VIEW FROM ABOVE

Perhaps I should have purchased an album or tried to hear something by Jadis but, having had a good history of selecting off advice, I purchased "View From Above" and was surprised at the lackluster quality of writing and performance.

Gary Chandler seems to be a hero of sorts, and perhpas he is a great guitarist/composer. If so it is not evidenced on this DVD. He plays in a fairly unique way with initially interesting chops. They are somewhat unexpected and sound unique. Song riffs are influenced by this style and again, it initially seems good, but after 20 minutes I was tired of the constant solos that were mostly based on his guitar technique. Furthermore, his microphone technique was poor, especially transitioning between quiet and loud parts or the ever so present same-sounding solos and song riffs. Suppose I liked all that; his vocals fading in and out as he rushes to hit a guitar pedal get annoying.

I'm an IQ fan so John Jowitt on bass and Martin Orford manning keyboards and backing vocals seemed like a no brainer, but the harmonies and backing vocals are a mess. Their playing is excellent as usual. Orford's talents are wasted in this line-up as his excellent keyboard skills are reduced to a backing role.

Worst; there just doesn't seem to be much connection between Chandler and the band. It's like the Gary Chandler Karioke show.

This was a big dissapointment as a purchase, although I wouldn't rule out one of Jadis' CDs, although I'd make sure I heard and liked it. If what I heard and viewed on this DVD represents what Jadis has to offer, I'm not interested.

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