Derek Sherinian's 'Oceana' - quality rock fusion

Firstly thank you Mr Sherinian for being so prolific in your output. You do provide your audience with a wonderful range of different styles to listen and choose from - Planet X, Black Country Communion, solo metallic insanity to this quality rock fusion offering.


Although much of this material may sound derivative - a little like a Jeff Beck album, a little like a rocking Toto instrumental album, or maybe a Los Lobotomys outing, there is not enough of this style of hard fusion rock played by quality players. The compositions are structured and never too long to invite meaningless wandering. Even on first listen I found these catchy and stirring in the style of rock fusion.

After the first three tracks I was already relaxed knowing that more was to come. Firstly just listen to the quality of the recording and hats off to Simon Phillips for once again knowing how to record and mix this intense fusion. How do I describe the overall sound other than Simon Phillips achieves a warm, rich mix without any loss of clarity or punch. And then if that wasn't enough, he is the master fusion rock drummer. Interestingly he plays the same monster 7/8 'Space Boogie' drum pattern that he played for Jeff Beck on the 'There and Back' album on the second track of Oceana, 'Mercury 7'. This is accompanied with impressive/breath-taking MacAlpine guitaring. As this is Simon Phillips recorded some 21 years after his Jeff Beck recording, the drum mix is so much better. (I'm glad I've got the album for this track alone).


The opening 'Five Elements' is a scorcher with a wonderful organ backdrop behind some menacing MacAlpine guitar sizzle. This is probably the best track of the album which bridges to some unusual Sherinian jazzy piano before returning to the menace. Steve Lukather plays on three of the tracks and the quality shines through with wonderful interplay between spacey keyboard sounds and Lukather's guitar tones. 


'Ghost Runner' for all its great playing is too derivative of Beck and Hammer and particularly 'El Camino Diablo' which starts promisingly and then rips off almost note for note the exact riff from 'You know what I mean' on Beck's 'Blow by blow'  album - it's even in the exact key. Maybe I am missing something but this was definitely too close for comfort with the Jeff Beck classic and Jan Hammer tones and runs (although outdoing anything Jan did!) I'd have preferred them to have just played a great Beck cover like they did on 'Inertia'. Nothing wrong with a cover paying tribute.


This is a guitar festival of maestros - Tony MacAlpine, Steve Lukather, Steve Stephens, Joe Bonamassa and Doug Aldrich all backed by the legendary session bassist Jimmy Johnson (primary bassist for Allan Holdsworth, Michael Landau and James Taylor). These guitarists all work to support the overall album rather than trying to win a guitar battle - highly commendable. And the tracks are striving for that something more. Using the second last track as an example, 'Seven Sins' a dramatic building rock outing finally goes into a bridge where Derek plays a magnificent solo that culminates with the rest of the band coming in however it returns to the light melodic head and never seems to regain the intensity. The album ends with 'Oceana' a track that could almost pass for a Joe Satriani ballad other than this has more richness with combined keyboard, bass and guitar lines.


Overall this seemed like the sister album to Derek's earlier solo album 'Inertia'. It is a good 4 star outing because of the quality of musicians,compositions and recording and because of the unselfish supportive nature of Sherinian. This may be a solo keyboard album but he has produced a stellar rock band offering. Yes, you hear the entire gamut of jazzy piano to B-3 Hammond organ and spacey keys but always to intertwine with lead guitars producing rich tones and sonic delight. 


For Sherinian, Lukather, Phillips, Jeff Beck and rock fusion fans - don't hesitate - this one you'll return to for many enjoyable listens. I would pay 'top dollar' to see a tour of these legends! Which means I'd fly to Sydney from New Zealand for this one. What about a tour 'down under' to Australia...? 


PS: Read an excellently written review of this album. See Raffaella Berry's review in the Dutch Progressive Rock Page. This is incisive , punchy writing and my appreciation for this album increased. Wish I could write like this!

Want to try a little jazz fusion?

