Despite his main band recently getting recognized on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Journey guitarist Neal Schon has been keeping himself busy with extracurricular projects. First, there was the surprisingly excellent Soul SirkUS collaboration with vocalist Jeff Scott Soto. Now comes "i on U," a moody instrumental-guitar record that captures Schon's trademark fluidity as well as incorporates modern sounds and world flavors via loops and beats - sort of a like an instrumental Journey-meets-Santana experiment. Very few guitarists can be as expressive with the instrument as Schon, and on these dozen sonic explorations - from the soaring opener "Blue Passion" to the mournful yet hopeful closing ballad "Father" - Schon reveals many sides to his musical personalities. How those personalities and his experiences in Soul SirkUS and with "i on U" will impact the next Journey record remains to be seen, but something tells me that band may finally be ready to embrace the darker, heavier and more mysterious side I always knew it possessed. For now, though, you need your ears on i on U.
Track Listing:
1) Blue Passion
2) I On U
3) Timeless Motion
4) The Chamber
5) Urban Angel
6) Moon Dust
7) Loner's Dream
8) Burning Bridges
9) Highland
10) It Will Happen
11) Taken There
12) Father
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