Go

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.

First off a bit about me, i have been listening to music now since the late 70's, everything from abba to zztop and i know good music when i hear it. Daryl's latest album has quickly become one of my all time favorites and thats in a collection of over 1,200 albums aquired thru the years.

All ten instrumental songs on this disc are just great and to boot a nice varition between them, everything from straight ahead rock, to prog rock, to jazz fusion. His style reminds me of Joe Satriani with a bit more jazz fusion thrown in. The production is crystal clear and his guitars are up front like they should be. The other other players on the disc hold their own quite well and overall makes for a very tight band.

I have had this disc in my car for weeks now and just don't feel like playing anything else, its that good. No slow or downer stuff, just uplifting spirited guitar playing that will bring a smile to your face over and over again, do yourself a favor and if you only buy a couple of dics this year, make this one of them.

TC

It was so refreshing to hear Daryl return to a more fusion-styled recording. He is an incredible guitarist and this CD really shows what he can do. I also enjoyed his past solo efforts where he chose a heavier jazz influence. However, his playing just fits so well and seems to push him a bit further when he is playing things more Genesis/Jazz-Fusion styled. This is his best solo effort since his first "Steppin Out" back in the 80s. Highly recommended.

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