This review on Chick Corea Elektric Band's 'To the stars' has been written for those who like rock and progressive rock but cannot find anything interesting in jazz. This album is then for you.

But first an explanation to this strange slant on this review. My musical journey began as a child with listening to Simon and Garfunkel, hymns, bagpipes and later in my teens, The Beatles and Queen. Yes, I know...a weird combination. All these albums opened my ears to new sounds and musicians. After thinking that the group Kansas were the most amazing musicians I had come across till that point (then 1979), a friend asked me to listen to Al di Meola and Steve Gadd on the album 'Casino'. He then introduced me to Bill Bruford and Allan Holdsworth. I started dabbling in other genres like the fusion world of 'Return to Forever'. Initially I was very puzzled and could not get into albums like Chick's 'Three quartets' but the music bug had got a hold of me.

Not surprisingly many Chick Corea fans hate this album and find it clinical and with little swing. That's because it is often closer to an instrumental rock album - what I refer to as extreme fusion jazz. In many ways this is like some of the earlier 'Return to Forever' and 'Mahavishnu Orchestra' sounds. What is common to all is uncompromising, excellent musicianship. This album showcases five top music legends who have played together at various times for the last 25 years. The intrepid leader, composer and master keyboardist, Chick Corea showcases his talents and those of Frank Gambale, the sweep picking electric and acoustic guitarist, Eric Marienthal, top alto saxman, John Patitucci, the most sought after all-round jazz bassist for a quarter of a century and finally the greatest fusion drummer of the last twenty years, Dave Weckl.

This album rips open with 'Check Blast' a flurry of intense drumming, piano stabs and exchange of a few bars of short sharp solos from each of the five that culminate into some 'unplayable-by-most-others' in unison riffs that shift in and out. Each piece is connected by what is referred as a 'Port view' of edgy keyboard bed of sound. This is a concept album telling the story of a science fiction saga and Chick's inspiration. For proggers the idea of a concept album that has each track linked is certainly closer to their world.

The following tracks 'Mistress Luck - A portrait' will probably be a challenge to rockers as here the swing and samba rhythms come to the fore. I will say though if this is distracting, focus on the guitaring of Gambale who duets his way through and shreds during the 'Mistress Luck - The party'. However it is tracks like these that will introduce you into the delights of jazz and marvelous musicianship.

'Johnny's landing' has a cool sax dominated groove that reminded me very much of a 'Weather report' track all over a delightful percussive Weckl tour-de-force. Just when it seems a little bland, there are some amazing dark aggressive runs that builds to a long Gambale solo and later an organic Marienthal solo and more combined lines with sax and guitar together ending with Weckl at his best doing what Peart, Bruford and Portnoy dream they could do.

'Alan Corday' is in the style of latin infused jazz with more acoustic sounds. This will be a more challenging listen to prog rockers. So too will be the 'Hound of Heaven' another 'Weather report' like calypso-edged track with African township sax sounds. It has a mean fusion distorted Gambale solo that will be of interest to rockers although I think would have fitted better on acoustic. Be patient, more is to come.

'The long passage' is majestic, complex track that builds with some intriguing twists and turns along the way including some choral vocal sounds. A number of guitar sax combined lines keep linking the keyboard interludes as the musical tension slowly increases. Marienthal plays a brooding, challenging solo that will disturb which is followed by Gambale and ultimately this all combines.

`Jocelyn - The Commander' begins like a soundtrack to a movie with unusual sound effects behind a repetitive piano and rhythmic Ravel-like motif. The drums and sax weave into the mix. Gambale then plays one of his greatest solos that ultimately soars with the rest of the band. The album ends with a crescendo of musical themes coming together followed by captain Chick alone on the piano.

I love the sound production on this album - the way all instruments can be heard even during the busiest and loudest pieces. Weckl's drumming is particularly well recorded and I prefer his contribution here to his often over-playing on his solo albums.

Here is an album that grows on you with each repeated listen. If you've not listened to jazz fusion before, give this one a try...and if this doesn't work at least go back and listen to the original masters on the majestic remastered Return to Forever 'Romantic Warrior'.

