Reviews

Neal Schon: Vortex Review

Vortex is Neal Schon’s ninth solo album, and is an all instrumental exploration of rock, jazz and world music. Stepping into this album was like stepping into an alien world. It was dangerous and exciting, beautiful and alluring, and gave you this sense of wonder. The best thing about this album was that it got you lost somewhere. The rhythm and beat gives a nice, steady ground to walk on while the guitar dazzles and reverberates through your entire body. The energy from it is intense and you could tell it was going to be one of those albums within seconds after pressing play.

The first few songs grab you, shake you up, and take you someplace, but then it keeps going. By the third track I was beginning to wonder if the whole album was going to sound the same. Then “El Matador” came on, and I was pleasantly reassured. Neal Schon begins taking you on this journey through joy, heartbreak, excitement, love, and loss. I have to say, while they do a good job of this through the whole album, “Lady M,” which was written for his wife, is one of those songs where you can really feel the emotion and energy radiating from the music. The second disc provides a wider variety of sounds and experimentation. It leada off with the epic “Tortured Souls” song, transitioned into more explorative sounds, and ends with the beautiful “White Light” song.

The album from a technical standpoint is equally impressive. The guitar playing for both lead and rhythm is breathtaking. It is precise and confident, while also wild and loose. The bass definitely does its job of providing a solid backbone to the songs. The percussion gave a steady rhythm that definitely complemented the music, and I particularly enjoyed the use of hats and cymbals. The keyboard and synth isn’t particularly prevalent throughout the album, except when it needs to be. It’s not too flashy or anything, and when it does hit, it hits just the right spot. My only complaint with the album was it got repetitive at times. The percussion stayed the same throughout most of the songs, there were guitar riffs I heard several times over, and songs that sounded more like they were revisiting a previous song.

Overall, Vortex is an excellent album. Except for a few repetitions here and there, they offered a great variety of sound and emotion. It’s a stunning display of music, and there’s not too much to complain about without being too picky. It’s an album anyone from a blues enthusiast to a metal-head can get into, and it quickly becomes apparent just how legendary a musician Neal Schon is.

The Review: 9/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– Miles Beyond
– El Matador
– Lady M
– Tortured Souls
– Twilight-Spellbound
– Triumph of Love

The Big Hit

– El Matador

Review by Xander Greco

Buy the album: Amazon

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