THE COMPLETE GUITARIST

Despite the misleading album title this is not a compilation of Jan`s explorations of various guitar styles throughout his illustrious career up until 1997 which one would be led to think. Rather it is a re-issue of material which appeared on his 1982 It Could Happen to You album ( 4 tracks ) and 1983`s Can`t Stand Noise ( 2 tracks and not to be confused with 1990`s The Noise of Art ). The Complete Guitarist has been since deleted under that title ( perhaps to avoid ambiguity) and re-issued in 2005 & 2006 under the title A Real Elegant Gypsy and does not appear in the progarchives.com discography as such but is available at reasonable prices probably due to it`s short running time.

After sailing through some stormy seas with a few forgettable albums in the early eighties Dutch guitar wizard Jan Akkerman started to come to grips with the new technology being offered and re-thought his approach to his instrument with the discovery of the Roland synth-axe on 1981`s tongue in cheek Oil In the Family. He began producing some very tasteful compositions starting with the album Pleasure Point ( 1982 ) and the two which make up this mini-compilation making use of synthesized guitars and pecussion. The result was very atmospheric, featuring Akkerman`s delicate guitar lines complemented with smooth sophisticated synth treatments. You can lose yourself in all of these tracks which gracefully paint themselves into an almost mezmerizing romantic trance. He also seems to veer away from his classical roots with all the new toys but funks it up a little on " Funkology " which sends echoes of 1977`s self-titled "Jan Akkerman".

A sterling album which sort of represents the comeback Akkerman made in the early eighties with his new toys.My only gripe is that the compilers didn`t make this into a combined Can`t Stand Noise/ It Could Happen To You CD package as has been done with his earlier Eli/Aranjuez & Guitar For Sale/Profile albums. Nonetheless, recomended for fans of this legendary guitar god re-inventing himself.