STEVE MORSE: HIGH TENSION WIRES

This is the first Steve Morse album I ever bought. Most of the music is either shred or country. Steve Morse does a good job of demonstrating how eclectic he is as a guitarist, but the compositions themselves are various genres, and not one of them is really what I would call progressive rock. Almost all of the songs are too short to breathe (and the one that is the longest isn't that terrific). Fans of diverse guitar music could do worse than to pick this one up, but there are much better offerings elsewhere.

"Ghostwind" Full of twelve-string and a guitar tone similar to that of the great Mark Knopfler, the opening piece has flavors of country throughout.

"The Road Home" Laden with more twelve-string guitar, Morse picks up the pace a bit, but not much. There is a musical theme to this one, one that is quite good. The first time he plays it, he uses it to introduce a well-played solo, which is what the remainder of the track consists of.

"Country Colors" Much like the first piece, this one has a countrified feel to it, but is a very different piece altogether. The trouble is, there is little progressiveness about this piece. There's even a honky-tonk piano solo during the second half.

"Highland Wedding" A Celtic waltz, this one has several gorgeous moments that sound like they came right out of the land north of England. At times, the electric guitar sounds more like a bagpipe, until the end, when Morse decides to let it rip. What's more, he doubles all his riffs on the acoustic guitar.

"Third Power" The fourth song sounds like the theme song for a TV program like Beverly Hills, 90210, to be quite honest. There are some good guitar moments, but for the most part, this one is not enjoyable.

"Looking Back" Further country music follows. I happen to enjoy country music, so this isn't a problem for me. The guitar arrangements are lovely, and the piano is a nice addition in the background. Like the third song, there is a honky-tonk piano solo close to the end.

"Leprechaun Promenade" With such an intriguing title, one would expect some blend of Celtic and rock music, much like "Highland Wedding." There is some fiddle present, but of course most of the piece is dominated by electric guitar. It's a jaunty one, to be sure, but not the best on the album by far.

"Tumeni Notes" The not-quite-clever title should give this one away. It is a speed-fest, affording Morse an opportunity to show off his mastery over the metronome.

"Endless Waves" While there is electric guitar present, it is clean and relegated to the background. Here, Morse uses layers of acoustic guitars to build his sound, not the least of which is the one he solos on. As on many of the songs, there is a piano interlude midway through.

"Modoc" A solo acoustic guitar piece in an alternative tuning, it reminds me of "T.O. Witcher" from Kansas's live album, "The King Biscuit Flower Hour." It's quite pretty, and good fun to learn and play on guitar.