Greg Howe
Introspection

THE REVIEW

Published in 1993, the second solo album by the guitar hero from Pennsylvania marks a radical change in style and genres he tackled, laying the foundations that will distinguish his future releases and make him the creator of a unique and original sound that sets him apart from other big names in the music scene. The heir of Allan Holdsworth becomes with "Introspection" the creator of an explosive mix of rock, jazz, funk, and blues, finding its greatest strength not only in the always pleasant and rarely predictable compositions but especially in his incredible virtuosity and a strong improvisation ability deeply rooted in the blues.

To avoid being misled by the title of the publication chosen by the musician, it would be better to consider that everyone has their own way of manifesting their "introspection" (namely the analysis of oneself and their thoughts and feelings). There was probably no more "adrenaline-charged" way for the musician to manifest his introspections than publishing this album where, except for two tracks, the pace stays quite high for most of the 41 minutes it comprises. The line-up includes, in addition to Greg Howe on guitar and keyboards, used only in some parts to embellish the compositions, a very talented Kevin Soffera on drums and the presence of two bassists, most notably an excellent Alsamad Caldwell thanks not only to the great use of "slap" technique in the compositions but also to the splendid solo present in the track "In step", composed by him together with Howe, where the bassist seems to successfully emulate the good old "Stanley Clarke"; in my opinion, one of the best tracks where Greg Howe, in this introspection, highlights his more "fusion" side. Even better is the "classic" "Jump start", which remains the most inspired track of the album and is one of the most significant pieces in the guitarist's entire discography that more incisively highlights his compositional skills; "Jump start" is indeed a splendid track where Greg Howe sublimely coexists the typical canons of jazz-fusion and the sounds and techniques of rock guitar very close to guitarists like Joe Satriani and Van Halen. Very pleasant also is the blues-funk of "Button up", but even better is the following track "Come and get it", slightly more rock than those previously mentioned but no less enjoyable for that. Finally, we can catch our breath with the classical and acoustic guitar solo "Desiderata"; here the musician seems to want to say: "I prefer to make you jump, but I can superbly play any genre," beautiful melody, and the speeding up in Howe's arpeggio. However, the rock-fusion sounds resume more aggressively than before with "No place like home", a truly more aggressive track compared to the others where Soffera shows off his technical skills giving us a very intricate and captivating drum performance. "Direct injection" is the only purely rock track on the disc and frankly, in my opinion, the least engaging, though Greg Howe's solo is, as always, fantastic. The album concludes with the blues ballad "Pay as you go".

I think I've said it all; if you love guitarists and still don't know Greg Howe, this album is just for you.