Search - Soulfood, Billy Mclaughlin :: Guitar Meditations

Soulfood, Billy Mclaughlin
Guitar Meditations
Genres: New Age, Pop

Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
1. The White Bear
2. Into The Blue, Out Of The Blue
3. Dream Sketcher
4. The Pond
5. South by Winterwest
6. Lullaby
7. Drift
8. Patsy's Etude
9. Inhale Pink
10. Duncan's Lullaby
11. Into The Blue, Out Of The Blue (Part II)

CD Details

All Artists: Soulfood, Billy Mclaughlin
Title: Guitar Meditations
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Soulfood Music
Release Date: 9/4/2001
Genres: New Age, Pop
Style: Meditation
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 682947001526

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Sometimes, two forces are less than the sum of their parts. Take this meeting between guitar wizard Billy McLaughlin and ambient composer Soulfood, a.k.a. DJ Free, a.k.a. Gordy Schaeffer. On his own recordings, McLaughlin evinces a whiplash brand of fingerpicking, employing all the two-handed techniques of the post-Michael Hedges acoustic guitarist. Soulfood has created some evocative, ethno-techno-inspired CDs, including Breathe and Wingmakers. But lately, he's become generic, creating albums that are designed to fill a market niche with titles like Tranquility and now Guitar Meditations. Rather than enhancing McLaughlin, who draws in the reigns considerably for some fragile melodies, Soulfood tends to smother him, laying in environmental sounds and pedestrian synth string pads. It's always a relief when said synths drop out, as they do on "Dream Sketcher" and "Drift." It's like someone turning off the air conditioning: suddenly, you can hear the detail of the world around you. Despite McLaughlin's fretwork, Guitar Meditations is trapped in a clichéd marketing concept. --John Diliberto

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CD Reviews

The sum of the parts really works here

Guardian of the Zen Sea | Looking after the sun and surf | 01/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow, I totally disagree with the review written by John Dilberto for this CD!!! Yes, the guitar work by Billy McLaughlin is really stunning, as usual. The accompanying music by Soulfood is not obtrusive or "smothering" to me at all. I like the combination of the meditative electronic stylings of DJ Free, which really match the guitar work very well. Combining the two different styles enhances each. True, you do not get just fingerstyle guitar work here, but that is the point. If you want just pure guitar music then get Billy McLaughlin's excellent, chart-topping CD "Fingerdance". This CD grew out of a meeting between Soulfood and Billy McLaughlin back in 1997 on Soulfood's web radio program "Earth Beat". From that meeting and performance the two decided to collaborate on "Guitar Meditations", and create something oriented towards contemplation and relaxation. To get a good idea of the feel of the music try the last cut "Into the Blue, Out of the Blue part 2". This will give you an idea of how the electronic soundscapes fuse with the guitar. Really, this is a wonderfully and very fine, relaxing, yet interesting CD. There has been no "smothering"."

A great gift from sonic heaven

Rupert Valentino | Denver, Colorado United States | 11/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording really transcends all types of categorized music and speaks completely for itself. Billy McLaughlin is probably the world's best kept secret. This CD will relax and entertain you anytime you want. I have listened to this disc to fall asleep about fifty times, and I still get goosebumps when I listen to the way McLaughlin works those alternate tunings and two handed techniques. I think it is one of the finest CDs I own."

A Customer Favorite

Kristen Albaneze | New Hampshire | 03/22/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This has been a customer favorite in my massage practice. I have received several inquiries about it. The guitar is wonderful and there isn't one song that I don't like. The whole album just flows perfectly."