PAUL GILBERT - Stone Pushing Uphill Man

Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: | Heft: Jahrgang 2014, eclipsed Nr. 163 / 9-2014 | VÖ-Jahr: 2014 | Wertung: 7/10 | Label: Mascot | Autor: ML

Paul Gilbert, who has been on the road again with his regular formation Mr. Big for some time, has gone on "voice catching" with "Stone Pushing Uphill Man". Gilbert tracks down his favourite singers like Steven Tyler ("Back In The Saddle") or Elton John ("Goodbye Yellow Brick Road") with his guitar. That has a lot to do with the Sisyphus saga, indeed. Because he also wants to bring the songs "over the hill", but without singers or vocals. But does Gilbert really fail? Basically not. Because of the omission of the human voice and the resulting incentive to play melodic guitar, he gives the songs from Sting to James Brown something they didn't have in the original. On the other hand, a filigree technician like Paul Gilbert is needed to keep the songs from degenerating into background music. What makes this album exciting is this unobtrusive virtuosity, which luckily never turns a good song into an extra, but uses it as a vehicle to get up the mountain after all.

Top track: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

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