GUITARLAND

On this album Jean Marc Corvisier aka Jaz continues on the line of the previous releases. This one conteins short tracks with the longest scoring about 5 minutes. The influences are again quite evident: CAMEL and despite being mainly a guitarist, Peter BARDENS in particular, then TANGERINE DREAM of the Virgin period and VANGELIS. The first track sounds like the instrumental stuff that Bardens released at the end of the 90s: easy, not pretentious and good as comment for images. It's "Phy" that surprised me more as it seem to explore the soundscapes familiar to the greek keyboardist. The start is promising, then it comes a track on which I want to spend some words: years ago I've playes an adventure game with my daughter, and "Lifeline" sounds very similar to the soundtrack of that game. It has given me that kind of sensations, so it may not be a masterpiece, but it has hit some particular chord in my mind.

Unfortunately the following two tracks are not that good. "Jet" is made of groups of three chords not very harmonic and goes nowhere, the same for the next "Fazz". It may be me, but I don't like them. They are the album's lowlight, in my opinion.

"Schock" returns on the Bardens steps. It's a nice track, nothing special but nice and most of all, introduces what sounds more rock in the whole album. "The Masked Guitarist" is the longest track and sounds more interesting than the others. It's well developed and seems to take a direction different than the rest of the album.

"Gymnophony" is somewhere between Tangerine Dream and Vangelis. another enjoyable track which is followed by "Puzzle" which in some parts sounds like the CAMEL of the Nude period.

At this point the album is done. The last 2 minutes track is no more than a joke, it's a sort of grotesque waltz, I think it's just a filler.

So this album is not bad but apart of some highlights it's far from being the best Jaz release, and despite the title, the presence of guitar is not as relevant as one could expect.

Rounded up to three stars, but he can do better