Record Reviews

GAYLE ELLETT & THE ELECTROMAGS ~ FRIENDS PEACOCK SUNRISE 011 (Barcode: 195269260712) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the second solo album by American guitarist / keyboardist / composer Gayle EllettFind albums by this artist (of Djam KaretFind albums by this artist fame), recorded in the same trio format like the debut, with bassist Mark CookFind albums by this artist and drummer Craig KahnFind albums by this artist, collectively known as the ElectromagsFind albums by this artist. However, this time Ellett invited no less than twenty-two guest musicians, whom he encountered over the years as a member of Djam Karet, playing all over the globe, to play together as Friends and contribute to this album. The album presents thirteen tracks, all composed by Ellett. Ellett decided to completely liberate his music from the largely outdated Prog concept and simply concentrates on playing what he likes, which is guitar oriented instrumental Rock. This album is much more focused and coherent than the debut, presenting a superb collection of great tunes, brilliantly performed by the trio and the invited guest musicians as a virtual ensemble. All the tunes are perfect vehicles for the various guests, most of which are, not surprisingly, guitar players. The resulting music is an orgy of guitar licks, but a well-organized and controlled one (turns out orgies can be). There are no stylistic preferences, it is all Rock, like rock used to be at its prime, and the diversity of the individual approaches, styles and idiosyncrasies of the players makes this one of the most interesting guitar oriented Rock albums I have heard in a long time. In short, this music really Rocks! Overall, this is a truly a great Rock album for all lovers of guitar oriented instrumental music, which offers some first class tunes and a plethora of Monster guitarists at their best. There is not one dull moment here and for true Rock fans this is a feast!

Updated: 03/02/2024Posted: 03/02/2024

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GAYLE ELLETT & THE ELECTROMAGS ~ SHINY SIDE UP PEACOCK SUNRISE 009 (Barcode: 195269165697) ~ USA ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by American guitarist / keyboardist / composer Gayle EllettFind albums by this artist (of Djam KaretFind albums by this artist fame), recorded in a classic trio setting with bassist Mark CookFind albums by this artist and drummer Craig KahnFind albums by this artist, collectively known as The ElectromagsFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original instrumental tracks, all composed by Ellett. Contrary to any expectations, the music has absolutely nothing to do with Prog or Neo Prog, and is a straightforward instrumental guitar Rock album, sounding like something that might have been recorded well over five decades ago. Although the lineup suggests a classic “power trio”, the music is mostly laid back and under control, concentrating on Ellett’s guitar playing, amicably accompanied by the rhythm section. The tunes are all OK, but not spectacular in any way, with solid melody lines but somewhat repetitive, which means that after hearing a couple of tracks the rest of the music sounds pretty alike. Ellett is a very experienced and talented musician, so obviously everything that happens on this album is completely intentional. I have no idea if he is simply completely disenchanted by the Neo- Prog idiom and is looking for some new excitement, coming back to the good old times, or just pissed off at the World in general and trying to find an escape from the grim reality, which of course if fine with me. His guitar playing is still as strong as ever, so not all is lost. Overall, this is a nice, straightforward guitar oriented Rock album, deeply nostalgic and retro oriented, which proves that playing “old style” is unfortunately not enough to turn the clock backwards, and the World is still a shitty place to live in, as far as contemporary music is concerned. Wish you well, my Friend!

Updated: 11/10/2022Posted: 11/10/2022

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GAYLE ELLETT & THE ELECTROMAGS ~ THE PAINTED RIVER OF LIGHT PEACOCK SUNRISE 015 (Barcode: 195269345112) ~ USA ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2024 Released: 2025 This is the 3rd solo album by American guitarist / keyboardist / composer Gayle EllettFind albums by this artist (of Djam KaretFind albums by this artist fame), recorded in the same trio format like the two previous albums, with bassist Mark CookFind albums by this artist and drummer Craig KahnFind albums by this artist, collectively known as the ElectromagsFind albums by this artist. This time Ellett returns to the strict trio format without any guests, and partly to the Progressive Rock genre. The album presents just four extended tracks, each over ten minutes in duration, all composed by Ellett. The music does include some similarities to the Progressive Rock tradition, but luckily manages to escape the plague of prolonged doodling on moody themes, and keeps the listener on edge with constantly changing melodic threads, plethora of instrumentations and varying tempi, which together create an atmosphere of an unpredictable sound journey. A large array of keyboard instruments and synthesizers appears along with the guitars, which Ellett used almost exclusively on the two earlier albums, and which might be less attractive to his guitar-loving followers, but a musician must be allowed to do what his heart dictates. But the album offers a much wider musical scope and instrumental diversity, which of course are also very valuable. Overall, this album is much different from the two previous offerings, with a dense synthesizer sound prevailing in parallel to the guitar led passages, which means that the listeners, who enjoyed the earlier albums might find this one somewhat more difficult to swallow. My suggestion would be to give the music a chance by listening to it without preconceptions and allowing one’s mind to get used to the new concept. Patience is definitely a virtue in this case. Personally, I loved the new concept, but I won’t be surprised if others find it somewhat difficult.

Updated: 27/05/2025Posted: 27/05/2025

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