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Stuermer, Daryl: Go
 Veteran fusion and prog guitarist Daryl Stuermer now finds his home at InsideOut Records, and his brand new release Go is sure to raise some eyebrows, especially with those listeners who thought his fiery side was permanently dormant. Through his days with fusion violinist Jean Luc Ponty to his time spent as sideman with Genesis and Phil Collins, Stuermer has left behind an impressive body of work, and in addition he has a fine collection of solo albums to his credit. His debut solo album Steppin' Out in the late 1980's on GRP Records was a stunning set of ripping and melodic instrumentals, showing that Stuermer had what it took to be considered alongside players like Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson. Now many years later, with the Genesis reunion tour imminent, Daryl once again reminds us what an incredible guitar player and writer he really is.
Plain and simple, Go is a monster of an album. Stuermer's awesome chops and sense of melody takes songs like "Striker" and "Masala Mantra" to the stars, as his lightning solo fills and memorable tone are a joy to listen to. The instantly memorable "Greenlight" one again features that "tone", which is beefy with just the slightest touch of fuzz, cutting through the mix and delivering those delicious melodies. He slows things down a bit on the heart-warming "Dream in Blue", with his guitar playing what would normally be the vocal melody and supported by emotional keyboard work and electronic drums. It's back to high-energy fusion on "Breaking Point", with his sizzling lead guitar leading the charge, and the sophisticated "Urbanista" is a classy blend of prog and fusion styles with plenty of ethnic flavor. Stuermer delivers a stunning solo on this one that will please any fan of Satriani, Johnson, Montrose, or Morse. After the majestic & introspective "Heavy Heart", Daryl moves into some funky Latin rhythms on "Meltdown", which should appeal to lovers of Al DiMeola and Return to Forever. When this guy wants to rip, boy can he!
That emotional tone once again just drips from "The Archer", a majestic prog-fusion burner, and the closer "Omnibus" is a heavier prog rock number with beefy rhythm guitar, organ, and catchy lead melodies. It's a perfect ending to a near perfect album from one of the most underrated guitar players of our time. Do yourself a favor, if you are a guitar lover and have never checked out any of Daryl Stuermer's material, now is the time to do so. Forget the fact that he plays second fiddle to Mike Rutherford while on tour with Genesis, this guy is one hell of a player who deserves to be heard and acknowledged for his talents. Hopefully InsideOut can bring this awesome musician the attention he has deserved for so long. Highly recommended stuff here folks-check it out.
Track Listing
1) Striker
2) Masala Mantra
3) Greenlight
4) Dream in Blue
5) Breaking Point
6) Urbanista
7) Heavy Heart
8) Meltdown
9) The Archer
10) Omnibus
Added: April 29th 2007
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:  
Related Link: InsideOut Music
Hits: 3195
Language: english
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Stuermer, Daryl: Go
Posted by Murat Batmaz, SoT Staff Writer on 2007-04-29 09:21:44
My Score:
Daryl Stuermer is known for his impressive stints with Genesis as a touring member as well as Phil Collins' long-time guitarist for nearly three decades. Much of Collins' pop hits were played by this amazing guitarist, but unfortunately, Stuermer has always been underrated, garnering little to no recognition for his talents as a guitar player.
Go is Steurmer's first album on his new label Inside Out, and sees him delving deeply into his past fusion work and blending it with the melodic aesthetic of his more recent output. It is an incredibly powerful combination to say the least. Taking the smoothest sides of Eric Johnson's tone and combining it with the highly challenging rhythmic groove of Joe Satriani, the majority of the songs are still characterized by his fusion guitars. Unlike his previous efforts though, Go is a more balanced and diverse record. It is filled with lush keys and prominent bass to underpin his ultra-clean melodic signature on "Striker"; a more rocky and somewhat eastern-tinged feel on "Masala Mantra" (sort of like a marriage between Far Eastern scales and Indian eclectism), and the perfect mix of fusion and groove-inflected rock on "Greenlight", which evokes a song where Eric Johnson and Al Di Meola duet fiercely within the context of a beautifully written compostion. Keys have a stronger impact on the moody "Dream in Blue", complete with stunning percussion and a slowly building guitar arrangement. "Breaking Point" is again like a neat Joe Satriani track that would feel at home on his self-titled album. Stuermer's understanding of rhythm and fluency is at its best here, climaxing with a spine-chilling guitar solo. "Urbanista" is without doubt the album's most progressive piece, starting out with cool funky rhythm before venturing into 70's prog, chock full of melodic warmth and energetic riffery as well as liquidy guitar lines. The ending of the song is particularly striking, with amazing eastern rhythms, sizzling keyboards, and towering fretwork coming to the fore. What can't go unmentioned is the moving ballad "Heavy Heart", which is a nice break from the fusiony material.
The band behind Stuermer are John Calarco on drums, Eric Hervey on bass, Kostia on keyboards, and Leland Sklar on bass with whom he has played for years in Phil Collins' band. At this point, it seems unlikely that these songs will be taken on stage, seeing that Stuermer will be busy with the Genesis reunion tour coming up, but one can still hope.
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