Canadian axeman Bob Melanson submitted his CD-R release Sorta Purple, a razor-edged, instrumental hard rock album with a good variety of tones and a spectacular display of contemporary techniques. Melanson is not a shredder in the 'sweep licks and double picking' mold, rather a melodic guitar hero in the Joe Satriani vein (but who can also dish out flaming legato licks when called upon). He wrote the songs on Sorta Purple between 1990 and 1996 (they were recorded between 1993 and 2000), so the production throughout the album is not as consistent as you might expect, but the music is certainly a rush. Melanson can certainly write memorable hooks too; several of the songs will hang with you just after one or two listens. Several of the tracks feature sound bite intros or samples, which may or may not appeal to you, but eventually morph into instrumental hard rock glory. A rocker with a future.

It’s amazing, the number and variety of different sounds you can get out of a guitar when you really know how to play. Bob Melanson is one of those gifted guitarists who can make his instrument speak many languages. Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and guitarists of that ilk come to mind on “The Machine,” a guitar-driven, “Industrial-flavored” rocker featuring a processed female vocal; however, this intriguing song isn’t any indication of what to expect from Melanson. He’s a virtuoso of many styles and, yes, he can also write a song. I especially love the smooth, modern jazz feel of the instrumental, “Interlude.” Another completely different offering is “Bubba Girl,” an upbeat punk rock song about Melanson’s young daughter. It would be very interesting to hear a full album of Bob’s music and see what else he has up his sleeve.

Before I knew it, my head was bobbing and my foot was tapping to this track. Now, normally I do not particularly like guitar-driven instrumentals, but I think I might have to change my thoughts after hearing this track through a couple times (and more after I download it).

First off, excellent production. When I listen to independent music, one of the first things that strikes me is how well it is assembled and put together. How well it sounds over the internet. It says a lot to hear a track of this production quality being piped through God knows how many computers before it gets to mine.

Great guitar work. Are you available to do some work for me? Just kidding. Incredible guitar. Incredible. Drums and bass are excellent too, but that guitar... it steals the show. Mr. Melanson, I salute you. 20 years of playing the guitar have seriously made you one of the best I have ever heard, ever. I am sending this link to a friend of mine in Kentucky that loves great guitar work like this.

Seriously, folks, if you like kick-ass guitar work and a quick, fast-paced and energetic track, I would suggest checking this out. If you run a record label, I would think you might want to pick this guy up. Bob Melanson breathes new life into the instrumental genre.

...the future is fluid

http://www.avenue5.us

Luckily for Bob Melanson, I am a fan of guitar instrumentals. It may sound easy for an average guitarist like me to write a 4 minute instrumental but it is no easy thing to do. The boom of the late eighties\' Shrapnel Records explosion of guitar hero\'s showed that. Some of them were fantastic (i.e. Jason Becker, Marty Friedman), others not so.

Bob seems to succeed where others fail; the basic song is interesting, a great nu-metal type riff forming the basis of the rhythm section. The drums are presumably synthesised but Bob certainly seems adept at programming them. The drums are an intrinsic part of the interest in the song. It would be easy to simply have a basic beat with guitar histrionics over the top. I think Bob understands that the whole song needs to be interesting, not just the solo.

There is also a nice futuristic element at various points in the song. Bob\'s wife lends her voice to a distorted speaking part for the introduction and at various points in the song.

Now, with reference to the guitar solo business - Bob can certainly play well. There are elements of fancy playing but he does not forget melody. I compare him to Joe Satriani in this aspect as Joe always ensured melody was a part of his songs.

A great instrumental guitar song which retains interest from the extra effort put in to the other instruments to compliment the guitar.

Chris Betteley..........

http://www.kainam.co.uk .........

Behind every successful man is his woman, and behind her is his wife!

The Soundtrack Song is almost not what you would expect from a typical Soundtrack song of the 21st century. The composer of this piece can probably describe his idea behind the piece best in that it sounds “a bit like an 80’s TV theme”. And to that, mission accomplished.

Exemplary musicianship and production highlight this instrumental rock tune. Great separation between the recorded instruments: searing guitars, driving percussion with a feel that summarizes what would happen if Miami Vice were to meet AC/DC during a taping of Nash Bridges. The drums and guitars really have guts, the performances seem tight and overall Soundtrack Song is a selection of well-crafted fast-paced instrumental rock. If you’re a fan of the instrumental rock genre and you want to hear something with a vintage 80’s soundtrack inspired kick, The Soundtrack Song by Bob Melanson is for you.
- MP3Magazine.net

There are three racks in my personal CD collection. One of them is full of CDs featuring artists I grew up listening to. You know, Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Kansas, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Little Feat, and the like... The second rack is nearly full of the music that invaded my ears during my "growth spurt" when I began listening to the likes of Jeff Beck, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Al DiMeola, and my all-time favorite, Frank Zappa. The third rack is overflowing with Mp3.com DAM CDs produced by all of the artists that I have met during the time I've been promoting 70x7 online.

