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Taproot
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51 new or used available from $1.88
Average customer review:
Track Listing
- Naked Stalk
- Jealous Tunnel/About Face
- Jade Stalk
- Nomad Land
- Point A
- Chava's Song
- Ritual Dance
- Scenes [On the Road to Shrub 2]
- First Cutting
- Point B
- Song of the Spirit Farmer
- Rootwitch
- I Carry Your Heart
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #83192 in Music
- Released on: 1990-08-13
- Number of discs: 1
Customer Reviews
Great Introduction to an intriguing guitarist
This album grabbed me with the following quote from Steve Vai, paraphrased here : "No one alive plays an acoustic guitar better than Michael Hedges." It may very well be true. Although his recorded musical legacy is sometimes uneven, his brilliance and virtuosity on the guitar cannot be denied. On this mostly insatrumental album, Hedges slaps, taps, pokes, and cajoles his instrument - even employing a special guitar synthesizer for dynamic tonal adjustment - until it begins to take on a life of its own as a completely new musical entity. His polyphonic technique on the acoustic guitar is literally without peer, and his sense of melody and adventure is well-served on _Taproot_. The music is generally on the softer side of things, with traditional nature-worship-type mystical new-age themes. This is not his most energetic performance, yet it is mesmerizing and frequently jaw-dropping. And as it posesses only one complete vocal track - the excellent "I Carry Your Heart" (with backing vocals by David Crosby and Graham Nash) it will be his most accessible album to those who have little tolerance for some of his more ordinary endeavours into pop songwriting (like on _The Road To Return_). Sadly Michael has left us, far before his time, but his instrumental offerings are challenging examples of "new age" music, and some of the most amazing virtuoso acoustic guitar work ever committed to tape.
an eclectic mix
This is probably MH's most musically diverse album, with an emphasis on ensemble music. Although this genre doesn't shine on every single track, the bulk of the music contained here is excellent and worth buying. If anything, this album could justifiably be bought simply to hear "Rootwitch," perhaps the most astounding guitar piece Hedges ever composed. "Ritual Dance" is also very exciting, with its very intense and fast rhythms. The "Point A/Point B" series is an interesting presence, performed on an experimental guitar called a Trans-Trem. As far as the ensemble music goes, "The First Cutting" is the most appealing. Finally, Hedges sole vocal performance on "i carry your heart" demonstrates that the artist is also a gifted tenor. Definitely worth your time.
Something Different
I'm a huge Hedges fan, but I always play Taproot when I want a departure from solo guitar. This CD has a mystical, fantasy vibe to it that is hard to explain. It is filled with great multi-textured tunes ranging from jazzy to depressing. It's one of my all-time favorites. You've got to check out Ritual Dance.
