I was more than pleasantly surprised when I saw these two CDs come accross my desk. Rik Emmett of course was one-third of the 70s-80s stadium rockers Triumph. Triumph alway teetered on the edge of progressive rock, but with a much more blue collar, every-man appeal.
Rik never tried to hide his virtuosity and his love of acoustic/classical/jazz guitar. When Triumph came to an end, Rik dabbled a little in rock, but the acoustic guitar appears to have (at least for now) won out.
The Best of Rik Emmett from The Millenium Collection series chronicles that transformation, and offers a retrospective of Rik's solo career through 2001. The CD opens with "Saved by Love" from Rik's debut solo release. This is still a "rock" song but with a more adult contemporary lean. Following are samples of Rik's unique take on flamenco, R&B, hard rock, and world music.
The CD isn't in chronological order, which I might have prefered, but the order does provide a pleasant listen. Possibly saving the best for last, the final three tracks on the CD are "unplugged" interpretations of classic Triumph songs recorded in 2000 and 2001. For me, the true test of a great rock song is if it still has the same power when played acoustically. The Triumph classics "Lay It On The Line" and "Hold On" do. Rounding out this exploration is a beautiful solo rendition of "Suitcase Blues." This gives us a taste of Rik's jazz stylings, which are not otherwise featured in this collection.
Strung-Out Troubadours combines the talents of Dave Dunlop with those of Rik Emmett. Let's put this into perspective, shall we? You'd need to be one hell of a guitarist to back up Rik, let alone receive the equal billing that Dave does.
The CD for the most part is acoustic, although there is a little keyboard and drums. It opens with "Light of Day" which sets the mood for the rest of the album: Vibrant, uplifting and inspiring. The songs are pretty much evenly divided between instumental and vocal.
As a guitar player, I was of course impressed with Rik and Dave's playing. What impressed me even more was the tastefulness and the fact that they kept
Troubadours from turning into a shred fest. Yes, these guys rip at times, but they also know when to lay back and let the music speak.
The high points for me were "Light of Day," "Cross Country," which paints the vivid picture indicated in its title, "Dos Arroyos," where the lead guitar has a startlingly emotional and vocal quality, and "Faithful Stranger (Love Returns)."
The CD closes with a live version of "Three Clouds across the Moon" from 1997's
Swing Shift. Ok, this one is a nine-and-a-half minute shred fest!
Together these albums offer a great insight into the guitarist that is Rik Emmett.
The Best of chronicles Rik's evolution as a solo performer, and
Strung-Out Troubadours provides a snapshot of the 2006 incarnation of Rik Emmett. I'm sure Rik will keep evolving and I hope he continues to invite us for a listen.
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For more info about Rik and Dave see:
rikemmett.com
davedunlopmusic.com