THE SINGLES COLLECTION

This uncanny record is very hard to classify. There are jazz, fusion, hard rock and even new age influences. There are many really interesting modern keyboards parts, sometimes floating, sometimes enhancing the rhythm, sometimes sounding like discrete brief sounds that give some magic, lively and nostalgic feeling. Rypdal fills the tracks with good and unique unorthodox electric guitar solos full of tremolos. The fretless bass a la Patrick O'Hearn is particularly interesting, especially on the Hot Lady track. The drums contribution is quite good too and is quite loud and present. The songs styles are varied, and they remain pretty experimental, nonetheless original. The alcoholic guitar solos are comparable to Jeff Beck's. The icy keyboards on the ultra melancholic Mystery Man are quite impressive: it is a sad soundtrack-like piece, where one even can feel the drunken ambience through the drowned guitar notes. The keyboards on Strange Behaviour are really strange: they sound like a gross & frosty panpipe.

On side 2, U.N.I. has interesting piano arrangements a la Patrick Moraz, but the main attraction is definitely the electric guitar solo, which is definitely a partial copy of Van Halen's Eruption: at least, Rypdal provides a solid performance. There are some interesting ultra modern futuristic & urban keyboards arrangements on Coyote. Somehow, Somewhere is a mellow track full of ethereal atmospheres. Steady contain some dirty & visceral electric organ parts, a repetitive funky bass a la Weather Report, and Bruford- esque drums. When I mentioned that the first guitarist of progressive band Spaced Out sounds like Terje Rypdal, Crooner Song is the perfect example to illustrate it.

Rating: 3.5 stars