Eric Johnson is known as a great guitar virtuoso and also he is known as a perfectionist,who constantly rewrites his songs when something doesn't make him pleased.That's one of the reasons why it took him more than 4 years to finish recording the album.He also changed his record label.This album was written on "Favored Nations",which was founded by his friend and a guitar-god Steve Vai.Eric said that while working on the Capitol records he felt constant pressure because of the bosses.On Favored Nations he felt free and released a great album.
Eric is the guitarist who sings and he does it quite good,in my opinion even better than Steve Vai.Also Eric is a good composer,all of his abums are full of songs of different styles,you can hear him play jazz or roock,or blues or even country.So he's the man whose albums are full of songs of different genres.As for his guitar playing... i think the fact that he played on G3 with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai speaks for itself.
But his guitar playing changed a bit.His tone is recognizeable is always,he just doesn't shred so much on the album like in the previous ones.His solos became even more melodic,than they were.He just knows where to shred and where not.
As for the album,it's really good,but it has got some weak points.And i suppose fans who liked "Zap" and "Cliffs of Dover" will be a little disappointed,because they won't find songs like those on the album.However,the album has got its highlights.
The album is divided into three parts:Prelude,Courante,Allemande.The first part is a "rock part",the second -a "blues part",the third- a "jazz part".
1.Bloom.An instrumental song.Quite a good one,starts with a good riff.
It's a good mid- tempo song with good solos and a very beautiful bridge,sometimes you may hear Eric's voice in the background.In the end of the song Eric starts to shred.On the whole i think this song is a very good start of the album.4/5
2.Summer Jam.Well,I've read one review about this album and the author of the review called this song the highlight of the album,as for me i don't find this neither a highkight neither even a good one.It's just an average song og Eric,he's written alot of such stuff,though i have to admit that Eirc's guitar work is good on the track.By the way,it's also an instrumental track. 2,5/5
3.My Back Pages.This song was originally written by Bob Dylan.Eric did a great cover.His singing is good here,the guitar work is also great,the solos he plays are really good.And,of course,the lyrics written by Bob Dylan are definitely great.Eric did his best,I like his version of the song even more than the original.5/5
4.Good to Me.An instrumental track.This song reminded me some stuff of Jeff Beck.It has some electronic voices.The riffs are great so are the solos,very melodic ones.Good song.4/5
5.Columbia.It is also a instrumental song.Eric shows his beautiful tone in this song,a very nice piece.Nothing to add.4/5
6.12 to 12 Vibe.i find this song somehow similar to Summer Jam.Also an instrumental piece, and also an average Eric's piece,nothing special,though the guitar work is really good,it doesn't save the situation.2/5
Courante.
7.Sea Secret.Here Eric plays an acoustic guitar.The guitar playing is really beaytiful on this track.It has got a relaxing atmosphere,you can hear the sound of the sea.I wish it was longer a bit.But still a nice piece.4/5
8.Sad Legacy.Eric sings in this track.I really like the lyrics of the track,it's about peace and love,he says he'd like he'd like to throw the screams,guns and pain away.The song is beautiful and so are the solos.Eric also plays the piano and does it quite good. 4.5/5
9.From my heart.I was alittle bit bored with the track,maybe because it's also a ballad as "Sad Legacy",it's also the longest track on the album.This track is not that bad it's just boring a little bit.Though the arrangement is good as Eric's singing and everything else,it just doesn't make me feel anything.3/5.
10.Cruise the Nile.Eric plays electric sitar here.It's also an instrumental track,it has some eastern feel,and it's something,i haven't heard from Eric before.There's also something like a dialogue of an electric guitar and a sitar.Great track 5/5
11.Tribute to Jerry Reed.An instrumental country song.Eric doesn't solo in this,Adrian Legg,a guest guitarist,solos here.I'm not a fan of country but this song is definetely good.4,5/5
12.Your Sweet Eyes.It's a song about love,reminds some stuff of Richard Marx.It starts off with an acoustic guitar,then the drums begin to play,Eric starts singing.This sing also features a Grammy-Award winner Shawn Colvin,who sings in the background.The solo in the middle and in the end are great and the song itself is great.5/5
13.Hesitant.A jazz instrumental song.Here Eric's playing with octaves just like Wes Montgomery,the guitarist who influenced Eric's guitar playing.Eric often shows his admiration for Wes Montgomery,as he did in "Manhattan"and "East Wes".Eric doesnt eve sound here like he usuallu does,but anyway a good track.3,5/5
14.Sonnaround you.Eric sings here about love,but it's a little bit similar to the previous track.I really like Eric's piano playing in the song,the diminishied chords he plays, are really beautiful.3/5
15.Magnetized.An instrumental track and one of the highlights of the album,everything is just great on the track.Nothing to add.5/5
16.Ciel.The last track of the album,a relaxing one.For the most part of the song Eric plays an acoustic guitar,and in the end he accompanies it with citar and piano.A good end of the good album.
What I really liked is:
1.Eric's guitar work.He's just proved that he's one of the great guitarists ever.
2.The variety of musical genres on the album.
3.His lyrics are also good.
What i disliked is s that some songs are really repetitive and sometimes it becomes really boring to listen to the album
The Highlights are:
My Back Pages
Sad Legacy
Cruise the NIle
Your sweet Eyes
Magnetized
In conclusion,I'd like to say that Eric released the record,which is very easy to listen to.Also it isn't worse than his previous albums "Ah Via Musicom" or "Venus Isle".I really recommend it to anyone,because everybody will find something to his liking on this album.
