FACE THE TRUTH

I can't say if I am dealing with a bruised ego, or a misunderstood artist, but my write-up on Gianfranco's previous release "The Past Inside The Present" must have touched a raw nerve somewhere. Suffice to say, I received a PM from the man himself offering a link to his streamed works - some of which are part of this album - inviting me to comment. Since he only visited PA for a single day (long enough to rate his own work with 5 stars), my reply to him remains unread.

So, lets "Face The Truth". There is no doubt that Gianfranco can "shred" as if there was no tomorrow. His ability is not disputed. It's the vehicle he chooses, that bittersweet New York- style Fusion is what fails to excite. I accept that some people may enjoy it, but I am not a great fan of melancholic, sweet depression laced with the odd shredding.

I was still a teenager when the first Mahavishnu albums came out, My preference generally remains for McLaughlin's works of that era, alas he still releases the odd masterpiece every now and then. Shredding aside, Gianfranco's fascination seem to center on McLaughlin's less cherished approaches.

A notable exception is (provided on the website) "One Word" from "Birds Of Fire". Not one, but two different versions, both of which make an absolute mess of and completely missing the essence of that legendary tune. Why, oh why?

To name a track "Mahavishnology" is not only overly ambitious, but as a term is outright horrible. For the record, "Maha Vishnu" (Great Vishnu) is the name of the Indian deity and would deserve a bit more sensitivity? What's next? Mahavishnomobil? Mahavishnotron? (The only person who made an apt and appropriate variation to the name was former drummer Billy Cobham. After those two notable disasters (featuring Bill Evans) he referred to the band as "Hahavishnu". Touche!)

By rating the previous work as 3 (good, but non-essential) I thought I was more than fair to Gianfranco. This album wouldn't fare much better with me, but thanx for the link and don't forget to rate this, too!

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