KEVIN FERGUSON
"Exotic
Extremes" (DeBone; 2000)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
On "Exotic Extremes," Kevin Ferguson has conveyed traditional Macedonian, Bulgarian, Egyptian, Serbian, Israeli, and other Middle Eastern dance and folk music to the electric and acoustic guitar. The CD cover reads: "Kevin Ferguson & Teshkoto," but "Teshkoto" is not a person or a group; "Teshkoto" is one of the more difficult (and not to mention more 'rock' sounding) pieces on "Exotic Extremes"; think of it as the high-water mark for succeeding in Ferguson's chosen task on "Exotic Extremes."
At sixteen tracks, "Exotic Extremes" is chock full of dazzling melodies and even more dizzying time signature changes. The second track, "Romanijda," sounds as though it could have been source material for Dream Theater's more exotic sounding instrumental passages. Ferguson's performance on the track "Teshkoto" reveals what Randy Rhoads might have had in mind if he had gotten a chance to fully explore his musical interests. Finally, many of the tracks (especially the disc-ending "Shatty Ya Denny") feature melodies that remind the listener how well Amorphis incorporated folk music into their heavy metal tapestry in their early days.
Along with the title, country of origin, and length of each track, Ferguson is kind enough to list the time signature of each song. This is helpful when listening to songs that are not in the normal 4/4 time signature as the listener gets a feel for the underlying difficulty of each track.
"Exotic Extremes" is probably only for fans of Malmsteen-esque Paganini craziness, but any self-respecting metal or hard rock guitarist could find something of value in the aggressive delivery of these exotic melodies.
"Exotic Extremes" was produced by Kevin Ferguson.
Kevin Ferguson is joined by Chris Goldthrope on bass and Craig Carney on drums and other native percussion.
For more information visit http://www.debone.com/teshkoto.html.
"Strad
to Strat" (DeBone; 1995)
Reviewed by Christopher J. Kelter
Out of the clear blue came a couple of CDs from solo guitarist Kevin Ferguson -- I really had no idea what to expect. Turns out Ferguson is guitarist that focuses more on classical and exotic forms of music. My first choice for review turned out to be the classical disc. Even the CD's title told me all I needed to know: Strad is short for Stradivarius, the famous violins made during the Golden Age of violin making in Italy, and, of course, Strat is short for Statocaster, which is Kevin Ferguson's instrument of choice for this recording.
Of course, it goes without saying that "Strad To Strat" is not a great fit with the hard rock/heavy metal focus of Rough Edge, but I'm not complaining. Kevin Ferguson's selections lean more towards the fast and furious styles from the likes of Nicolo Paganini, Henryk Wieniawski, Priest Antonio Vivaldi, Pablo de Saraste, and Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. Most likely you've never heard of these violinists, but metal guitarists such as Yngwie J. Malmsteen certainly have. "Strad To Strat" features mostly speedy material with an added emphasis on technical skills.
Kevin Ferguson arranged all of the pieces by the virtuoso violinists on this recording although -- if memory serves me correctly -- the versions here don't stray too far from the original compositions. Additionally, the material on "Strad To Strat" was recorded during a live performance, but specifically recorded without audience noise so you get the full presentation without any troubling distractions. The live recording gives the performance vibrancy and 'bounce' often lacking in stuffy studio recordings of guitarists playing classical music's well-known material.
In the end, Kevin Ferguson's "Strad To Strat" reminds me of Alex Masi's "In The Name Of Bach" and nearly all of Yngwie J. Malmsteen's work. There's a good balance between the compositions of the recording which include the previously mentioned composers as well as Johann Sebastian Bach.
"Strad To Strat" is an excellent choice for fans of Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Therion, and other solo classical guitarists.
"Strad To Strat" was produced by Kevin Ferguson. Kevin Ferguson plays guitar and complements himself with synthesizer in the form of an 'orchestra' to round out the performances.
For more information visit http://www.debone.com/kevinfhome.html.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2004 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 01 Nov 2008 16:37:16 -0600.
