Search - Scott [Guitar/Composer] Johnson :: Scott Johnson: John Somebody

Certainly a product of its time

o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 02/14/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Having become aware of this dsic through a review of Meredith Monk by Daniel Patrick Stearns in The Philadelphia Inquirer, I sought out the disc, bought it and set in the CD player. I like it, but it is definitely a throwback to its time (circa 1979, early 80's). The influences on Johnson's playing and compositional style are certainly a mix of Mike Oldfield, Steve Howe, Steve Hackett and Dave Van Tieghem. I'm not sure who influenced whom, but it is not a big leap to the guitar work of Adrian Belew from Johnson. It's all very avant-garde and borderline prog, and while you're likely to be more impressed with the technique needed to make this than with the music, still, for a piece 25 years old, it holds up. In fact U79, the last piece on the disc, would not be out of place on a King Crimson record.

There are no melodies as such. The CD is like an art installation and the sound of the guitars is not as prominent as you might expect. In fact, the amplifiers sound cheap. But there are moments when he gets beyond the technical noodling and lands on some stunning stringwork. The title piece is a cleverly assembled soundscape of a woman's voice looping over her attempt to remind the listener of some guy named John. In the course of the loops, there evolves a polyphonous sound sheet that Johnson syncopates and plays along to, much as you would expect from a Laurie Anderson disc.

Whether I'll go back to it much, I can't say, but it was interesting first time through."

He was a - he was sort of a -

Robert B. Rossney | San Francisco | 08/02/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While I don't disagree that this is a product of its time (and place), 25 years later I don't listen to David Van Tieghem or Laurie Anderson. I still listen to this. I love the first piece most of all, which starts with something completely unmusical, a snatch of conversation, and then uncovers a vivid and memorable melody that's hidden within it. It's striking to me how little a piece that's comprised almost entirely of technically aggressive electric guitar riffs sounds anything like rock and roll music. And it's also striking to me how, despite the piece's obvious deep roots in minimalism, it is the very opposite of minimal. It's baroque and goofy and vibrant and fun."