It takes a special guitarist to blend flawless technique with pure heart and soul. Too often an intellectual mastery of the instrument, along with superlative skill development, leads to sterile calculated playing that's awe-inspiring, but not particularly moving. The enduring appeal of Journey's iconic guitar maestro Neal Schon comes from his instinctive ability to bottle exceptional virtuosity with limitless emotional depth and a superb command of melody. From lightning fast passages to simple heartfelt phrasing, he's always possessed a near supernatural understanding of what a song needs. That's the sign of a truly great player. So, where most guitar based instrumental albums descend into monotonous show boating, with Schon you know you'll get something that's song orientated, supremely melodic and mightily impressive. That's exactly what he delivers on 'The Calling', an album he proudly describes as “one of the most rockin' records I've ever made”.
Over the last five decades Neal Schon has earned a reputation as one of the most talented and sought after guitarists in the business. He started remarkably early, joining Santana as a 15 year old prodigy, before leaving to form AOR behemoths Journey. Since then Neal's released fourteen studio albums with the band, knocked out ten solo records and formed side projects with Hardline, Soul SirkUS and Bad English. Not to mention collaborations with everyone from Paul Rodgers and Joe Cocker to Michael Bolton and Bette Davis. It's alleged he also finds time to sleep, though no one is sure when.
It's mind-bending to learn that Schon wrote and recorded 'The Calling' from scratch in just four days, produced in a whirlwind of creativity inspired by the old blues mantra 'when you're thinkin', you're stinkin'. Whilst he handles all the guitar and bass parts – and there's an orgasmic feast of densely layered six strings – former Journey drummer Steve Smith and accomplished keyboard player Igor Len significantly flesh out the tunes with first rate playing. Plus, Grammy award-winner Jan Hammer also contributes searing Synth solos to a couple of tracks. The result is an astonishingly cohesive, well structured set of songs that belie their limited gestation.
This material certainly hits harder than previous solo efforts, picking up where Journey's last album – the guitar-centric 'Eclipse' – left off. The title track roars out the blocks as it's fiery lick cuts a cocksure swagger over an aggressive rhythmic thunder storm whilst space age notes glisten in and out. 'Back Smash' brings the epic, as a dirty biker groove leads a Zeppelin like trek through a maze of dexterous twists, turns, and wah wah hooks into a delightfully dark breakdown of otherworldly orchestral ambience and delicate flamenco picking. The album's constantly alight with the kind of varied moods Joe Satriani concocted on his similarly flavoured 'Extremist' album. Particularly the eastern spice of 'Fifty Six', whose squelching guitar synths and frisky Satch-like melody hurtles into a rousing romp of ferocious musical interplay, crazy virtuosity and dramatic synth embellishments from Hammer.
Great instrumental albums stimulate the imagination in a very cinematic way, allowing listeners to go on a personal voyage as colourful pictures and imagery are inspired by the musicians atmospheric soundscapes. The dainty 'Irish Field' highlights that, clocking in at just over a minute and featuring sparse, chiming Celtic picking that'll have you dreaming of long plains of grass on a misty Belfast morning. Whilst 'Six String Waltz' has the feel of a classic Journey ballad, with a stirring melodic fanfare fit for any Hollywood blockbuster where the guy gets the girl, good triumphs over evil and everyone lives happily ever after. Likewise 'Blue Rainbow Sky', whose emotive tapestry builds to a buoyant epiphany that's pure bittersweet bliss, with beautiful bluesy notes and impassioned fretwork conveying a depth of feeling many voices would fail to match. The same goes for 'True Emotion', where Schon's mellifluous playing shines as his gifted fingers weep painful truths over a gently synthesised backing track, before breaking free with some scorching Hendrix-y lead work.
Not everything on the album gels. 'Primal Surge' is too similar to what's preceded it – only not as good, and although 'Carnival Jazz' boasts brilliant percussion the tune doesn't grip, descending into a boring jazz piano passage that lacks focus. It's the only time the rush recording schedule hampers the material. Elsewhere, more flashes of jazz occur, but feel out of place. Whilst Schon seems keen to recall his early, experimental days with Journey it feels contextually jarring on what's essentially a full throated, rock and roll guitar party.
The album closes with 'Song of the Wind 2', a sequel of sorts to the track that appeared on the first Santana album. It's a gorgeously ambient, glowing sunset of smooth keys, subtle soloing and the kind of heartfelt spirituality that recalls Schon's former mentor.
Although it's not perfect, 'The Calling' is certainly one of the best instrumental albums you'll hear this year. Those turned off by songs without singing are unlikely to be converted, in spite of the waterfall of catchy melodies that flow throughout the record. But for people who dig this kind of thing it's something to savour. It's strength lies in a genuine sense of song courtesy of Schon's highly lyrical playing as it weaves a wonderful visual web of different moods and textures, whilst constantly revealing new layers, unveiling a multi-story sandwich of sparkling guitar dynamics, with classic tones and tasteful effects expertly enhancing each track's unique sonic canvas. The pleasure comes from conjuring up your own stories to those landscapes, with the only limit being your imagination as a beguiling trip across land, sea, space and time beckons. Enjoy the Journey...
'The Calling' hit shelves today and can be found on iTunes and many other music outlets.
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Over the last five decades Neal Schon has earned a reputation as one of the most talented and sought after guitarists in the business. He started remarkably early, joining Santana as a 15 year old prodigy, before leaving to form AOR behemoths Journey. Since then Neal's released fourteen studio albums with the band, knocked out ten solo records and formed side projects with Hardline, Soul SirkUS and Bad English. Not to mention collaborations with everyone from Paul Rodgers and Joe Cocker to Michael Bolton and Bette Davis. It's alleged he also finds time to sleep, though no one is sure when.
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