CD Review: Eric Johnson "Tones"

Eric Johnson's debut album, 'Tones', released on Reprise Records on 1986, caught the ears of critics and music fans alike. As solid an effort as his now classic "Ah Via Musicom', 'Tones' showcased the immense talents of the young Johnson as he melds rock, jazz, fusion, blues and an almost, at times, New Age sound with deft fretwork and a preternatural ability to coax seemingly other-worldly tones from his guitar.

The Texas native began playing guitar at the age of 11. He honed his craft in various local and regional bands and studio/session work with artists as varied as Carole King, Cat Stevens and Christopher Cross. With a very strong local following, Johnson continued to fly under the national radar until Prince caught a Johnson performance on Austin City Limits in 1984. Through the efforts of Prince, Christopher Cross and producer David Trickle, Johnson was signed to Warner Brothers for his initial solo release.

In keeping with the title of the record, Johnson delivers on a variety of tones on this album from the crisp, wavering sustain and the ultra-clean pitch and timbre rhythm that rolls underneath his easy touch lead work to the ultra fast, flash lightning, solos that seem to defy several of the laws of physics.

Of the nine tracks on 'Tones", Johnson adds very competent vocals on five of them. Each track clearly has it's own personality, from the jazz infused 'Soulful Terrain" to the urban and soulful "Friends" with it's solid thumping urban-esque underpinnings, the entire disc offers auditory visions and aural tastes, and, at times, as if the music itself has become tactile.

The third track, "Emerald Eyes", is what a love song should be in the hands of someone with such a touch with his guitar. Again, lyrically easy to listen to and sung with a confidence, it was as if this song had been created with "single" in mind.

" Off My Mind" showcases Johnson's ability to maintain a solid rhythmic beat to his playing with solos floating just above it. The track is a place to hear the players behind him contributing with relative ease with boldly interjected percussion and bass that moves the piece forward.

The fifth track, "Desert Song", my personal favorite on this particular disc, shows Johnson playing a nylon string classical guitar in hybrid flamenco/classical style that is both moving and intriguing at the same time. Although he is most often associated with and has garnered his well-earned reputation with the electric guitar, Johnson is clearly not afraid to experiment with, and apparently master, different instruments as well as styles.

"Trail Of Tears" is a long, meandering work but is clear signpost of what is to become known as the Eric Johnson style. Upper registry work that always seems to be just this side of shattering glass and blistering solos that have an understated power that will show up again on his Grammy winning "The Cliffs Of Dover". His solos are so quick and clean that it's difficult to actually separate the notes in your ears, instead they blend together and fly from his guitar unimpeded.

"Bristol Shore" seems to be the most generic of the tracks on the album but with Eric Johnson, generic is still better than a lot of music that is recorded. There are breakout solos on the track but in a way, they almost feel out of place here. It's as if he were trying to meld two separate ideas into one piece with the result being something less than his other work on the disc. Again, even so, it's still impressive fretwork.

"Zap", Johnson's first track to be nominated for a Grammy, is the acknowledgement that underneath the virtuoso that is Johnson, lurks a tried and true rocker. It is a stomping, pounding track that truly demonstrates a clear step in rock and rolls evolutionary chain. I had heard that this was a tribute to Frank Zappa and although I cannot confirm it, if it is, I would like to think that wherever Frank is, he is pleased.

The disc finishes out with "Victory" which is again, a demonstration of finesse, strong composition and skill that will always be the hallmark of Eric Johnson's technique. He shows some wicked double stops and tremolo work on this track as well.

The one thought that kept popping up while listening to this disc was in regards to Johnson's playing style. Aside from his speed, the thing that most impressed me most was his subtlety. It's an amazing ability – while there are so many speed players out there who can practically set a fret board on fire, it's a very select few who can do it with the gentle touch that Johnson uses to coax a variety of tones from his guitar. As times, listening to Johnson play is more akin to watching a master painter work his art. The mixing of colors on his palette, the tiny, weightless brush strokes across the canvas and suddenly there sits something rich and complex where once nothing existed.

I'll be perfectly honest, I was never really a big Eric Johnson fan having only known of him through "Cliffs Of Dover" since that was the only track that ever really caught airplay here. I thought the track was terrific but never having heard any follow up, I thought he was just a flash in the pan and that he had drifted away into obscurity. One of the reasons that there had not been any new hits from Johnson was not because of a lack of talent or ability, it's his relentless perfectionism. His insistence on not releasing anything until he is happy with it explains the gaps that can extend to years between releases. But that same demon of having such an exacting nature over his art is also the reason that his music is so precise, clean and well orchestrated. It is what makes Eric Johnson.

Well, this disc has opened my ears to this virtuoso and I am certain I will be searching out more Eric Johnson in the near future.

Yeh I have to agree with pretty much all of that.. Eric is a great player. My wow-factor moment is also to do with his speed but in relation to being able to hear each note played very clearly and precisely.