m_masters

The slow to mid paced punchy flow carried with it a great dance style. The percussion performed the strong underbelly as it forced the pace forward. The electronics base melodies were smooth in nature and didn't over infest the sound space. A basic electronic riff held the continuous theme together.

A good listen with much to hear and a little more dance to.

The narrated version produced in me a soft soothing mood until I read the lyrics. This then put the piece into the desired context. Although still relaxed and soothing, the lyrics put forward its mood which carried a darker and fatalistic form of despair, but still with hope. I think that some of the beauty may have been lost in translation, but not enough to loose the message. The narration carried with it the emotion, with its softness and depth. A little more attention to the levels of vocals/music would have been useful.

The vocal version was moving in its own way, but I didn't get the same feel from the voice.

The soft Pop/Blues musical backdrop repeated its moving, well constructed theme as it played second fiddle to the main attraction, but it was the smooth emotive and wonderful lyrics that were the driving force here.

"LET THE EMBERS DIE" The slow classically Country styled sound rang through with a clear flowing male voice that stood above the slowly timed percussion and stroked guitar. Wonderfully arranged, the flow pressed on unchanged and persistently smooth.

"GOODBYE" A soft style overlaying the Country rhythm moved on steadily. The sound of a sliding guitar made the genre doubtlessly obvious and instantly recognisable. The lyrics well produced through a determined voice emphasised the mood.

"I CAN'T STOP THE RAIN" The slow steady percussion simply timed the slow pace. The soft stroke of a guitar led the frame of the strong vocal input. The instrumental form was quietly scurrying in the background in its very basic form while giving the right backdrop to the strength in the vocals.

Generally I found the music very basic in style but strong enough in content to be listenable. The lack of flare and variation in the instrumentation was a little limiting. However, this was probably a deliberate policy in order to make the vocals a priority. The vocals were, for me the cream. The control and softness at times were excellently delivered. The quality of the vocals and style of music made the pieces very easy to sing along to.

Country is not one of my favourite Genre's, but sadly I've been forced to listen to more and more of the stuff. Unfortunately this means I'm actually beginning to like some of it, including this album. I think I can justify this by the fact that Country has evolved from the Blues(one of my favourite genres). On this basis, I can safely say that I really enjoyed this Blues inspired collection. Hope that gets me out of a spot with the Music police.

A relaxed and enjoyable listening experience with some joy, melancholy a little humour but all was a treat to my ears.

"Hell Is Callin" Raw Blues came at me with a soft edges in the tone of guitars and soft percussion. This was mixed with a more raw bottom dollar Blues in the vocals. The delivery was superbly melancholic, and so much a part of the early style I enjoyed.

"Lead Me Home" Strings and the heavy Blues voice set a tone that was strong with emotion.

"Amy" The strong male vocals with guitars set a scene made to tell a story and sell a message. There was evidence of good writing and well presented vocal delivery.

"Reason Or Rhyme" This piece while having the same format and style as the others gone before seemed to have contained a little more. The guitars delivered more than the basic Blues riffs and chords. More melodies and harmonization produced a wider mixture of sound.

"Many Days" The tinny guitar melodies with its southern rooted Blues had a very nostalgic feel. The husky slow voice delivered a song that could have been a tale told to an intimate gathering while seated in an old rocking chair.

"Feel At Home" A slow draw on the guitar and the equally slowly delivered vocal style dragged the pace to almost an unconscious level. The pace set by a soft guitar strummed chord was equalled by the alternate beat of my heart.


A nostalgic collection of easy listening Blues with a Folk infusion. The heavy emphasis on the strong male vocals with good vocal harmonies worked well. What I didn't feel worked as well was the lack of variety across the pieces. The rawness in the vocals with its musical narrating style was great, but I think generally was at a higher standard than the musical accompaniment.

Overall, worth a listen and a trip back into an earlier, more acoustic era of music.

"Angle de rue" Super Jazz piano entry with much well phrased emphasis that captured the feel of a up beat slick moving style. By the time the full spectrum of instruments entered, a theme was already set in place and all that was added was the embellishment, mainly from guitar and excellent percussion. The Blues guitar entangled with the fast paced Jazz percussion was inspiring. A fast and fantastically moving work.

"Place du village" The heavy use of pipes aren't a favourite of mine. However, I think Guy carried this off quite well. The repeated riff-like theme held by the pipes enabled other more subtle sub-themes and melodies to enter the fray. Personally, I would have attenuated the pipes to give a little more clarity to the emerging melodies that were struggling to be heard.

I think this was a solid and well performed collection that had much variety within the pieces. The mixed styles and pace of the Jazz in "Angle de rue" was superbly done and brought to light a little of creativity of the artist. Pace, style and variety, the hallmark of a true artist.