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Vinnie Moore
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| By
Vinnie Apicella
You know I don't think
I
can recall having listened to Vinnie Moore since "Minds Eye"
came out a
while back. back long enough I believe when six string wizards were
still afforded their opportunity to impress while still an instrument of
self-expression and virtuitous ability, and there he was lathered right
on a full page endorsement, the D'addario man or clinical technician
serving up instructional videos and how to booklets. and then there
were the albums. "Minds Eye" ranked right up there with the
best of the
time, in a time where the likes of YJM's rule, others like Satriani and
Vai on their way to household status. I think of Moore as less the big
name as those others of the past, surely no less defined a talent but
maybe a little more intricate and acutely detailed-much like we're
getting here, "Defying Gravity," is a purely heavy
instrumental loaded
to capacity with enough licks, chops, solo ventures and quick picks to
wipe away the stress cracks of the last ten or twelve years. Yes this
style, this music never actually ventured far off; musical tastes may
come and go but appreciation for accomplished musicianship will never
leave. Accompanied by such names as LaRue, Rosenthal, and Smith,
noteworthy for their acclaim with past greats as the Dixie Dregs,
Rainbow and Journey, it's easy to be consumed by the additional
musicality of a full bred song even though the spotlight undoubtedly
falls on Moore's frivolous finger work. Minor interludes pervade more
than occasionally-"Last Road Home," "If I Could,"
"House With A Thousand
Rooms," "Equinox,"-all serving to soften up the swarming
storm of
fretwork, giving a nice dash of atmospheric space and breaking up
pretense for just another album of continuous colorless shred. Lest we
forget what brought him here, plenty o' heavy with enough attention paid
to the finer details where amongst the forerunners we find,
"Alexander
The Great," "Awaken The Madman," which sounds just like
it should with a
name like that, and "Emotion Overload." An hour's worth of
solid playing
from a well-respected veteran presence, designed to lighten the load,
warm the heart, and numb the extremities.
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