those lightning fingers again. He must have burned himself out because the final track makes a trio of slow pacers. He manages to build up Bringing Me Down into a stadium style rocker however. The slow and quiet passages have the audience in the palm of his hands and he produces an epic to end with.
Don’t let the guitar heroics get in the way of his vocal and songwriting talents; Monte Montgomery is the complete package.
http://www.montemontgomery.com/
http://www.provoguerecords.com/
David Blue.
Monte Montgomery has been described as “The Evel Kneivel of Guitar” and “The Acoustic Shred Master” and on listening to this live album I can understand why. Recorded at The Workplay Theater, Birmingham, Alabama the album opens with 1st And Repair, which immediately establishes him as a strong live performer. His fluid acoustic guitar playing is added to just enough grit in his voice to make an excellent all round package and give us another guitar wizard on the block. Let’s Go is blues rock and not too bad at that. Shock is another blues rock but this time with a funk edge. The only criticism is that he does lose himself sometimes in those amazing guitar flurries. He’s a bit Bob Dylan on Wishing Well – folk rock on the rock side with an extraordinary guitar solo. He gets a well deserved big round of applause for this. All On Me slows things down for the first time and he is able to show how good a vocalist he is. The guitar speaks for itself – stunning!
I don’t know why but I think of Neil Diamond when I hear Come Away. If anyone can illuminate on this then please feel free. Acoustic guitar is Montgomery’s weapon of choice and what a supreme choice it is. There is no quarter given on Splitsville and no respite in the pace. Churning bass from David Piggott is remorseless. Back To The Country is country rock as the title suggests. There are a few errors creeping in but he does play so fast and he can be allowed a few minor ones. How The Story Goes is one of the few slow tracks and he just changes things enough to make it hard to classify him. The Book makes it two slow ones on the trot. This is good soft rock with those lightning fingers again. He must have burned himself out because the final track makes a trio of slow pacers. He manages to build up Bringing Me Down into a stadium style rocker however. The slow and quiet passages have the audience in the palm of his hands and he produces an epic to end with.
Don’t let the guitar heroics get in the way of his vocal and songwriting talents; Monte Montgomery is the complete package.
http://www.montemontgomery.com/
http://www.provoguerecords.com/
David Blue.
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