| The
Review |
Well for one, Gunn is setting himself apart from the whole
King Crimson aura that has given him notoriety as a musician,
but relatively speaking, Gunn who plays the, monstrosity of
an instrument known as a Warr Guitar, a combination of the
Chapman Stick and an orthodox guitar; being able to be tapped
as well as strummed, with both bass and guitar strings on
the same neck, being able to accompany oneself like a pianist
would with both low and high notes, creating percussive arpeggios
and chord patters; stands out on his latest offering, Untune
The Sky, a compilation of some of his most ambitious work,
and his debut for Inside Out.
Mixing world music, oddball avant-garde progressions,
as well as the spaced out jamming (which in this case means
something, not just to impress college kids), Gunn taps into
musical soundscapes that reach beyond places many guitarists,
keyboardists, and bassists have been abele to reach. Notably
playing more of the guitar type patterns, rather than keeping
the low end tight as he would with King Crimson, playing guitar
solos, bass licks and percussive backbeat rhythm patterns,
usually accompanied by another Warr Guitar player who might
handle most of the bass lines, and play the occasional high
end, doubling the whole Warr Guitar experience without going
overboard.
When looking at the CD, filled with material from his
past six solo or collaboration CDs, it's understandably a
mixture of all types of material Gunn has performed in the
past several years, however, the tracklisting and the selections
in general make for a more consistent sounding record, taking
the best material to fit this compilation.
Behind the world/ethnic percussion, new age atmospheric
soundscapes, and psuedo jazz improvisations, artists like
John Paul Jones, Tony Levin's, and Liquid Tension Experiment
come to mind. Many of songs carry a more eased paced vibe,
with cuts such as "The Gift," "Rune Song," and "August 1997."
There are many upbeat tracks such as the groove laden "Arrakis,"
the tribal insanity of "Sozzi," and the dark "Killing for
London." There are even some more pop oriented material that
keeps a hook laden structure rather than going completely
out of bounds beyond art rock stature found in cuts such as
"Take this Wish" and a ballad called "The Third Star." Among
other standout elements on this record, is the presence of
all the musicians that took part in this recording, the list
speaks for itself.
The DVD itself brings the visual insight to Gunn's playing
and personality, with live performances completely documented
showing the tricks and tools that he uses. A finely produced
DVD, complete with obscure production showcasing the performances
with everything from grainy film to colorful backdrops, this
is something that was not put together in a short amount of
time, and it shows, very well done as far as the visual and
production end is concerned, brought forth with artistic value
that extends to the quality of the music. Also within the
DVD, we have interviews with the band members, at the Café
Nord in Seattle, as well as video montages that feature flying
colorscapes creating the hallucinogenic audio grandeur.
This DVD/CD features a mixture of the musicianship fused
with the visual aspects creating such complex and driven music,
for fans of King Crimson, Tony Levin, and just about anyone
who wants to be blown away by such stellar performances.
Tommy Hash
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