SCENARIO

Scenario was the album where Al Di Meola's approach changed radically and for ever after. He turned away from the kind music he had been doing on albums like Casino and Elegant Gypsy and took a large step towards the music he would do later. Some fans of those earlier albums might really dislike this one and I myself was left a bit confused with it. However, when judged for what it is, on its own merits and not in relation to earlier works, it is actually not that bad. Indeed, Mata Hari is a very good track with a Far Eastern feeling. Sadly, the album tends to drift more and more towards easy listening as we approach the middle of it. For me it becomes rather tedious after a while and it is very difficult to find motivation to listen to the whole album in one go.

As I have implied, the sound and feeling is very different from on earlier albums. There are sequencers here sounding very much like on Vangelis work of the time and Di Meola even seem to borrow some moods from Vangelis. The music is often laid back, not very colourful and a bit sterile. The role played by sequencers and drum machines is much larger than the presence of guest drummers Bill Bruford and Phil Collins. With such drum greats involved, it is disappointing to hear so little great drumming. But it is clear that Di Meola was not afraid of change and trying out new things. There are still electric guitars here and the all acoustic, World Music influenced, works Di Meola would do later are only hinted at here. But it was with this album he changed direction.

When in the right mood I can enjoy parts of this album very much, but overall I find it difficult to listen to the whole album. I can recommend this only for fans and collectors.

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