Ironcladd's Full Review: Out Standing in Their Field by Steve Morse Band
Outstanding in Their Field: The Steve Morse Band.
By
James Zaworski
I am a thorough and dedicated fan of guitar player great, Steve Morse. I have enjoyed his music since 1984, when I picked up his first solo recording, "The Introduction". Since then, I have picked up everything I can by Steve, including everything by his first group, The Dixie Dregs, some recordings of his stint with Kansas, and all of his 13 solo recordings, including the latest, "Outstanding in Their Field". Steve Morse is known to me for his versatility, creativity and virtuosity. I am a fan of instrumental music, primarily jazz/rock fusion as well as hard rock/heavy metal, jazz, blues, bluegrass, etc. Many people know Steve Morse as the lead guitarist for Deep Purple for the past fifteen years. However, it is with his own band ( a musical trio consisting of Steve on guitar, Dave LaRue on bass guitar and Van Romaine on drums), that he truly shines as a composer and performer. When I heard that this one was coming out, I couldn't wait for the CD, I purchased it from iTunes and downloaded it in early October. It is with great delight that I can review his latest recording, "Outstanding in Their Field". Here follows my review of each and every track on this CD, as all are highlights. All tracks are original compositions by Steve Morse. 1. Name Dropping. Name dropping is a heavy duty tune. Fully instrumental and dramatic, the introduction to the tune is a big sound, full of flare and is quite tight in time and in playing. As is usual with Steve Morse compositions, the introductory theme is the backbone from which the rest of the track will be fleshed out upon, returning to it from time to time throughout the track, and repeated at the end. In between, there is room to improvise, to add syncopated themes, counterpoint, and to feel some changing inspiration and aspiration towards majestic musical prowess. It's not just Steve who solos, but Dave plays a very elegant and inspired bass guitar solo two thirds through the track. Dave is a fantastic bass guitar player who can keep up quite nicely with Steve. Name Dropping is a great track, where Morse fans will feel comfortable with its recognizable choice of notes from time to time, the "Steve Morse signature", as it were. The concluding flurry is nice, too.
2. Brink of the Edge. This track sounds harder edged than the previous track with more gutsy and quicker flurries on the guitar, the introduction to this track is a little deceptive. The main theme is elegant, and it swings nicely. Steve plays two guitars on this one that I can hear, his electric music man but an acoustic guitar is overdubbed in the softer sections. The middle of the track has Steve doing another blindingly fast solo, using his alternative picking technique. Dave thumps out a solo immediately following, and it all fits. 64th notes bring you a sense of exhilaration, and fully bring you to the "Brink of the Edge".
3. Here and Now and Then. One thing I love about this CD is that the titles of the instrumental tracks are very appropriate and much more than adequate. I especially love the poignancy of this track's title, "Here and Now and Then". This track is soft and reflective and quite beautiful. Evocative, emotive and lovely, the climactic theme of this will almost bring you to tears, as Steve ups the tempo. This one is a nice contrast to the previous two.
4. Relentless Encroachment. Another tight and heavy track, this one has a more jazzy feel than the previous three. A fluid and changeable tune, Relentless Encroachment has, as the title suggests, a kind of unstoppable way of growing on you. 5. John Deere Letter. If I had to choose one of two of my favorite tracks on this CD, this is definitely one. Totally different in style and scope, John Deere Letter has a country/rock/bluegrass sound to it. In a sense, this is typical, as Steve always has a track with this kind of sound and feel to it on almost every of his solo recordings, and these hearken back to the days of The Dixie Dregs.
This track begins with Steve floating up and down the neck with false harmonics, and then into the country twang "Gibson" and steel guitar feel of his music man guitar, which makes you recall Roy Clark. From then on, it's all country and blue grass but played as most country is not. This track is fun from beginning to end, with Steve soloing alternating with solos by Dave, and the drums keeping an almost locomotive like beat the whole way. I also love the play on words in the title, instead of a "Dear John Letter", we have "John Deere Letter", John Deere being the company that makes the best damned tractors in the world. Dear Steve plays the best damned country guitar in the world.
6. More to the Point. You guessed it, the other track tied for my favorite on this CD is this one, "More to the Point". Steve had done a tune way back on the Southern Steel CD called "Simple Simon", and that tune was one of deceptive simplicity, actually being incredibly complex. This track resembles that one in theme, with lots of counterpoint going on, but is much more ambitious and complicated! One would not know that was possible, and this track is a wonder to listen to. The playing by the trio is impeccable, and so many changes occur that it boggles the mind. It all fits very logically, though. I would love to see the trio play this live! Mere words cannot do this track justice, and the CD is worth buying just for this track! Five stars!
7. Time Junction. This one seems to pick up where the last one left off, and is a fluid flurry of sound and motion throughout. Again, it is all about tempo, where the changes come together, particularly the solos of bass and guitar intersect. Dave shines in this one particularly.
8. Unnamed Sources. This one slows down in tempo, and has Steve leading on electric guitar but also has Steve playing keyboard as backup, which he has been improving on in recent years. This one develops slowly, imperceptibly. Pretty soon, it all comes together, with two or three themes coming out of nowhere, culminating in blindingly fast flurries of Steve whizzing up and down the guitar neck, and then, just as quickly, back to a slower, elegant and lovely theme. It's another masterpiece.
9. Flight of the Osprey. This one truly flies after the acoustic guitar introduction. This track reminds me of the great American West, driving from the Great Plains and seeing the Rocky Mountains for the first time. It's heavy, fast paced, rock based, and has some withering solos by Steve and Dave who go back and forth and leave you breathless after the two and a half minute track. Brilliant. 10. Baroque'n Dreams. Steve Morse's solo recordings a a little bit formulaic, as they have a kind of predictable pattern. They all have a ballsy heavy metal sounding track, like "Name Dropping", a country feel track like "John Deere Letter", an elegantly themed track like "Here and Now and Then", a technical/complex track such as "More to the Point" and "Time Junction", and finally a classical acoustic duet, as "Baroque'n Dreams". But, who cares if there is a predictable, "formulaic" pattern? It just makes a comfortable environment that fans are used to, and in no way diminishes the music. In fact, it gives power for greater creativity, in my opinion. This one is lovely, and aptly named, and wonderfully played. 11. Rising Power (live). A live track is included on this CD, with "Rising Power", first featured on the CD "Stressfest". I'm not sure from which concert this is, but it's nice to see it included on this CD. Dave plays a great solo in the middle, and Rising Power rounds out this outstanding CD.
All in all, "Outstanding in Their Field" is one of the Steve Morse Band's most ambitious and, perhaps best, recordings to date. That could be debatable and up to taste and certainly to opinion. This has been mine. It should be in your library if you like Steve Morse. Cheers.
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