Search - Harvey Mandel :: Lick This

The Master

Charlie Stehlin | Tampa,Fla | 04/30/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I went through this new cd from Harvey the first time and thought,"this is cool".I went through it again and said,"wow,this is better than cool".I finally had a chance to sit and listen to it all the way through and must say that this cd falls into the "holy shit,i cant believe what i am hearing" category.Where has this man been?I have been a dj on community radio for 12+ years.The best music is sent to us from all over the globe.We get it all.I go through 1000 new releases a month.I know my music.....Listening to "Lick This" i have come to the conclusion that Harvey Mandel is a very gifted person.He is a genius.Not since Roy Buchanan passed away has there been a master from the ship "guitar".Until now.....Most of the catchy new releases coming out these days come with one or two songs that stand out from the rest,that are notable and show up on many a playlist."Lick This" is one of those rare jewels that hit the shelves once in a blue moon.Each song transports the listener to new dimensions,each - individual in their own right.At once there is that country feel,then rock,then techno...a potpourri of music,always with that distinct guitar coming in to grab the ear,to put the listener under a spell of sorts.I have not been this roused by a new release in some time.Anybody who needs some serious lessons on how to pick a mean guitar need go no further than "Lick This".This is more than just picking strings.This is a work of art.Harvey pushes the envelope here.Here he secures the highest and most harmonius development of his art.Here is the unveiling of the tremendous hidden possibilities that we all possess.The musical world should be honored to have such talent as Harvey Mandel in its midst.At 55 years of age Harvey is the exception rather than the rule..........Listening to "Lick This",the listener will swear that Jimi Hendrix and Roy Buchanan(the greatest guitar players that ever lived)have come back to life.While there is a resemblence to these two masters,there is no doubt that Harvey is authentic in the sound he puts out.He has proved himself fit for a plaque in the museum of guitar greats...This new release is his best yet.It is original,a life force that should not be overlooked.May Harvey Mandel continue to reveal the genius of his individuality.There is just no better guitar player,and at such consistency,as "The Snake". Charlie Stehlin Producer/host of "Freeform Radio" Wmnf Tampa,Fla"

Support this guy, he deserves it

Rich Grace | Guerneville, CA United States | 07/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was around him while he was recording the music for this CD. I am not going to reveal any of his secrets; I will just say that Harvey has completely jumped into the digital age of making music. He produces everything in his digital music studio and has become a hopeless computer junkie. He has also completely changed his sound and moved on from the sound and techniques from his Canned Heat and early solo days. (He can't be bothered to touch a Les Paul or Stratocaster anymore.) I also think his general technique on the guitar has, if anything, expanded from those days. He taught me a lot in the time I was with him. Guitarists: don't bother trying to figure out his compositions by ear. He uses innovative tunings that literally no one has ever used on the guitar, to my knowledge. As a result, the chord voicings on this CD do not resemble anything in the standard 12-tone diatonic scale.I think the biggest change on this disc is the rapid growth in his composition skills. He has written some very nice melodic compositions that stand up to almost anything written lately. He also keeps his ears open, which frankly can't be said for a lot of his cohort from those days. Harvey is not one for nostalgia. This is good stuff."

The sound of eternal rock

Chris Holmes | Corfu, Greece | 06/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Reviewer Rich Grace has it totally right. Heck, Amazon hit the jackpot when it opened reviews to articulate cognoscenti who knew whereof they write.



A stunning album that showcases the Snake's seemingly effortless "getting" of digital music.



Mandel defines those few who've grasped digital music *and* whose guitar technique has expanded without losing that neckhair-raising rocking sound.



Clone Bert Jansch's deft feel for weirdo tunings with that other survivor Jeff Beck's seeming ability to make every fret he fingers throb and wail with the real stuff, and this is the magic Mandel produces.



I cannot *wait* for the July 12 release of Chicago Blues Reunion's "Buried Alive in the Blues", a dynamite package of the goodies, incl Barry Goldberg. Nick Gravenites (in as good vocal form as I've heard him), the legendary Sam Lay delivering 'Hound Dog' the way you youngsters *ought* to know it, Tracy Nelson (no less) and the ever-wailing harpist, Corky Siegel.



The legends aren't just living on' they're still with us and kicking major musical derrière.



Great *great* album, for those summer road trips and rocking BBQs."