Planet X - extreme progressive rock - 'Live from Oz'

Awaiting with eager anticipation for the delivery of Sherinian's new album, 'Oceana',  I listened to the Planet X 'Live from Oz' again. This may have been a bad idea as this is such an amazing live rock instrumental album it puts much of Sherinian's studio output in the mediocre camp. What it did was have me revisit a review I did on Amazon a number of years ago, revise and share it here.

This album deserves a listen! If you like progressive rock with a metal twist then hunt this album down. It is an intense exciting roller coaster ride of complicated and stirring compositions. It has an energy and aggressive drive throughout. Much of this is probably because it is live as these same compositions on the studio album are not as convincing. The recording is outstanding for a live recording and credit for this must go to Simon Phillips (producer mixer and drummer extraordinaire) who did the mixing. 


This album is of a super group that is still to be recognised - Derek Sherinian (Black Country Communion, ex-Dream Theater), Virgil Donati (monster session musician) on drums, Tony MacAlpine (solo artist and session muso) on guitars and Dave Larue (Steve Morse band) on bass. Everyone of these musicians are at the top of their craft, seasoned and admired and (employed!) by other musicians who know how brilliant they are! Clearly Vai knew who he needed to back his DVD 'Live at the Astoria' as both Tony MacAlpine and Virgil Donati were his number 1 support musicians. 

John Petrucci, Steve Morse, Mike Portnoy and now Derek Sherinian all knew who would best fill the bass role for their respective solo efforts, so although not part of the Planet X band as such, Dave Larue is the special guest bassist for this tour and his note for note runs that follow Tony and Derek are more complicated than your average rock lead guitarist can play!

Okay - so the word "complicated" is used. Yes, this music is complicated and intense. You won't be humming it as you go for an Sunday afternoon stroll. But that's what's so compelling about listening to this album - it is an andrenalin rush of power rock fusion. Admittedly the compositions sound quite dark and live in the world of minor keys but the powerful interplay and angular time signatures that chop and change keep you riveted.

Another reviewer said that the poor drummer had to count throughout this album and couldn't just groove in a straight 4/4 . From what I've heard Virgil thrives on odd time signatures - it seems to come naturally and his bass double pedal seems to be in sprint mode rather than marathon groove. From an interview I've read, the mighty Simon Phillips, who mixed this album and who is still one of the world's great drummers, said he was blown away by Virgil's playing and sometimes couldn't even contemplate playing what Virgil did effortlessly. The drumming is marvelous and gives the ordinary tracks an edge. For drummers out there - forget what the music is like - you can listen to this again and again at Virgil in top form. Listen and marvel at his strength and stamina as this is all from one show on June 13, 2001.

I've listened to Tony since his first solo album and his "Maximum Security" album is still listed by many as a guitar landmark album from the 80s. "Live in Oz" shows all Tony's chops but especially his Holdworthian whammy bar nudges and legato playing. This is what gives this album a more fusion feel than straight-out rock instrumental. I am amazed by Tony's guitaring here, far more varied than what I've heard on the CAB albums. The solos here are quite organic and have space and in places beautiful rather than always speedy. Don't worry there is sufficient shred as well on this to make most other so called great guitarists hop for cover!

Derek is remarkably supportive on this live outing - yes, he has exchanges blistering lead lines with Tony on "Pods of Chance" that sound more like duelling guitars than keyboards - but overall I was relieved to note that the main solo instrument on this album is Tony's guitar. Yes, Derek plays all the time but filling the canvas with waves of sound over which Tony wails rather than trying to outdo the guitar with keyboard antics. He is the Jan Hammer of today without needing to play everything louder or faster than everyone else.

Perhaps the one word that captures this album is "exciting". It is no musical masterpiece but rather a showcase of phenomenal skills that makes one laugh at their audacity! The rest of us mere mortals on planet earth can enjoy and applaud the brilliance of Planet X!