Klock Group, Marc - Tentacle Dreams


Year of Release: 2004
Label: Fusion Studio Recordings
Catalog Number: FSR11103
Format: CD
Total Time: 60:35:00

This review is part of a longer article A Day At The Indies; this is the fourth review in the grouping. -ed

Even more retro is my last stop for this trip, the Marc Klock Group's Tentacle Dreams. If you enjoy(ed) Seventies fusion a la Jeff Beck, Lenny White, and Mahavishnu, you'll go nuts for Tentacle Dreams; I know I do! Guitarist Marc Klock has pulled together some of fusion's original pioneers, as in Mahavishnu violinist Jerry Goodman and bassist Phil Chen, who laid down the bottom on Jeff Beck's Blow By Blow. The group is rounded out by veterans Jimmy Paxson, Jr. on drums and Ed Roth on keyboards, including the compulsory Rhodes piano. Leader Klock is no slouch, either; tastes of Beck, DiMeola, Vai, and McLaughlin reflect in Klock's blazing rock and tasteful blues riffing. Goodman shows that he's still got it with plenty of solos and some fine duos with Klock. The songs are all over the fusion map, from furious rock ("Kaos") to spacey blues ("Vibe," "On Second Thought") to jazzy funk ("Chromophobe"). Highlights are hard to pick out, probably because of the lofty caliber of Klock's composing and the collective musicianship present, but my favorites are the Indian- flavored "Mummy Dearest," the bluesy groove of "On Second Thought" (featuring some fine horn from guest David Trough and a lovely Rhodes solo from Roth), and the very wild "Back From Mars", recorded in honor of McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Great stuff, every bit, but what really puts Tentacle Dreams over the top is the production. Leader Klock chose to forego modern methods and instead recorded the album on analog equipment to capture a genuine Seventies sound, and his choice was a good one: Tentacle Dreams sounds like a true contemporary of the halcyon greats and exudes a warm, organic ("dated" my ass!) tone not generally found on modern digital productions. Fusion fans, take heart - this is the best you're going to hear this year. Don't waste any more time dreaming about the good ol' days - check out Tentacle Dreams as soon as possible, and visit their website at www.marcklock.com.


Tracklisting:
Kaos (3:22) / Mummy Dearest (5:36) / Tentacle Dreams (7:41) / Vibe (6:51) / Swingin' (5:17) / Chromophobe (8:09) / Dig (2:35) / Get Up (6:12) / On Second Thought (5:46) / Peace At Sea (3:27) / Back From Mars (7:38)

Musicians:
Marc Klock - guitars
Phil Chen - bass
Jerry Goodman - electric violin
Jimmy Paxman Jr. - drums, percussion
Ed Roth - keys

Guest:

David Through - horn

Discography:
Tentacle Dreams (2004)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: October 3rd 2004
Reviewer: David Cisco

Artist website: www.marcklock.com
Hits: 2621
Language: english

  

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