Taaffe, Denis - Modern Rock Guitar Vol 1: Abducted By Aliens


Year of Release: 1999
Label: self-released
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 57:16:00

U2's "With Or Without You" came to mind with the bass lines that kick off the opening, and title, track "Abducted By Aliens." This soon morphs into something Pink Floyd-like, mainly the rhythm and percussion, sounding a bit like "Another Brick in The Wall." Searing guitar leads come from somewhere else entirely...kinda like as if Satriani or Vai played to their own muse, eschewing Gilmore and his leads. Well, like Satriani and Vai, Denis Taaffe is a guitarist, so these comparisons don't come from left field, or in this case, outer space. Modern Rock Guitar Vol 1: Abducted By Aliens is Taaffe's debut, an album created because the artist couldn't find enough guitar rock. He fills that gap with some 80s MOR-rock inspired compositions. It's Taaffe on vocals as well. His vocal style is pleasant and serviceable, but he shines as a guitarist. There are times where I thought of another guitarist I've listened to quite a bit and that is Rick Ray. These guitars overall have different styles, and different agendas, as Taaffe replaces socio-political commentary for a wide range of themes. "Mighty Flesh Vehicles" reminded me of The Cars' "Bye Bye Love." "Adrenalin" has a pumped up rhythm, as might be expected. This is muscular, almost as beefy as a Judas Priest track...think "Another Think Coming." This shifts gears, though to an almost surf-like rhythm with a bit of what sounds like steel string ... and, uh, yeh, I'm thinking again of Chaquico, which I did also during "Territories" later in the album. But then the shimmering guitar leads of "Maybrick Is The Ripper" make you think Taaffe is going into a softer direction. Hardly, as shimmers give way to razor sharp slices of guitar over very heavy bass and percussion -- ripper indeed. "The Reef" begins as a mid-tempo piece that recalls rush, but here again, things quickly change to something chunkier, harder -- softness is just the tease, as Taaffe means business here.

"Winter Passage" is another standout track; the opening, plucked-guitar notes of "Plymouth Rock" will almost sound familiar, as you think Taaffe is going to launch into a cover of Yes' "Roundabout." But a close listen will reveal a few nods to many other classics -- I think of "A Summer Place" specifically. It lasts only 2 minutes, so it goes by, unfortunately, very quickly.

As self-produced album, this is pretty good. The drums are synthetic, but it hardly matters as the guitars are the focus. And maybe it doesn't matter because they are balanced right in the mix that you aren't, at least I wasn't, constantly thinking of them as being created by a drum machine. Yes, focusing in on them, you can at times tell -- a certain stiffness, coldness. There's a danger when you are solo soloist of focusing more on the solo than the piece as a whole. Even though it's Taaffe on all instruments, it often sounds as if there must have been a band backing him.

Those looking for incredibly fast shred fests will be disappointed, but those who want tough but lyrical leads...those who want compositions are going to be pleased. I daresay, those who are thinking there are no new guitar rock albums to explore, need only look here to get their fix.


Tracklisting:
Abducted By Aliens (4:24) / You Don't Have To Pretend (2:51) / Driven (2:46) / Countdown (4:54) / Adrenlin (4:22) / Maybrick Is The Ripper (2:05) / The Reef (5:27) / Night At The Beach (3:37) / Mighty Flesh Vehicles (3:09) / The Storm (4:14) / Territories (4:43) / Winter Passage (4:22) / 90210 (2:53) / Test Drive (4:30) / Plymouth Rock (2:00)

Musicians:
Denis Taaffe - guitar, bass, vocals, and drum machine

Discography:
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 1: Abducted By Aliens (1999)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol II: Alien Guitar (2001)
Modern Guitar Vol III (2002)
Modern Guitar Vol 4: An Evening With Guitarist Denis Taaffe (2004)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 5: 2 Worlds (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 6: Ice (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 7: Midnight (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 8: Hollywood (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 9: Shadows (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 10: Lifelines (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 11: Road To Anywhere (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 12: Storm Control (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 13: Towers (2005)
Modern Guitar Archive Vol 1 (2005)
Modern Guitar Archive Vol 2 (2005)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 14: Versailles (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 15: Vaux-Le-Vicomte (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar 16: The Chase (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 17: Alien Lifeforms (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 18: Metropolis (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 19: Excess Hotel (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 20: Perpetual Motion (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 21: Interpretations Of A Dream (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 22: Departure (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol Vol 23: El Coyote Trailer Park (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 24: Go For It! (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 25: The Road Less Traveled (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 26: The Catacombs: Bury The Dead (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 27: Levels Of Thought (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 28: The Chosen Path (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 29: Metro (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 30: Seaport (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 31: Destiny (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 32: Life Cycle (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 33: Origins (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 34: Mirage (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 35: Evolution (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 36: Armageddon (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 37: Ramadan (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 38: Enigma (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 39: Velocity Engine (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 40: Liquid Phrases (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 41: Meditation (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 42: The Passage (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 43: Elements (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 44: Iwato (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 45: Drive (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 46: Original (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 47: The Cruelty Of Captivity (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 48: Synapses (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 49: Moving On (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 50: The Last Mile (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 51: Alien Encounters Part I (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 52: Alien Encounters Part II (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 53: Illusions (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 54: Distance (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 55: Alternate Paths (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 56: The Machine (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 57: Still Life (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 58: Drive Em Down To Aintry (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 59: Endless Journey (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 60: Ends Of The Earth (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 61: Atmospheres (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 62: Atmospheres II (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 63: Avant Garde (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 64: Meteor (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 65: Isolation (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 66: Wisdom (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 67: Above Water (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 68: Directions (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 69: Landscapes (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 70: Landscapes II (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 71: Take The 909 (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 72: On The 909 (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 73: Humble Beginnings (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 74: Natural History (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 75: Natural History II (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 76: Buddakan (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 77: Watercolors (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 78: Airstrikes (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 79: Extinction (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 80: Modern Technology (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 81: Ancient Ruins (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 82: First Class Railways (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 83: Future Visions (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 84: Future Visions II (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 85: Just Another Afternoon (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 86: Just Another Afternoon II (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 87: Dominion (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 88: Variations (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 89: Progressions (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 90: Point Of No Return (2006)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 91: On The Rails (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 92: Alternating Currents (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 94: Liquid Sky (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 95: Liquid Sky II (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 96: After Hours (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 97: One Path (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 98: Life In The New Ice Age (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 99: Urban Expansion (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 100: Natural Textures (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 101: At The Station (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 102: Hazardous Duty (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 103: Sea Of Tranquility (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 104: Finding Your Way (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 105: Finding Your Way 2 (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 106: Portals (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 107: Nuclear Fallout (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 108: Hypothermia (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 109: Hypothermia II (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 110: The Station (2007)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 111: Cross Country (2008)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 112: Sensory Deprivation (2008)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 113: Spectrum Disorders (2008)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 114: Regions (2008)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 115 - Read Planet One (2008)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 116: Super Sonic (2008)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 117: Virus (2008)
Modern Rock Guitar Vol 1118: Cross-Pollenation (2008)
Modern Guitar Archive Vol 3 (tba)

Genre: Rock

Origin US

Added: June 5th 2001
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: dtguitar.com
Hits: 2655
Language: english

  

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