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- October - November - December |
December 2000
A couple of weeks ago I was wondering around in my favourite cd store without any idea; I didn't even know what I was looking for. I had already taken the last album of Quintorigo and the one of PJ Harvey but I still didn't feel myself ok. I got by chance in the Celtic/new age section of the shop. It's a long time I don't purchase more CDs of this genre, but you can't never know where you should find something new and interesting. I skimmed through titles and authors, between covers with green lands, harps and other bucolic images. F, G, H... Hedges. I stop for a moment. His last CD I bought was "Oracle", in 1996, therefore maybe this "Torched" I have in my hand is new. I check it, 1997. Perfect. I take a look at the flaming cover and the back. I read "When Michael Hedges died in late 1997, he left behind... ". Died ? I was struck speechless for a moment, without knowing what to think. 3 years has passed, and I discover just now that Michael Hedges was died in a car incident, while he was coming back home. His body was recovered only some days later. In theory in this page I would review the best albums of the month, but even for this time I must do an exception. I think there aren't a lot of people who know who was this extraordinary talent of guitar, this animated small elf with a huge energy he used to play wonderful melodies on guitar. Several years ago I had also the chance to see him live, and was a spectacular show. How he was able to produce all that sound alone, I still can't explain it. All his work have been publish by Windham Hill, famous New Age label, and are all, in their kind, small masterpieces. In the first albums it was only acoustic guitar, played in divine way, wrapping. Lately, timidly, he began to use more and more often his voice, not so beautiful, but however evocative and more arrangements. I cannot sincerely suggest some album in particular because I find myself truly in difficulty choosing one among the others. If you want to approach his music maybe the best choice is to buy the Greatest Hits that it includes, presumably, all his most beautiful songs; another very good album is Live on the double planet, splendid, with a wonderful cover of Come Together by the Beatles and the splendid All along the watchtower. Regarding Torched, his last album, is a sketch of the album he was working at when he died. The recordings are all own hand-made in his personal recording studio and sometimes the audio quality is not excellent and you have sometimes the feeling to listen to tracks are not yet very defined in their creation. Still more than in the past album here Michael seems more a singer than a virtuoso guitarist and the songs are more catchy and melodic. There are however some pieces orchestrated with excellent technique like Fusion of the Five Elements, but the best track of this CD is undoubtedly Spring Buds, with a simple melody, accompanied by a harmonica. To this tormenting song have collaborated, after the death of Michael, David Crosby and Graham Nash who have added their voice in the chorus. I have nothing else to say, because I'd need to much time to review his music, extraordinary and rich, and his singular (and later much imitated) way to play guitar. With this brief article I wanted only to pay homage to this guitar genius who is no more with us, but who will keep living and playing guitar in my life. "Then a sweet lightning struck Vote: If you want to suggest an album to review and comment this one sign my Guestbook. |
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