Search - Uli Jon Roth :: From Here to Eternity

Great Bargain!

Steven J Detwiler | California | 06/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, Uli Roth started out copying Jimi Hendrix. This compilation shows what he was trying to do when he left the Scorpions (and both parties went very separate directions). Yes, Uli's voice (like Jimi's) is nothing extraordinary (the last disc has classically-trained singers, not Uli). But his guitar melodies are straight from Heaven. Uli took himself from a Hendrix follower, to an innovator himself, and his work has taken the guitar to places that I know even Jimi would be amazed, and pleased. The last disc and the new direction is very much symphonic rock opera, but the backbone of all Uli's work is beautiful solos. Not wanking like Yngwie, but rather ethereal music. Uli has a sound like no one else, and his custom 7 string guitar is more like a violin (here you see the classsical direction). This collection is a must for guitar fans. Beyond that, I am not sure I'd recommend it. But if you are prone to buying Steve Vai, Yngwie, Satriani, Eric Johnson, Santana, or any of these guys...They know and admire Uli. Buy this and see why."

One of the Finest "Neo-Classical" Guitar Efforts

Patrick Teasley | 10/29/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The title of this review refers primarily to Uli's "Prologue to Symphonic Legends", one of the three CDs in this collection. The set also includes Uli's first two Electric Sun Albums from '79 and '80. The Electric Sun recordings definitely have bright spots - Uli's awesome and crafty guitar solos which are brilliant compositions in themselves, his Hendrixisms, and his beautiful Strat tone. Unfortunately, they also have rough spots - the production, the vocals (Uli is a great player but an awful singer who makes music sometimes sound like karaoke - a great band backing up an ameteur vocalist, but Uli can be forgiven since his playing is so stellar, his vocals don't matter), and in my opinion, inconsistent songwriting. In spite of weaknesses, they are great to listen to for electric guitar fans and offer an education on where certain developments in rock guitar sprang from during the eighties. The best part of this collection is the Prologue, which unlike most other "neo-classical" efforts, is mainly orchestral music with Uli interjecting beautiful, violin-like guitar solos on his six octave guitar. The opening piece is a familiar Puccini piece which Uli rewrote the lyrics for. His solo is breathtaking. His tone and use of the wah are about is perfect as it gets for this genre. The other pieces are Uli's own compositions and reveal him to be among the foremost composers whose primary instrument is electric guitar. The cadenza in "Pegasus" is the most perfect distorted electric guitar solo I have ever heard and it alone is worth the price of this entire 3 CD collection. Uli not only plays the right notes for classical pieces, but has the right feel - the right rubato. That is something lacking amongst most electric players who attempt classical pieces. The drawback to "Prologue" is that the orchestration is synthesized, but the timbre isn't too thin in spite of this. There is also a nice bonus after the "Prologue" of Uli's incredible piano compositions. And best of all...Uli doesn't sing! Any fans of virtuoso electric guitar music who have not yet heard Uli or who only know him from his early Scorpion days, must check him out. In my opinion, he makes Yngwie sound like a kindergartner - and I speak as an Yngwie fan!"

From Rock to Classical

Bob Blahunka | Lansing, Illinois USA | 02/29/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The first two discs were exactly what I expected of Uli, very Scorpionslike. If you like songs like Fly To The Rainbow,Evening Wind and Polar Nights then, you will like these two discs. The vocals are a little week especially on the Fire Wind disc. Disc three is different. If you like classical music you should enjoy this disc, if not you won't. It's that simple. The last song "AQUILA SUITE" is a piano composition, I think it is a very good change of pace. Not that I don't enjoy blisstering guitar work because I do, it's just that in my advacing years I am becoming a more rounded music fan (I will not ever become a top 40 fan). For the money this is a very wise purchase, three for the price of one. Buy this set, reminisce about days gone past and enjoy some good classical music with your favorite beverage or herb."