I still have not figured out where I'm going to put my Bob Melanson CD when I get it. Bob is a bit of an enigma. Sure, he's a guy that I encountered in my travels in the realm of Mp3.com, and sure, the CD is manufactured by the world's largest online music distributor. BUT WAIT! Bob Melanson is doing the kind of stuff with his guitars that inspired me to buy just about everything on the GRP label. He's performing the kind of music that I thought could only be done by the great label-owned masters in that second rack. WHAT ABOUT BOB?

If you haven't been to Bob Melanson's Mp3.com site, you are in for a pleasant surprise. If you HAVE been there, then you know what I'm talking about, because you've been enjoying one of the best-kept secrets in North America.

Bob Melanson is a crafty writer, an exquisitely creative guitarist, and a man who knows his way around the production room. He's the kind of guy you wish would move to Pittsburgh and join your band. (fat chance!) It's almost embarrassing as a writer, but I can't think of enough superlatives to describe what an entertaining experience it is to discover a guitarist like Bob in a relatively obscure venue such as Funender.com... Don't get me wrong, Funender is oozing with talented individuals who are working to gain exposure for their music through online music distribution sites, but this writer considers Bob Melanson to be on a different level, entirely.

Bob's latest track is the first one listed on his Mp3.com site. It's called "Interlude," and it smacks of Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, and the best guitarists to ever be published on Dave Grusin's "GRP" record label. Working over a laid back and groove-filled rhythm track, Bob lays down a series of melodic guitar lines that really sing. Honestly one of the best instrumental jazz guitar songs I've heard in all my days enjoying the genre, even though Bob has chosen to categorize it as instrumental rock.

The second song I encountered was titled "Cruisin 52." Fans of Steve Vai are going to love this one. Guitars harmonizing over one another, blazing fast riffs, improbable off-time transitions, and enough action to make even the most accomplished guitarists say to themselves, "how did he do that?" I was amused, entertained, and astonished. (Hello operator, can you get me Nova Scotia directory assistance please?)

Next was Bob's "Soundtrack Song." This one reminds me mostly of Joe Satriani in both feel and composition. It starts off with a great rhythm line, and then the guitar goes from the melodic, to the harmonic, and then to the seemingly impossible in a matter of moments. After a few bars of refreshing arpeggiation halfway through, the lead guitar returns with a new twist on the theme, and then flows back into the guitar-harmony laden conclusion to a marvelous piece.

"Rest Is History" is a song that is more on the dark side. It starts off with some really cool harmonics that break into a Zappaesque section full of time changes from measure to measure. After establishing the theme, Bob comes on strong with a wailing guitar solo before returning to the first and second sections for another look from a slightly different perspective.

"On The Way" is also a bit on the dark side, and the guitar is reminiscent of Eric Johnson, with just a little bit of Wes Montgomery mixed in for color. Bob works this theme over good, and when he's getting down on the low notes, you could swear it's Frank Zappa on the Gibson SG six-string. This song also features some very nice arranging on the keyboards that keeps the rhythm section driving throughout.

When I got to song number six I suddenly realized what kind of a monster artist that Bob Melanson really is. His vocals are finally heard on "Can't Find You" and you realize that Bob doesn't play all those instrumentals because he can't sing, he just prefers to let the guitar do the singing. "Can't Find You" is clever, funny, tricky, poppy, and punky all rolled into one. The song ends, and you have to listen to it again because everything happened too fast to take it all in on the first play.

Bob shows his pop-alternative side on "I'm Not Myself." It has a wonderfully melodic intro, great choppy rhythm in the verses, and a very memorable chorus with tight vocal harmonies. This tune could very easily be an alternative anthem for the ages. I love the ending too.

"Bubba Girl" is another really cool alternative-feeling pop song. Bob says that he only wrote this one for fun and not to take it too seriously. Trust me, it IS fun, and the clever lyrical content and vocal performance will put a smile on your face. Both of the last two songs mentioned just reinforce what wonderful diversity Bob Melanson possesses as a writer and performer.

One thing that all of these songs have in common is outstanding performance and production. The recordings are masterfully produced, and all of the instruments are played with energy and a wide range of dynamics. The writing is detailed in every way, with well-developed intros and endings in every song. It is very evident that Bob has amazing talent and a very good ear, and he spends his working hours as a post-production sound editor. It is rare to hear an artist of this caliber who has not gained widespread popularity, but Bob has indeed received quite a bit of recognition for the mastery of his craft, having been named one of the TOP 5 GUITARISTS in Canada during the Fender Guitar Warz competition in 1990. Occasionally, Bob does guitar clinics for Yamaha, and some of his musical scores have been used in television programming.

Don't delay visiting the Bob Melanson site on Mp3.com - before long some big record label is going to own the exclusive and you'll only be able to hear this great performer if you spend some money. And while you're listening, don't blink or leave the room for even a moment - you'll certainly miss something amazing!

WHAT ABOUT BOB? I'm going to be listening to this artist every day, but I'll be putting his CD "Sorta Purple" into the rack that is reserved for the "Gods of Guitar!"

_________________
Blessings,
BEEJ

B.J. Collins
Founder - Seventy Times Seven