9.11

This album rules. Buy it. Now.

I suppose I should probably tell you why this album rules. Let's start with a little history. Bumblefoot, the New York artist formerly known as Ron Thal, originally intended to release this album under the title "Guitars Suck", but the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001 made him reconsider and dedicate this album to the firefighters and other people involved in the rescue efforts. All the profits from the CD are donated to the American Red Cross.

Almost pre-sciently, as the songs were written and recorded before the attacks, the general atmosphere is very dark, not unlike his earlier album "Hands", but in a mostly instrumental setting. The music has a clearly funky/hard rock/metal basis, and prominently features Bumblefoot's truly stupendous guitar antics and compositional and arranging prowess. The songs range from aggressive-cum-Zappaesque ("Lost", "R2") to emotional ("Hole in the Sky", "Children of Sierra Leone") to faux-pompous ("Guitars SUCK") to intimate ("Time") to soundtracky ("The Legend of Van Cleef", an orchestral number evoking some of Zappa's work), but are all unmistakably Bumblefoot-y. Nothing on this record is a cliché or formula; Bumblefoot's arrangements, melodies and guitar playing are remarkably inventive and exciting, and never suffer from showoffitis even at their most insane ("Guitars SUCK").

So what are you waiting for? I told you that this album rules. Buy it. Now. Even if you've never heard Bumblefoot. He'll open your mind and ears. And even if you don't like the music, which you definitely will, your money is going to a good cause, so there's really no excuse not to rush to www.bumblefoot.com and order a dozen copies for your friends and family.

Now.

Review by Rog "the Frog" Billerey-Mosier