Theme from a Perfect World

My wife hates "shred" albums, but Andy's stuff is such a fantastic blend of spirituality and classic artistry that even she had to admit that this album was appealing. There are some "left-brain", muscle-memory-driven chops; but it may mot be enough to make the fans of the shred genre bring their friends over to show it off. (Check out his early stuff if that's what you're looking for. "Carpe Diem" and "Groove or Die" both melted my face off.) What you are going to encounter here are 1) David Gilmore, Beatle-esque, instrumental guitar songs with a TON of facinating dynamics in every phrase (yes...EVERY phrase!), 2) some really interesting changes without getting weird on purpose (you know how some bands play odd time signatures and weird progressions just to show you that they can?...), and 3) a melodic sensibility that is off-the-charts. Joe Satriani fans will swoon.

Andy Timmons is one of an elite group of modern rock-blues players who can easily be identified for his unique (and incredible) tone and playing style. In my mind he easily ranks with the likes of Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Lukather, Dann Huff, Brad Paisley, Derek Trucks, Mikael Åkerfeldt, et al, in that Andy Timmons can tastefully 'play to the song' but in a way that is instantly recognizable as being his own signature presentation. This album, like all other ATB albums, is melodically focused and not just a showcase of fast licks and cliché phrases. I have always had a special fondness for Andy Timmons' penchant for melodic double stops in place of single note phrases. His tone is the perfect marriage to these double stops especially given his intonation and choice of harmonies, which is always in a class of its own. That all being said, the recording itself falls flat on its face and sounds like it has been mixed down (and a bit darkly at that) but then not properly mastered, and then compressed to a lower quality MP3. This is unfortunate as the low fidelity of the recording undermines the sonic impact of ATB's playing. The drums (and the air around them) sounds especially lackluster. Again the performance of everything isn't at fault here...it's the recording itself. For my own personal listening purposes I'm actually toying with the idea of processing the tracks through some mastering plug-ins just to see if I can help things out sonically. That sort of thing would normally be a sacrilege in my mind but sadly this album could likely benefit from some home-grown mastering (at least for the benefit my own ears). Desperate times call for desperate measures. So in spite of the poor recording quality I still give it 4 stars because it is just so good as far as the music goes (which is ultimately what matters). ATB is always inspiring to listen to, especially for guitarists such as myself, and this album is no exception. Hopefully they'll consider remixing and remastering things, and then follow suit for any future recordings. The music totally merits whatever time, expense and effort it might take to deliver an equally stunning sonic presentation.

Now that I've had this a few weeks here's my take. It's another great CD from Andy. Just what you would expect. But there are some not so subtle differences here. I here some distinct sections that draw from Keith Moon, Pete Townsend and The Who rhythm section. There's also some regal sounding sections in the title track that sound like Steve Morse. Now I've not read any other reviews yet so if someone has pointed these out already sorry.

Not as brilliant as Resolution but nice. I'm not really happy with the recording, it sounds dull and uninspiring to me plus the guitar tone is dark and seems to be missing some high end clarity. Songs are very nice but I just think it's hard to enjoy due to the recording.

I've been listening to this album for the last several days and with every "listen" it just gets better and better and I'm liking it more and more. To be honest on the first listen I wasn't blown away. Yes, of course it is great- it is an Andy Timmons work, exceptional taste and great guitar playing are expected. Andy is the cream of the crop. All the other reviews are saying the same kind of thing ; his tone and the tastiness of his playing are sublime. All I'm saying in addition to those comments is that this album has depth that, at least to me, reveals itself the more I listen. So do yourself a favor- just buy the album and listen to it over and over and see if you don't agree. And BTW, thanks Andy, I will get many, many hours of listening pleasure from this album.

Truly a fine work from an amazing talent!! Highly recommend this album!

As a guitar player I know that there are a LOT of great guitar players out there, both known and unknown. Andy Timmons is such a breath of fresh air everytime he hits a note. He truly speaks to your emotions with his guitar. This album just takes you on a wonderful journey with each song. Put it on and feel inspired and this sense of elation comes over you. Can't stop listening to it!! Keep 'em coming Andy!

This is a great set of songs. Andy always delivers. Fantastic guitar work. Measures right up there with all the other albums. Deep and rich in bass, tone and rhythm. Highly advanced guitar work! Catch him on tour and you will not regret it.

I'm a big fan of Andy's playing, but I wasn't even aware he had a new cd coming out. This is even better than I was expecting. Great songwriting, amazing playing, & ungodly tone. If you're a fan of his other instrumental work, you will love this.

Saw ATB perform last night and was blown away by the new material and the incredible skills of its leader. Andy Timmons is the guitarists' guitarist. Tone, skill and musicality. His performance is only overshadowed by his humility. Do yourself a favor and buy this album.