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Review:
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Janos Varga is the founding member and guitar player
of the legendary Hungarian progrock formation East that
made several albums in the first part of the Eighties, their
LP Hüség (1982) is considered as their best effort. Then
Janos was very active in several musical projects and in
the late Nineties he founded the Janos Varga Project. He
released the studio-albums The Wings Of Revalations I (2000)
and II (2002) and in 2003 the Janos Vargo Project DVD entitled
Live The Wings Of Revalation. On this DVD and two CD's,
I enjoyed the variety in his often powerful guitar work
(from propulsive riffs and fiery runs to classical guitar
and sensitive with subtle use of the volume pedal) and in
the compositions (from rock and blues to New Age and symphonic
rock). -
This year (2009) the Janos Varga Project has released
a new studio-album entitled Elixer on which Janos (guitars,
synthesizers and bass) plays together with original East-drummer
István Király, keyboard player Zsolt Nagy and György Ferenczi
on violin. Again we can enjoy a lot of variety and powerful
guitar work but on this album the violin adds a strong new
element to the sound of Janos Varga Project: strong solos
and captivating interplay with the electric guitar in the
Eastern sounding India, the alternating Eldorado and Pentatonic
Attack (evoking JL Ponty). But of course the focus is on
Janos his excellent guitar work: a moving solo in Roses
On The River (also including a compelling Hammond organ
solo after a spacey intro), fiery, biting and heavy runs
in East-West Express (swinging bass and propulsive percussion),
wah-wah guitar and splendid guitar work in the (in my opinion)
Eric Clapton tribute Respect For The Master, Floydian guitar
play in the varied Caravanserai (electronic sounds, didgeridoo,
flute and acoustic guitar), howling electric guitar runs,
blended with acoustic guitar in the swinging The Right Way,
a heavy and bombastic guitar sound in the alternating My
Dream Came True and sensitive electric guitar runs (with
hints of Peter Green and Carlos Santana) in the wonderful
final track Confession. -
I end this review with the same words as I did in my
review about the DVD: this music will please the guitar
minded progheads with a varied taste.
www.progwalhalla.com
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